Creon's Choices In Antigone

Antigone, written by Sophocles, tells of a woman who follows the god’s laws over the edict of her uncle, by performing the forbidden burial of her brother with her own hands. Many of Antigone’s choices lead up to her untimely and tragic death, but she is not the only one. Her uncle Creon believes that he can present an edict that could overrule the gods. The play Antigone is full of pride, betrayal, and most importantly the consequences of choices. This story contains many different choices. Almost every choice leads to the same consequence; from Antigone’s choice to bury her brother and Creon’s choice to defy the gods by not burying him, to Antigone’s choice to kill herself. The first choice that leads to the tragic end of the story is Antigone’s decision to bury her brother. Antigone asked her sister, Ismene, if she would help her bury their brother, Polyneices. She told Ismene that with or without her help she will, “…heap the earth above the brother whom I love.” (84). When Ismene refuses; Antigone continues with her plan and sprinkles dirt over Polyneices’ body. Her actions lead to Creon’s ordering of the soldiers to unbury his body

As a final statement in the story, Antigone said that she will never regret what she did and the gods will not punish her, for she followed their law. However, when she kills herself, she unknowingly creates a snowball effect that takes the life of two more characters. The first life being Haemon, her fiancé and son of Creon. When Haemon found the body of Antigone in the cave that she had been banished to, he breaks down and decides to kill himself as well. His death proved Teiresias’s prophecy. The second death was Creon’s wife, Eurydice. Eurydice heard of Haemon’s death and could not deal with the loss, so she also took her own life. Therefore, Antigone’s decision to take her own life essentially sentenced Haemon and Eurydice to death as