Loyalty can be very versatile, especially because it may depend on the situation, the people involved, and even the time. Does one pledge their allegiance to a flag that represents the country they have claimed as a home or does their allegiance lie with the people who share the blood running through their veins? Allegiance can lie with one’s children or with the person they married. The only way to place their allegiance is to evaluate all of the aspects involved and make a decision on their own. In Sophocles’ play, Antigone¸ there is a representation of changing and conflicting loyalty when death occurs. Sophocles’ characters have different allegiances in their heart as represented by their actions and words throughout the conflict of the
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The two major characters represent different ends of the spectrum, “Creon is the guardian of honor of the polis and Antigone of that of the family” (Lansky, 49) and from that a conflict arises. Their loyalties lie in the way in which they feel should be respected while the other continues to refuse acknowledgement of the opposition, a dangerous tight grip on their own beliefs. The importance of being versatile in belief is seen through both characters as they have a slight moment or a life-changing moment where they start to let their grip slide of their grasp after events have already occurred. Throughout the play, Creon and Antigone hold on tightly to their belief but as the conflict comes to a peak and their consequences become revealed they begin to question …show more content…
The mother and son show conflicting loyalties that lead to both of them dying for the person they keep allegiance with during the conflict of the story. As they keep their blame on Creon instead of trying to realize his point of view they end up punished for being stubborn and refusing to be flexible even for a minute to listen or realize his side. The conflict, which comes from Antigone’s and Creon’s opposition on allegiance, gives way so that the plot can show the importance of loyalty and letting it bend. Both Antigone and Creon see a fault in their stubbornness but it is too late and they are faced with the conflicts before they have the chance to redeem themselves. However, Ismene, the only one who seemed flexible and spoke to both sides, was left alive and unbroken in a way that Creon was destroyed. The balance between all extremes, blood and love, state and family, should always exist in order to keep one from leaning to heavily towards one side. Antigone gives reason that allegiance should be versatile so that it is bendable and changeable when needed to be. It shows that loyalty with balance has more security than the tightly structured loyalty that would lead to more consequences. This means that consequences can be avoided with logic and
The two major characters represent different ends of the spectrum, “Creon is the guardian of honor of the polis and Antigone of that of the family” (Lansky, 49) and from that a conflict arises. Their loyalties lie in the way in which they feel should be respected while the other continues to refuse acknowledgement of the opposition, a dangerous tight grip on their own beliefs. The importance of being versatile in belief is seen through both characters as they have a slight moment or a life-changing moment where they start to let their grip slide of their grasp after events have already occurred. Throughout the play, Creon and Antigone hold on tightly to their belief but as the conflict comes to a peak and their consequences become revealed they begin to question …show more content…
The mother and son show conflicting loyalties that lead to both of them dying for the person they keep allegiance with during the conflict of the story. As they keep their blame on Creon instead of trying to realize his point of view they end up punished for being stubborn and refusing to be flexible even for a minute to listen or realize his side. The conflict, which comes from Antigone’s and Creon’s opposition on allegiance, gives way so that the plot can show the importance of loyalty and letting it bend. Both Antigone and Creon see a fault in their stubbornness but it is too late and they are faced with the conflicts before they have the chance to redeem themselves. However, Ismene, the only one who seemed flexible and spoke to both sides, was left alive and unbroken in a way that Creon was destroyed. The balance between all extremes, blood and love, state and family, should always exist in order to keep one from leaning to heavily towards one side. Antigone gives reason that allegiance should be versatile so that it is bendable and changeable when needed to be. It shows that loyalty with balance has more security than the tightly structured loyalty that would lead to more consequences. This means that consequences can be avoided with logic and