In this tragedy, there are two types of law: man’s law and the gods’ law. While these laws are supposed to coincide, King Kreon decides to go against the gods’ law and prohibit the grieving and burial of Polyneices, who is seen as a traitor. Antigone, justified in doing so, disregards Kreon’s proclamation and buries her brother anyways. She states that she must “perform this crime of piety; for I must please those down below a longer time than those up her (line 75).” By this, she means that it is better to not disobey those of whom she is to spend eternity with, regardless of when she dies. After all, a lifetime in the mortal world is but a day’s length to the gods (line 790). Antigone also knows that by committing this deed, she will be killed.
When she breaks the law Ismene, her sister, is taken in by the king's guard to be questioned by Creon. Since she is in questioning, there is a chance she will be punished for something that she took no part in burying the body of Polynices, and Antigone only tries to talk Ismene out of trying to take claim on the actions of Antigone. She could have instead brought it up to Creon, which would have saved Ismene from any trouble. This doesn’t mean that everything Antigone does is morally
One could argue that Antigone did not act for the benefit of her society. She ignored Kreon’s proclamation that prohibited anybody from burying Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, challenging his authority, and was more focused on doing what she believed was right, burying her brother and giving him the proper burial rites, and relinquishing herself of any possible guilt for not doing so. However, one can further argue that, even though Antigone’s primary intention was to revere her brother, she did act for the benefit of her society, as she indirectly fought to preserve her society’s value of honoring the dead. Antigone does realize that she has the people’s support for her actions, as she says, “my action pleases all of them, if fear did not lock up their tongues” (Sophocles 40). The latter part of Antigone’s statement suggests that people do not reveal their disapproval of Kreon’s proclamation, due to his authority and power.
" It has come to our notice that the war between Polyneices and Eteocles has angered the people of Thebes and has led Antigone to go against her uncle Creon the King. The new law states that Polyneices is to not have a burial, that no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him." As soon as the law was established Antigone was infuriated. Antigone decided to tell Ismene her plan, she was not going to be stopped even if she died in the process of honoring her brother. Ismene was starting to think that her sister was going mad and wished to not be a part of her actions.
As king of Thebes, it is an absolute duty to uphold command and peace within his territory. Part of this responsibility is to execute orders and to punish any wrongdoers who chose to defy the orders. In the play, “The Burial at Thebes”, it follows princess Antigone who recently lost both her brothers. While one brother was given a proper burial, Polynices, the second brother, was forbidden to be buried by King Creon. Despite the king’s order were that if anyone were to bury Polynices, they would receive a death sentence, Antigone disregarded the warning and buried him.
In Sophocles' Antigone, the foremost source of conflict between Antigone and Kreon is the burial of Antigone's dead brothers who liquidate each other in battle after one disagreed to hand over the throne. After hearing the tragic news, Antigone conveys to her sister Ismene: Kreon buried our brother Eteocles with military honors, gave him a soldier's funeral, and it was right that he should; but Polyneices, who fought as bravely and died as miserably, — they say that Kreon has sworn no one shall bury him, no one mourn for him. (1. 15-20) Antigone decides that she will bury Polyneicies herself even though it is illegal. She is loyal to her family, does not want to disgrace the laws of the gods, and also believes that it is her hereditary duty to bury her brother Polynecies regardless of whatever crime he has committed.
Antigone being the one to fight for her beliefs and obeying the god's laws attempts the burial of Polyneices and goes against Creon’s law to prove to him that he’s in over his head that he has too much pride in himself, in lines 15-35 Antigone claims that she is going to go
Throughout Sophocles’ tragic play, Antigone, main characters King Kreon and Antigone dramatically argue without compromise over the recently deceased brother of Antigone, Polynices. Antigone, while attempting to mourn for her family, symbolically buries Polynices, going against the King’s decree (93-100). Out of anger, and an effort to establish his power, Kreon sentences her to an undeserving death just because she decided to respect her kin (441-496). In this case, I sympathize with Antigone more than Kreon because she peacefully acted on her beliefs knowing the consequences at stake. It takes a lot to stand up for what you believe in, especially knowing that the outcome will not bode well for you.
He also understands that the gods, including, “Zeus, who defends all bonds of kindred blood”(94), command certain laws that Antigone must follow. As Thebans, Greek traditions and religion are the basis of our culture. Family devotion and the laws of the gods are certain moral values that we abide by in our daily lives, and burial rites are no exception. Antigone must follow the laws declared by the Gods by paying respect to her brother or “face the retribution of the gods”(82). The two blatant facts that Creon’s nephew, Polynices, had recently died and his niece must bury him must have crossed the king’s mind.
She believed that God’s laws were higher than man’s laws so she was ‘pleasing those [she] should please most’ (Blondell, 23). While arguing with her sister, Ismene, about breaking the law, Antigone demonstrated her determination to bury her brother because she knew that it was the moral thing to do, regardless of the deadly outcome. She was willing to perform the ‘crime of piety’ (Blondell, 23) – the crime that was ‘honored by the gods’ (Blondell, 23). To her, following God’s laws was the most justified even if it meant that she had to break man’s laws, because the God’s laws were ‘not for now or yesterday, but live forever’ (Blondell, 38).
Antigone is a play written by Sophocles that focuses on the consequences of Antigone's decision to defy her uncle the king and bury her brother Polyneices. The play presents Antigone as a brave and noble character who is willing to sacrifice her life to bury her brother, which is a death sentence. Although her uncle, King Creon, sees her decision as treasonous, Antigone's actions are justified when she honors her brother in ways only known. First, it is important to note why King Creon feels guilty about Antigone's actions. Creon makes it clear that the body of Polyneices must not be buried because he is a traitor and an enemy of the state.
In the classic play by Sophocles, Antigone is a tragic story of the bold Antigone who defied her uncle, King Creonʻs, edict by burying her brother, Polyneices, who died attacking the city of Thebes, trying to take the power away from their brother, Eteocles, who refused to share the throne with Polyneices. Even though Antigone knew that going against Creon and burying her brother would not end well for her, she still choose to risk her life to do what is right. After being caught breaking the law, Antigone is appointed to be locked away, isolated in a cave until she dies, but she hangs herself at the end. At the same time, things for Creon are not looking good, as everyone around him seems to be against him in his decision for punishing Antigone. Everyone Creon cares about kills themselves from a curse that is put on Creon for not following the Godsʻ laws.
This law, by King Creon unhinged Antigone’s wrath and sorrow about the situation. Antigone’s tries to get her sister to consider helping her in the inception of the first episode, but Ismene tells her sister that it’s better off if they don’t end up the same as their brothers and father (Lines 60-81). That means if Antigone still wanted to proceed, it was going to be alone. Due to the fact that in Greek mythology, their belief was that the dead
His free choice is represented by a quote from the guard surveying Polyneices body, “We saw this girl giving that dead man's corpse full burial rites—an act you’d made illegal” (337). Although Creon's own niece turns out to be the one that went against his word, he still chooses to follow through with the punishment even though the deed Antigone did was morally right. The punishment that he lays upon Antigone is excessive and unjust considering the crime. While in an argument with her, he calls to his guards proclaiming, “Take her and shut her up, as I have ordered, in her tomb’s embrace [...]
Antigone believes she should have the right of her brother’s burial. Creon states, “No one shall burry him, no one mourn for him” (Sophocles 2) illustrating that Polyneicis is irrelevant in the city of Thebes. The law in Greek society is a female should not have power or freedom over any circumstance. Antigone demands rights over her brother and will not accept
The drama Antigone places the culture of Greece on display by showcasing the many values that this culture held in reverence, including remaining loyal to family, honoring the dead, and honoring the gods. In Sophocles’ renowned drama entitled Antigone, one of the main values that Antigone chooses to honor is loyalty to family, even when that means that she has to forgo loyalty to her city and community. Even though her uncle the king, Kreon, forbade anyone to bury Polyneikes’ body because he had been on the opposing side in the battle, Antigone felt a duty to her brother to bury him. When speaking with her sister, Antigone says that Kreon’s command “…threatens our loved ones / as if they were our enemies” (Antigone 14-15).