Family In Antigone Essay

By reading the play Antigone, it is clear that family is more important than authority to Sophocles. This conclusion can be drawn by looking at the characters Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Hiemon and observing what happens to them and their relationships. Three examples seen in the play where it is clear that Sophocles favors family over authority are when Antigone is determined to bury Polynices in order to bring honor to him, in the relationship between Creon and Haimon, and in the regret felt by King Creon at the end of Antigone.
The very first time where it is obvious in the play that Sophocles favors family over authority is when Antigone has the strong desire to bury her brother, Polynices. This is important because in order to bury her brother, Polynices, she would have to defy the laws of her uncle, King Creon. By disobeying her uncle, Antigone even risks her own life because of the penalty King Creon has for disobeying his laws, which is execution. However, despite all of this, …show more content…
Towards the end of the play, King Creon is found depressed, and in a state of despair as a result of the death of his wife and son. King Creon even says, “Let it come. Let death come quickly, and be kind to me. I would not ever see the sun again” showing that he would rather die than live. Furthermore, King Creon even feels remorse for his part in Antigone’s fate. Creon even goes as far as to say that he was unwise in all of his decisions when he states, “Nothing you say can touch me anymore. My own blind heart has brought me from darkness to final darkness. Here you see the father murdering, the murdered son--And all my civic wisdom!” The regret felt by King Creon towards the end of the play and the raising up of Antigone and her ambition and sacrifice, is even further proof that Sophocles values family much more over