Having to choose between obeying your uncle’s law with the threat of death as punishment and burying your dead brother is a strange situation that most would find difficult to navigate. For Antigone in the play Antigone by Sophocles, this was a no-brainer. Sophocles writes about Antigone, Oedipus’s daughter as she decides to bury her dead brother Polynices, against her uncle Creon’s wishes, who is also the king. The king’s pride forces him to punish Antigone and her sister Ismene, which results in the death of Antigone, his son Haemon, and his wife Eurydice before he realizes his wrongdoings. Although throughout Antigone, the questioning of authority and strict adherence to the law is a prominent theme, by the end, Sophocles suggests that there
… They do not know I have gone away to come back… For the ones who cannot" The House on Mango Street 109- 110).E. does not want to be only defined by mango Street but wants to be known as a writer that came from M.S.. She is confident about her future and what she wants to be and will not let anything restrict her from her dreams. The sisters help her realize the importance of her roots. This makes her want to come back and help those who are not able to leave. At the end of the novel E. accepts M.S.
And at its climax, the chorus, representing his Theban people, disavowed King Oedipus and his contributions to Thebes saying it would have been better without him. These acts combined drive the humiliated Oedipus towards self-punishment, exile, and to his piteous, shameful fate. Sophocles in Oedipus the King puts the idea of truth and knowledge in the spotlight of Greek and modern audiences. Although Oedipus himself meets a collectively negative end, the power of truth is revealed through his misery. Some things are best left to the Gods rather than in the minds of men, it would have been to Oedipus’ ignorant bliss.
How would you feel if you were locked away to rot by one of your own family members because you did something they didn’t approve of? In Sophocles play, Antigone, this is just the case for the niece of Creon, King of Thebes. After getting word that her “own two brothers [...] slaughtered one another and brought about their common doom” (Sophocles 318), Antigone is distraught. What makes her infuriated is when she learns that her uncle, Creon, has decided that one of her brothers, Eteocles, will receive a proper burial and be honored while the other brother, Polyneices, will receive no burial and be remembered as a traitor. Soon after, Antigone takes action and performs a secret burial and ritual on her dead brothers corpse, but she is also
In Sophocles’ Antigone, Polynices never appears directly, but is one of the significant presences in the tragedy. Polynices is the reason for the downfall of the tragic hero, Creon, who is also the King of Thebes. Not only has one character been affected, but Polyneices’ death is the root of the preeminent conflict. Stated in the prologue, Polyneices has already been killed by his brother, Eteocles. This piece of background information is crucial because his death has generated a tremendous force on the plot and themes of the play.
Najmah is not feeling bonded with her family, so the author makes sure to show that the stars are being portrayed in a negative way. Whenever Najmah does not feel a bond with her family, the author shows this through the stars. (STEWE-2)When Mada-jan and Habib are buried, the author uses the stars to show the bond Najmah has lost with her family. “...I realize the hole where Akhtar has buried my hair also holds my mother and baby brother...But they are far, far behind us, and I realize I will never see them again. As the stars disappear one by one, Akhtar leads us away from the path…” (85).
In a situationally ironic act, Kreon orders Antigone to be entombed alive and for Polyneices to be left dead in the open. His inhumane command is a sign of his hubris, as Kreon begins to believe that human law is more important than divine justice. Here, Kreon goes against the social expectations of a king, as the Ancient Greek society believed that Zeus despised superiority and conceit. Sophocles further uses dramatic irony when Antigone refuses for Ismene to be martyred for what she did not originally believe in; this surprises the audience of the play, as Antigone is seen to value family ties above all. Eventually, both Antigone and Kreon are either killed or disgraced due to their respective obsessions with family ties and absolute power.
Ultimately, Macbeth’s actions answer the essential questions of Shakespearean tragedies, namely, “What is a man? Of what is he capable? What are his moral…limits?” (Ramsey 285). Illustrating his answer through Macbeth’s downfall, Shakespeare shows exactly what man can become without morals; specifically, Shakespeare asserts that the loss of morality causes damage that cannot be undone. In Macbeth’s case, he suffers the loss of his king, best friend, and wife, all of which cannot be reversed.
Creon chastises his son for going against him, siding with his bride. This in my opinion is going against his father, and shunned upon (Sophocles 17). Gilgamesh and Creon are leaders, in contrast, the treatment of the people differ. For example, Gilgamesh shows no concerns for his peoples’ feelings, but protects the city from enemies, while Creon cares for those who obey him despite who they
At first Esperanza believes her name expresses herself as a person, but she accepts it. Even though, Esperanza was ashamed of living on Mango Street that is the place she lived, and had many experiences. The vignettes that were described about Esperanza’s situation of identity and growing up is all a worry. In the end Esperanza’s writing will express her feeling from Mango Street, and she will come back to write about the house that she belongs but does not belong