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Social Conflict In Antigone

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Antigone and Ismene return to Thebes with hopes of helping their brothers (Polyneices and Eteocles), but learn that they have both died during their battle for title as the King of Thebes. Creon, Antigone’s uncle and soon father-in-law, then becomes the King of Thebes and states he will put nothing above Thebes. Creon announces that Eteocles will receive a hero’s burial because he defended Thebes and fought for their land, whereas Polyneices had raised arms against the city and is forbidden a burial to rest his soul.
Antigone goes against the advice of Ismene and the forbidden law set firmly by Creon by giving Polyneices a proper burial and would rather die for something with honor. After admitting to the burying Polyneices and standing up …show more content…

Antigone being punished and sentenced to death by Creon sets the dramatic action in motion.

The major conflicts in the production are: man vs. society, man vs. man, and person vs. supernatural. The man vs. society conflict is between Antigone and the society present in Thebes as she is seen as an outcast and traitor because she disobeys the King. The man vs. man conflict is between Antigone and Creon, Antigone and Ismene, and Haemon and Creon. The person vs. supernatural conflict comes from the fact that many, especially the family of Antigone, are cursed by the gods and their fate is destructive.

The major themes/ideas within the production are: civil disobedience (Antigone disobeying the King and the law of Thebes), pride (Creon makes a law that he sees as divine and believes should not be disobeyed by anyone and is later punished for it), Immortal Law vs. Mortal Law (Antigone choses divine law over a law made by man), and Women in Society (the role of women in the patriarchal society in Antigone is very reserved and subordinate to men and Antigone challenges this expectation while Ismene and other women believe they should not risk the wrath of men).

There are no subplots in this

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