Why does Antigone feel it is her duty to bury Polyneices? Why doesn’t Ismene? Antigone feels that it is her duty to bury Polyneices because he is her brother, and it was a sacred duty to bury the dead so that they could pass the river that encircles the kingdom of death. She disobeyed Creon’s…
nephew , but he was on Eteocles’s side when it came to choosing one of the two brothers. This whole time Antigone just wanted her brother to have a proper burial, but Creon got in the way of that, and decided that he was going to lock her in a dungeon for her to die of starvation. Creon had a very strong opinion of not letting Polynices get a proper burial.…
Both of her brothers fought in a war, one for Thebes, and one against. They killed each other in battle and King Creon honored the one that fought for Thebes with a proper Greek burial, but has forbidden anyone to bury Polyneices, the brother who fought against him. “But Polynices, a dishonored corse, (so by report the royal edict runs), no man may bury him or make lament -- Must make him tombless and unwept.” Antigone believes it is her duty to give him a proper burial, and if she fails to do so, she believes his soul will wander. She views that family is more important than the law, because if she disregards King Creon’s decree and buries Polyneices, she will face…
Antigone has lost both of her brothers in the civil war and is confronted with a difficult choice. Antigone honors her fallen brother and is willing to risk losing her own life and the life of her sister Ismene. Antigone is the sister of Polyneices and she believed the right thing to do for Polyneices was to give him a proper burial. She new she would be breaking Creon's law , but she was not going to let him…
In “Antigone” and “On the Rainy River,” there are many similarities and differences between Antigone and Tim O’Brien. The comparisons between them is that they both have decisions to make that will change their life drastically, and once they choose it, they have to deal with the consequences. The differences between them is that Tim felt he didn’t pick the right one, while Antigone felt confident in hers, Tim’s choice made everyone happy while Antigone’s choice made everyone angry and lastly, Tim made a legal decision while Antigone’s was illegal. In both stories, Antigone and Tim had many similarities.…
1. Kreon orders burial honors for Eteocles, but forbids burial for Polynieces because Eteocles chooses to be loyal and to stand with the army of Thebes, while Polynieces chooses to be a traitor and to stand with the army of Argos. Antigone wants to disobey Kreon’s orders because Polynieces is her true brother and family is very important to her. 2. The relationship between Antigone and Ismene can be described as having completely opposite personalities; however, they still love each other very dearly.…
The German philosopher Hegel construed the play “Antigone” as “the tragic collision of right against right, with both sides equally justified.” This play was written by Sophocles, a Greek playwright, around 441 BC and gives us insight into his mindset on society and culture. The central conflict rises from the clash of the main character, Antigone, and her uncle, King Creon, over the role of man’s laws and god’s laws in society. Antigone’s two brothers Polyneices and Eteocles had slain each other in battle over the throne. King Creon, who was loyal to Eteocles, rendered Polyneices a traitor and decreed that his body shall not receive a burial.…
Antigone wants to bury Polynices but Ismene doesn’t think it is a good idea. Ismene is scared and doesn’t believe Antigone, a woman, can fight against Creon’s command of not burying Polynices. Ismene’s ideologies that women are a submissive sex are seen when she desperately urges Antigone not to defy Creon’s authority by burying Polynices as Ismene delivers, “Consider that we / were born women, proving we should not fight with / men, / and that we are ruled by more powerful people / and must obey them, even in more painful things” (62-65). Ismene tries to persuade her sister, Antigone, out of burying Polynices. Ismene is fearful of man’s power over women, which leads her to refuse accompanying Antigone in the burial of Polynices.…
When Ismene tries to convince Antigone to abandon her plans to bury Polyneices, she says “You ought to realize we are only women/ not meant in nature to fight against men/ and that we are ruled, by those who are stronger” (Ant. 66-73). Antigone knows her position in Thebes as a woman with little power, but the fact that she chooses to ignore it ties in with her extreme mentality. Antigone’s attitude toward burying her brother reveals a prideful and stubborn personality along with an unwillingness to compromise. This attitude shows the rigidity of Antigone’s ideals and shows that one must have a willingness to listen, and the moderation, to accept what cannot be done. In addition, as Antigone is led off to the cave to die, she finally understands the consequences of her actions and says, “What law of God have I broken?/Why should I still look to the gods in my misery?/Whom should I summon as an ally?…
The war between the two brothers was something unexpected in the town of Thebes, therefore, both Antigone and Creon had different opinions about Polyneices and the war between the brothers. Antigone certainly does not pick sides, and we can see it as we read this passage on page twenty-two, Antigone explains this to her sister Ismene. “Creon will give the one of our two brothers honor in the tomb; the other none. Eteocles, with just observance, treated, as law provides he has hidden under earth to have full honor with the dead below. But Polyneices’ corpse who died in pain, they say he has proclaimed to the whole town that none may bury him and none bewail, but leave him, unwept, untombed, a rich sweet sight for the hungry birds’ beholding and devouring.”…
Polyneices’ body was left to rot after charging the gates of Thebes and being defeated. King Creon ordered Polyneices’ body to rot and anyone who tried to bury him would be sentenced to death. With the help of the gods on her side, Antigone sneaks out into the night and buries her brother, Polyneices. No footprints are left beside Polyneices’ body when Antigone covers him with dust and the Sentry and friends go back to help Antigone bury Polyneices when a storm rages outside Thebes. The gods control the fate of Antigone and they directly involve themselves when they help Antigone bury Polyneices by covering her tracks and getting others to help.…
After Polyneices failing in such duel, Creon, Antigone’s uncle, becomes the King and orders to leave his body unburied. Antigone, believes such thing to be wrong and unjust, and subsequently sacrifices marrying her fiance to bury and perform a ritual to release her brother to the underworld. While doing such action, Antigone gets caught in the act and gets enclosed in a tomb for defying King Creon’s order. Antigone accepts her punishment and latter end up hanging herself. After realizing how wrong his actions were, King Creon’s decides to forgive Antigone, but found out it was too late since she already had committed suicide.…
Nobody encourages her to defy Creon’s orders and provide a proper burial for her brother, but rather, it is a decision that results from Antigone acting in accordance with her free will. When Ismene tries to convince Antigone that burying Polynices is not worth the risk and punishment of death, Antigone replies, “You have your excuses. I am on my way / I will raise a mound for him, for my dear brother” (Antigone 94-95). In this instance, Antigone is effectively taking a stand for what she believes in as she values family ties and loyalty as well as the virtue of courage.…
Polyneices on the contrast shall not be buried at all, he shall be left to rot and be eaten by animals. Antigone being fiercely devoted to her family and the laws of the gods, could not stand Creon’s order and declares to bury Polyneices despite Creon’s punishment. She refuses to listen to even her dearest sister Ismene when she tries to convince her not to go against the laws. “But oh, Antigone, Think how much more terrible than these, Our own death would be if we should go against Creon, And do what he has forbidden! We are only women,We cannot fight with men, Antigone!…
Like when Antigone gets caught burying Polynices body she does not deny it and she confesses to all the charges. While she is getting charged, Ismene walks in and decides that she wants to take the blame even though she has done nothing wrong. She decided that she cannot live without Antigone so she will die with her. And how Haemon, Antigone, and Eurodice, the three people that Creon cared most about, end up all committing suicide in the end. There are some little details that are similar too.…