Creon is Not Enough to Stand in My Way “It was not God’s proclamation. That final Justice That rules the world below makes no such laws.”(Sophocles.I.357-358). Prior to Antigone by Sophocles, two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, who were both previous rulers of Thebes. Polyneices wanted power but Eteocles would not let him reign as ruler, so Polyneices went to an outside city and took the city’s army and attacked Thebes. These two brothers had met on the battlefield and killed each other simultaneously. The story Antigone begins after this battle when the sister, Antigone, wants to bury the dead body of Polyneices, after hearing that Eteocles had a formal military burial. This becomes an issue because the new ruler, Creon, declared that
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She only thinks of Creon as an arrogant ruler, not a powerful leader, so she tests him. This is done so by tossing dirt upon Polyneices’ body. Afterwards Antigone is caught by the army burying Polyneices. “I am not afraid of danger; if it means death, It will not be the worst of deaths- death without honor.”(Sophocles.Prologue.80-81). Antigone’s anticipation that Creon will not find out about the burial of Polyneices was not hidden for long. It doesn’t take too long after Creon’s delivered message that Antigone was summoned to stand before Creon, guilty of disobeying his rulings. By watching Antigone’s tragic story unfold, the reader learns the pride in ourselves is caused by the decisions we make. She states in the story that her decision to bury Polyneices is not such a frowned-upon idea by the audience. “No, they are with me. But they keep their tongues in leash.” (Sophocles.I.404). The idea that the audience supports Antigone is drawn back to the aggressive standpoint that Creon withholds. He states that Antigone will be killed before proving that she is even guilty. Escalation of intensity occurs after Antigone states her thoughts, where Creon’s son, Haemon, reveals that he is engaged to Antigone and that her death shall cause another. Sophocles’ use of situational irony is where the reader wonders just how far Antigone’s decision will take the …show more content…
Antigone faces the death of her brothers, she is being punished for her actions, and her fiance Haemon is having a feud with his own father. As Antigone faces harsh punishments, it seems as if Creon’s words are what kill Antigone the most. “This talking is a great weariness: your words Are distasteful to me, and I am sure that mine Seem so to you. And yet they should not seem so: I should have praise and honor for what I have done.”(Sophocles.II.395-398). After Creon imprisons Antigone, he goes to her imprisonment and finds that she has hung herself. As he views the area, he finds Haemon. Haemon lunges at Creon with a sword, misses, and stabs himself in the chest. As a result, Creon returns to town and receives news that his wife has killed herself, due to the fact that her son is dead. Creon is lost. He has lost all of his family and he suddenly realizes that he made a mistake. He knows now that his rulings and punishments were not morally just. Upon reading Antigone’s story and its outcome, the reader learns to be more confident in themselves when they make decisions for themselves. Antigone knew that burying Polyneices was what was right and that she made an agreeable decision. Creon may have said otherwise, but Antigone stuck to her word and was confident in the decisions that she made. That is why Antigone is a tragic hero. “There is no guilt in reverence for the dead.” (Sophocles.II.406).
She only thinks of Creon as an arrogant ruler, not a powerful leader, so she tests him. This is done so by tossing dirt upon Polyneices’ body. Afterwards Antigone is caught by the army burying Polyneices. “I am not afraid of danger; if it means death, It will not be the worst of deaths- death without honor.”(Sophocles.Prologue.80-81). Antigone’s anticipation that Creon will not find out about the burial of Polyneices was not hidden for long. It doesn’t take too long after Creon’s delivered message that Antigone was summoned to stand before Creon, guilty of disobeying his rulings. By watching Antigone’s tragic story unfold, the reader learns the pride in ourselves is caused by the decisions we make. She states in the story that her decision to bury Polyneices is not such a frowned-upon idea by the audience. “No, they are with me. But they keep their tongues in leash.” (Sophocles.I.404). The idea that the audience supports Antigone is drawn back to the aggressive standpoint that Creon withholds. He states that Antigone will be killed before proving that she is even guilty. Escalation of intensity occurs after Antigone states her thoughts, where Creon’s son, Haemon, reveals that he is engaged to Antigone and that her death shall cause another. Sophocles’ use of situational irony is where the reader wonders just how far Antigone’s decision will take the …show more content…
Antigone faces the death of her brothers, she is being punished for her actions, and her fiance Haemon is having a feud with his own father. As Antigone faces harsh punishments, it seems as if Creon’s words are what kill Antigone the most. “This talking is a great weariness: your words Are distasteful to me, and I am sure that mine Seem so to you. And yet they should not seem so: I should have praise and honor for what I have done.”(Sophocles.II.395-398). After Creon imprisons Antigone, he goes to her imprisonment and finds that she has hung herself. As he views the area, he finds Haemon. Haemon lunges at Creon with a sword, misses, and stabs himself in the chest. As a result, Creon returns to town and receives news that his wife has killed herself, due to the fact that her son is dead. Creon is lost. He has lost all of his family and he suddenly realizes that he made a mistake. He knows now that his rulings and punishments were not morally just. Upon reading Antigone’s story and its outcome, the reader learns to be more confident in themselves when they make decisions for themselves. Antigone knew that burying Polyneices was what was right and that she made an agreeable decision. Creon may have said otherwise, but Antigone stuck to her word and was confident in the decisions that she made. That is why Antigone is a tragic hero. “There is no guilt in reverence for the dead.” (Sophocles.II.406).