Free Will In The Greek Tragedy Of Antigone

“It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.” This quote from Aristotle comes into play, when morals and ethics are jeopardized as soon as there are laws laid in which a person is forced to make an uncompromising decision. In the Greek tragedy, Antigone, a series of unfortunate events come about from a choice the main character, Antigone, makes to bury her traitor brother. Although she went against the rules of the time, she stressed the importance of sibling love, brought praise to the gods, and showed the ability to stand up for her own beliefs. This in of itself, puts her in a higher position over earthly authority and shows the importance of fate and destiny. The deed of not only burying a traitor to the state of Greece, but also the man being her brother as well, brought into the light the care and respect Antigone has for Polynieces. In the dialogue between Creon, the king, defying …show more content…
In the prologue, Ismene and Antigone are introduced as two very polar opposites of each other. What sticks out like a sore thumb is Antigone’s ability and stubbornness that she will stick to her plan regardless of her sister’s pleads and Creon’s edict. She believes “The worst I can suffer and the best: A death that martyrdom can render best,” (195). Meaning, she knows the problems it may cause for her yet chooses to accept her fate now. This is similar to the way Haemon begs his father to listen to reason but finds he cannot convince his father and inevitably leads to his bloody suicide. Once Creon learns that his own ways do not go with the god’s ways, it is too late, his family line is gone and is left as an empty shell of a man. Unlike Antigone, Creon’s pride mixes with his ethics and brings him down his excessive pride and ignorance of himself, his family, and the state are on a platter for