However, Creon becomes a ruthless leader who did not abide by the laws of the gods and rules by his own will. In the book, Creon decides not to bury Polyneices after being told by Antigone that it is against the gods to not bury someone who fought with valor. After being told numerous times by Antigone to bury Polyneices, he decides to punish her by imprisoning her. This shows that Creon believed that not even the gods can go against his decision. In other words, Creon is concerned only with his
“In the world below perhaps such action are no crime,” (595-596) says Antigone to Creon who overlooks the Gods. The Gods deem burial an act of justice among mankind, Antigone embodies the essence of the Gods. Themes of justice and righteousness are developed in Antigone by the dialogue between Creon and Antigone. Antigone’s reasoning is overshadowed by Creon’s unreasonableness, which highlights Creon’s characteristics. Antigone’s endeavor towards justice, and her eventual hanging, furthermore, advance the plot developing Creon’s character as a tragic hero.
Antigone dearly beloved brothers Eteocles and Polyneices has joined their ancestors in the afterlife. Eteocles has been buried with honor There seems to be a problem with Polyneices who has not been buried. Antigone uncle Creon, don 't want to bury his own nephew.
Creon decreed that it would be against his rule to bury the body of Polynices; nevertheless, Antigone still goes to bury the body because she believes it to be morally right. She can not be seen as entirely evil because she kept the body of her brother from just laying there on the battlefield to rot, yet Antigone can not be seen as completely good since she has broken the first
Also, while Antigone is fully motivated to give her family a proper burial, Antigone also criticizes her family, Ismene, for being too much of a sissy and a conformist. For illustration, Ismene insists that whether they agree with or authorize Creon's action is fully inapplicable since Creon is the sovereign of Thebes, and thus, they must “ observe the bones who stand in power ”( Sophocles, 62). Ismene’s belief that simply following Creon’s law is the stylish course of action easily reveals the antipode between her and Antigone. While Ismene wants to bury Polynices just as important as Antigone does, she doesn't believe that burying her family is enough of a defense to simply ignore the law, and clearly enough to die for. This contradiction
Creon captures and questions Antigone why she disobeyed his orders to not bury Polynices. In response to Creon’s questions, she said, “That order did not come from God. Justice, / That dwells with the gods below, knows no such law” (138). Antigone is saying that Creon is disobeying the gods with his refusal to bury Polynices, yet he still proceeds with his plan in defiance of the gods. In Ancient Greece, if someone disobeys the gods they could expect the gods to condemn and punish them severely for their actions.
Another reason why Antigone was so against Creon’s decision to with held Polyneices from a proper burial was because she thought that it's not what the gods would have wanted, and that the gods are much more powerful that Creon. However, Creon didn't just affect Antigone, he affected his whole family, but in particular, his son Haemon, destined to marry Antigone, when he sent Antigone to
When people defend what they believe in or who they love that is sacrifice. In order to be certain that her two brothers she loved had a proper burial and that their souls could rest, Antigone sacrificed her life. Regardless of the potential outcome; even if that means that she was going to have to challenge her uncle (King Creon), she plans on pursuing her quest. Polynices and Eteocles killed each other in battle for control over Thebes, leaving the city to the new King, Creon Jocasta’s brother and Antigone’s uncle. Because of the actions that Polynices took during the war, Creon labels him a traitor and halts any burial process, leaving his body for the animals (222-234).
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
Moral integrity is defined as the quality of being honest, fair, and doing what is right based on what you believe in. In the Greek tragedy, Antigone, a character's’ moral integrity is a vital component of the story. The quality shows strengths, weaknesses, and what someone is willing to do on behalf of what they believe in. Antigone is not only the leading lady of this story, but she is also one of the most important characters.
In lines 599 to 601, Creon’s states that, due to his selfishness and stubbornness, he will not allow a woman, that woman being Antigone, to change his mind and defy his judgement. He declares that, if Antigone chooses to not change her ways, she will be killed, as to not waver from his own decree. Antigone therefore dies as a result of Creon’s insufferable and ignorant ruling, causing her to suffer at Creon’s hand. Creon’s ruling for the murder of Antigone also causes Haemon to suffer. Creon finds Haemon, in his last moments, mourning the loss of Antigone, “now among the dead, his father’s work,” as described by the messenger in line 1364.
As Antigone states when talking to Ismene, “It is the dead, Not the living, who make the longest demands” (694). This clearly tell us that, she is more fearful that the Gods will punish her much worse than Creon ever could if she neglected burying, Polyneices,
In Antigone, the titular character buries the body of her brother, Polynices, despite a declaration from Creon that no one shall bury him or else they will face death as well. Antigone believes that divine law, the right of all bodies to be buried, is greater than Creon’s law. She also claims she could not leave the body and live on in grief and she is not afraid of death. Antigone makes the right choice in sacrificing her life to bury her brother because she makes Creon a better person, does what she knows is right, and receives eternal benefits. Antigone’s decision to bury Polynices makes Creon a better person after she faces death for her disobedience of Creon’s decree.
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 [...]
Creon was completely blinded by his pride and power that he lost those closest to him. Starting with his son... “Then she’ll die-- and in her death kill someone else. ”(Haemon; line 859). Creon thinks that his son is threatening him, and doesn’t pay attention to what his son is feeling towards Antigone.