Determination In Antigone By Sophocles

Some major themes found in the play, Antigone, are divine law versus the law of men, determination, and power. As king, Creon orders that the body of Polyneices not be buried and instead laid outside for animals to scavenge. Creon also orders anyone who goes against the law and buries Polyneices to be sentenced to death. Antigone, believing that divine law trumps the law of man, goes against Creon and buries her brother Polyneices, causing her doom. Determination plays a big role in the play. Creon and Antigone are both driven and stubborn in pursuing their goals, and their determination can be connected to hubris. Creon’s arrogance, or hubris, is a result of him being king and having power. Creon is corrupted by his power and believes that what he says, and the laws he creates should not be challenged, since he is king. Both …show more content…
Antigone is responsible because she was aware that breaking Creon’s law would result in execution. Antigone’s loyalty to her brother is her hamartia. Antigone’s devotion and determination to honor her brother causes her to commit the rebellious act of burying him. As seen in the dialogue between Antigone and her sister Ismene, Antigone knew the consequence of burying Polyneices and did not care that she would be killed for burying her brother. In response to Ismene, Antigone states, “I myself will bury him. It will be good to die, so doing. I shall lie by his side, loving him as he loved me; I shall be a criminal—but a religious one. The time in which I must please those that are dead is longer than I must please those of this world. For there I shall lie forever” (79-85). As seen in Antigone’s response, she believes that the religious right for the dead to be honored is more important than following Creon’s law. This shows Antigone’s loyalty to the gods and her willingness to sacrifice herself in order to be loyal to both her family and the