Essay on Antigone vs. Creon - 1355 Words

In the Greek play Antigone writer Sophocles illustrates the clash between the story’s main character Antigone and her powerful uncle, Creon. King Creon of Thebes is an ignorant and oppressive ruler. In the text, there is a prevailing theme of rules and order in which Antigone’s standards of divine justice conflict with Creon’s will as the king. Antigone was not wrong in disobeying Creon, because he was evil and tyrannical. The authors of â€Å"Antigone: Kinship, Justice, and the Polis,† and â€Å"Assumptions and the Creation of Meaning: Reading Sophocles’ Antigone.† agree with the notion that Antigone performs the role of woman and warrior at once. She does not only what a kinswoman would, but also what a warrior would do. Antigone’s views of†¦show more content†¦Antigone refuses to let King Creon dictate what she does with her brother’s dead body. Antigone states, â€Å"he has no right to keep me from my own† (S ophocles, 441 BC, line 48). Antigone feels that nobody has the right to dictate how she plans to bury her family member. In addition, Creon demands civil disobedience above all. Creon believes that the worst thing an individual can do is act against authority. In contrast, Antigone believes that state law is not absolute. Meaning one should be able to act against the law in extreme cases to honor the gods. Divine law could be proved valid, for example, â€Å"the fact that Polyneices’ dust-covered corpse had not been disturbed by animals could be taken as a possible sign that burial was accepted as valid by the gods† (Sourvinou-Inwood, 1989, pg. 142). Sourvinou-Inwood is stating that because the animals had not touched the dead body, it could be a sign from the gods that a proper burial should be in order. That Creon could have been wrong and the gods wanted Polyneices buried. Moreover, the Greeks supported absolute monarchs, however, simultaneously they also believed i n divine law and had a profound amount of respect for the gods and their laws. Creon states â€Å"am I to rule this land for others, or myself†? (Sophocles, 441 BC, line 823). This statement shows how Creon has little consideration for others around him. He does not care thatShow MoreRelatedAntigone vs Creon827 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Task: Write an essay about the conflict between Antigone and Creon in Antigone, by Sophocles. Show how each is right in his or her own fundamental belief. Then show how the tragedy was inevitable or show how one side was wrong and should have changed. In Antigone, by Sophocles, there is conflict between the characters Antigone and Creon. Antigone is characterized as a rebellious girl, who turns into a martyr, and just lost both her brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, in a war between the city-statesRead MoreCreon Vs Antigone Essay911 Words   |  4 Pages ANTIGONE’S RESPONSES FOR CREON In this paper I am going to write about Creon versus Antigone. They both have strong character as Gender, Agency and State, laws. . Antigone is a woman who has a strong character that challenges the king Creon law in order to obey her beliefs. On other hand, Creon is effectively manufactured, however a fatigued and wrinkled man enduring the weights of running the show. 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In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the readerRead More Understanding Of Cultural And Contextual Consideration Of Antigone By Sophocles968 Words   |  4 Pagesorals, my understanding of cultural and contextual consideration of Antigone by Sophocles has developed. You must receive further information about the playwright, the role of women, and the symbols used in Antigone to have a full understanding of the play. Without the knowledge provided from the interactive orals, the play would not have been understood as well as it is now. To understand the importance and meaning of Antigone, you must understand the playwright and his purpose of writing the play