Expository Essay On Antigone And King Creon

Antigone Expository Essay Glory; it was the only the thing that mattered in Ancient Greece. To receive honor from the gods is the only thing for many greeks. In the play, Antigone, written by Sophocles, the protagonist, Antigone, encounters many conflicts. One major conflict is with King Creon over the honoring of her brother. Creon is as loyal to his word as Antigone is stubborn. Antigone and King Creon have very different views on life and loyalty, however they have one thing in common, power and glory; one in the mortal world and the other in the afterlife, thus shaping their beliefs and loyalty.

Antigone, a mortal born in a royal mess, believes that glory and power is only meaningful in the afterlife. She strives to be gloried by the

He believes that loyalty should be dedicated and given to the state and the state only. He strives for power and loyalty from his citizens. He believes that no one individual has the right to be put above the state than himself. “And whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothing: I have no use for him.” (Sophocles, 203-204). Creon believes that all of his powers are above those of the gods. He believes he should be respected and this belief leads him to act stubborn and arrogant. “Never at my hands will the traitor be honored above the patriot, But whoever proves his loyalty to the state: I’ll prize that man in death as well as life.” (Sophocles, 232-235). Creon proves that he puts himself above the gods and says that he will praised them in death and life. The gods do not give him the authority to say he can praise them after they are dead. Creon does not get to chose whether they have a pleasant afterlife or not. He has no regards for the gods authority or power and only fights for glory and power for himself.

In the end, Creon and Antigone met the same faith as death stared into their hearts and took their souls to keep. The glory did not matter in the long run because Creon learned that he cared more for family than the state and Antigone had learned that if she had followed the laws, many lives would have been spared. Aside from their disputes they are reunited again in the underworld, overruled by Hades. The only question is what loyalty the gods honor more. Loyalty to a state and its ruler, or loyalty to a family member and the gods. They both wanted power and glory, but in the end they both suffered tragic