ipl-logo

Good And Evil In Sophocles Antigone

573 Words3 Pages

Sophocles’ play Antigone, has an example of how there’s always consequences, whether good or bad. In this play, Antigone, the main character commits an act of civil disobedience against her uncle, the king. This act of civil disobedience, burying her brother, Polyneices, after the king said that his body was not to have a proper burial, had a large effect on how the rest of the play developed. A lot of the events were Antigone’s fault, but each had a different effect on the character and society. One event caused by Antigone is the fight between her and Ismene, her sister. Antigone asks Ismene to break the law with her by burying Polyneices, their brother. Ismene does the logical thing and chooses to not break the law her uncle put in place. Ismene says in the play: “I have no strength / To break laws that were made for the public good” (prologue. i. 62-63). This gets the argument really going because Antigone thinks the laws of the god mean …show more content…

Now that Antigone had buried Creon’s first betrayer, Creon felt doubly betrayed and sentenced Antigone to live in a cave, essentially, until she died. She got fed every so often and guards were around her cave all the time. Meanwhile, Teiresias showed up to talk to the king. They discussed what did happen, what would happen, and what should happen. Teiresias made the king have a change of heart: “Come with me to the tomb. I buried her, i / Will set her free” (5. 876-877). He decided that Polyneices should have a proper burial, and Antigone shouldn’t be locked up in a cave for standing up for what she believed in. First, they gave Polyneices a proper burial and made sure everything was right. Then, they went to let Antigone out of the cave. But, by the time they arrived at the cave to free Antigone, she had already hung herself. She probably could’ve gotten the same change of mind from her uncle without ending up killing herself, but I guess that’s the tragedy of the

Show More
Related

  • Argumentative Essay On Antigone

    765 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • What Is Antigone Right Or Right

    622 Words  | 3 Pages

    Creon was furious at the fact that someone would dare to disobey the law. To Antigone, however, burying Polyneices was the only correct thing to do; “He has no right to keep me from my own.” (Sophocles line 50) Because of Antigone’s stubborn loyalty to her family, she ultimately died. Did she have to die? No.

    Read More

  • The Destruction Of Pride In Sophocles Antigone

    406 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the scene in which Creon will not allow her brother to be buried. This goes against her personal beliefs she confronts Creon when she says “if I had allowed my own mothers son to rot, an unburied corpse that would have been an agony.” Creon wouldn’t allow Antigone brother to be buried even tho Antigone felt it was the right thing to do. Antigone is talking to Ismene about burying her brother but Ismene tells her to keep the idea a secret but Antigone disagrees and says “But I know I’ll please the ones I’m duty bound to please.

    Read More

  • Ethos, Pathos and Logos in 'Antigone' by Sophocles

    1197 Words  | 5 Pages

    “You may do as you like, Since apparently the laws of the gods mean nothing to you.” (Sophocles, et al. 192). This argument, though quite passive aggressive, is more ethical. The religion of the people of Ancient Greece was held to the utmost of importance, which is why such epics are written about them when someone dares to defy them. In this case, Antigone calls out Ismene for choosing to obey the rule of Creon rather than the rule of the gods.

    Read More

  • Antigone Rhetorical Analysis

    932 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the play Antigone, Sophocles demonstrates the conflict between family and God through the characters of Antigone, Ismene and Creon. Antigone tries to persuade her sister Ismene that their brother Polyneices should be honored and have a proper burial while Creon uses both logical and emotional appeals to justify whether or not Polynices should have a proper burial. Ismene also uses both logical and emotional appeals to best respect her brother Polyneices along with the laws. Nowadays, family always comes first and like Antigone, some people would say they would die for

    Read More

  • Theme Of Civil Disobedience In Antigone

    1786 Words  | 8 Pages

    In the play, Antigone, daughter of Oedipus learns about the death of her two brothers (Eteocles and Polynices).Creon, the new king of Thebes passed a decree to the city on the burial of the two brothers. In the decree, Creon declares that Eteocles body should be buried with honor and fame for his courage of saving the city from the enemy. Whiles Polynices body is left unburied and rotting for beasts to feed on because he came to destroy the city and enslave the people. Antigone defies Creon 's decree, buries Polynices body and gets caught. Creon imprisons her

    Read More

  • Antigone Quotes Analysis

    473 Words  | 2 Pages

    A theme that is communicated in the play Antigone, by Sophocles, is constructed around the saying, “Your actions have consequences in the future.” This is shown when Antigone defies the law of burying her brother Polyneices, who she knew was destined for death: “I knew I must die, even

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Antigone And Letter From Birmingham Jail

    1239 Words  | 5 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Role Of Moral Development In Antigone

    527 Words  | 3 Pages

    Antigone’s Moral Development The play Antigone by Sophocles, is about a girl who faces a family conflict over her deceased brother. The protagonist is Antigone and she stays the same morally throughout the play. Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development helps people understand the stages individuals morally move through as they mature more. Because of Antigone’s decisions and ideas at the beginning and the end of the play, she is a morally static character through the story.

    Read More

  • Is Creon Justified In Antigone

    1501 Words  | 7 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Antigone Sacrifice Essay

    385 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Creon's Core Values In Antigone

    905 Words  | 4 Pages

    Core values are an important trait for everyone and has influence on how people act and what you are like. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Antigone, the protagonist, Antigone, is influenced a lot by her core values. The play Antigone was the story of the daughter Antigone of Oedipus and Iocaste, which took place after they tragically died. Antigone is influenced by the core values of her belief of family coming first, her following of God, and dying with pride and honor is important. Antigone’s core values and morals are more important than anything and these influence her choices throughout the play.

    Read More

  • Antigone Noble Death Analysis

    1059 Words  | 5 Pages

    Then, Antigone went back a second time to bury him. It was at this point in the story where she was caught in the act by the watchmen and was brought to king Creon. When Creon asks if she was guilty of such an action against him, she said, “Of course, I did it. I won’t deny anything” (Line 442-443).” This showed the people of Thebes that Antigone, as a woman in a world of men, actively made the decision to do this.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience In Antigone

    1353 Words  | 6 Pages

    Antigone’s actions are motivated by her allegiance to her family, moral conscience, and religion amid Creon’s political injustice and tyranny. Antigone’s actions motivate her to demand Ismene to prove whether she is “a true sister or a traitor to your family” (26-27). Antigone maintains loyalty to her brother despite his actions which threatened Thebes. Her inability to bear the thought of her brother’s corpse being picked apart by animals and not being honored with proper funeral rites forces her to act. Antigone’s fierce allegiance to her family is laid bare as she is willing to sacrifice her life to honor her brother and defy the law in an act that she believes is morally just.

    Read More

  • The Value Of Culture In Antigone By Sophocles

    958 Words  | 4 Pages

    Antigone refuses to betray her brother and thus breaks the law by burying Polyneikes. In doing so, she steps past what was considered normal

    Read More

More about Good And Evil In Sophocles Antigone

Open Document