ipl-logo

How Does Antigone Use Wisdom In The Allegory Of The Cave

1109 Words5 Pages

Punishment Brings Wisdom In the "Allegory of the Cave", Plato formed a theory about human perception with claims that some philosophical questions should be answered. His theory is about human only gain knowledge through the senses. His theory was that the punishment of the prisoners brought them wisdom and truth to the one who eventually had an opportunity of going outside the cave. In the Sophocles Antigone, however, Creon's mistakes of putting Antigone in an underground cave because she went against his edict as the king and leaving the body of Polyneice's body unburied led to his downfall. He despised the words of wisdom (from the gods) which could have saved him. The god’s punishment brought him wisdom.
Confusing Reality And Wisdom …show more content…

The sisters of the dead brothers, Antigone tried to convince Ismene to assist with the burying of the brother’s body, against the edict of the king but Ismene did not concede as she was afraid of the death penalty and still could not dissuade Antigone from doing the deed herself. The Chorus of Theban elders pledged their support on the king’s edict of disposing Polyneice’s body but at that time it was reported that the body has been buried. It was found out that Antigone was responsible and she was questioned but she did not argue or deny her involvement and responsibility. She was made to pay for the disobedience and was put in the under cave. Creon was warned, given the words of wisdom by the gods to let go of Antigone or he will be punished. He refused and in no time, he was punished with the death of his wife and son, and his eyes got opened to wisdom- punishment brings

Show More
Related

  • Religious Law In Sophocles 'Antigone'

    734 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the story of Antigone, Eteocles and Polyneices are both fighting to be the king of Thebes. They both die in the fight but Eteocles is buried while Polyneices is left to the vultures. Antigone is both Polyneices and Eteocles’ sister, With both brothers dead the throne was given to their uncle Creon, who believes Polyneices is a traitor and should not have a burial. Antigone strongly disagrees with Creon, thus sneaking out and giving him a proper burial. This action was considered punishable by death.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Creon In Antigone

    578 Words  | 3 Pages

    Antigone Relevance In the book Antigone by Sophocles the main character is Antigone and her sister Ismene. Their close brother Polyneices has died in a battle against his brother over the city. Antigone wants to give her brother a proper burial but Creon the new ruler, announces that if anyone buries Polyneices they will be put to death. Creon believes Polyneices was a traitor.

    Read More

  • How Does Elie Wiesel Change In Night

    544 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although his previous devotion, he started defying God. “Every fiber in me rebelled.

    Read More

  • Personal Belief In Antigone

    1433 Words  | 6 Pages

    Antigone also shows that by taking action on a personal belief is stronger than something forbidden because she goes against the town’s laws to fill her belief. Creon, the ruler of Thebes, places a law on Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, that he shall never be buried, Antigone breaks the law to bury him. In the play Antigone and her sister, Ismene, are talking about the burial of Polyneices because Ismene does not agree with Antigone. Antigone says, “Ismene, I am going to bury him.

    Read More

  • Creon's Courage In Antigone

    791 Words  | 4 Pages

    Even though Antigone’s brother committed a crime, he should still be buried like any other family member that committed a crime. The first thing Creon’s does in Antigone is declare a hash but understandable law. Anyone who attempts to honor Polyneices will be sentenced

    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

  • Role Of Gods In Antigone

    1259 Words  | 6 Pages

    The ritual of burying a family member was important to ancient greek culture. The gods from the greek religion are the ones who said that the burial must happen or else the deceased would be stuck halfway to the underworld. Antigone’s family history had not been the best up until the point of her brothers’ deaths. In the book it was stated that Antigone felt very strongly about burying her brother no matter what Creon said. In the text after the play it is written by senior editor Paul Moliken that “When Creon Forbids the burial of Polyneices, he is denying Antigone the opportunity to perform one of the most significant duties that Greek society allowed for women.

    Read More

  • Victor's Guilt Quotes In Frankenstein

    1260 Words  | 6 Pages

    “From you only could I hope for succour, although towards you I felt no sentiment but that of hatred. Unfeeling, heartless creator! You had endowed me with perceptions and passions and then cast me abroad an object for the scorn and horror of mankind. But on you only had I any claim for pity and redress, and from you I determined to seek that justice which I vainly attempted to gain from any other being that wore the human form. (123)

    Read More

  • Antigone Loyalty Quotes

    613 Words  | 3 Pages

    Worse, the body of a traitor is left to rot above ground as food for scavengers. Creon’s law conflicts with Antigone’s loyalty to the gods. She believes the laws of the gods respect the dead and require a proper burial. She does not hesitate to ignore the law of the state and fulfill the laws of the gods. When she turns to her sister, Ismene, to bury their brother, Polyneices, Ismene’s fear consumes her.

    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

  • Creon's Mistakes In Antigone

    686 Words  | 3 Pages

    The burial of Polyneices is viewed nobly, yet Antigone is not faultless in that act. One of Antigone’s largest mistakes is that she burns bridges with those that care about her. Pleading with Antigone, Ismene laments “why would I care to live when you are gone?” (548). Antigone dismisses this heartfelt plea by deferring Ismene to Creon, thus isolating herself from her only kin.

    Read More

  • Antigone Sacrifice Essay

    385 Words  | 2 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Creon's Tragic Flaw In Antigone

    1226 Words  | 5 Pages

    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 [...]

    Read More

  • Internal Conflict In Antigone

    759 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Antigone, there was two brothers who shared being the King and one of the brothers, Polynices, wanted to start a war with the kingdom because he wanted to be the main ruler. Polynices and his brother Eteocles fight and they both end up killing each other. Their Uncle Creon, who takes position as King when they are both killed, decides that only Eteocles will have a proper burial and Polynices will be left to rot. Antigone, Polynices and Eteocles sister, thinks that Creon’s decision is unfair and takes upon herself to give Polynices a proper burial. When their other sister Ismene finds out, she is stuck between helping her sister bury their brother and following Creon’s demands.

    Read More

  • Ignorance Is Bliss In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    2035 Words  | 9 Pages

    The phrase “ignorance is bliss” has many different ways of being interpreted. The idea that what we do not know cannot hurt us, and that it is better to be in a situation whereby we are ignorant to the truth, rather than a situation where we know a hurtful truth, is one that can be debated at length. One of the best examples of the idea of “ignorance is bliss”, and the impact that the truth can have on people, is the Allegory of the Cave, a concept created by the Greek philosopher Plato in the fourth century BCE. The allegory shows how our perspective can change radically when given new information, and how that new information, when shared with others who are not aware of it, can give them a radically incorrect idea of the truth, when not taken in the proper context. Here, we will first explain the concept of this Allegory of the Cave, before interpreting its meaning and how it related to the greater ideals, values, and convictions that Plato and his philosophical works stood for during and after his lifetime.

    Read More

More about How Does Antigone Use Wisdom In The Allegory Of The Cave

Open Document