Greek Traditions In Antigone By Sophocles

Ancient Greek plays that have been passed down throughout the centuries have allowed modern day people to have a glimpse into the lifestyles and traditions that were once prevalent. The play writer Sophocles wrote the ancient Greek tragedy, Antigone, in 441 BCE in the city of Athens. It is important for us to have a basic understanding of the time era in which this play was written in order to ensure a full appreciation of this work of art. During this era of time, Athens was deemed as one of the wealthiest city-states in the 5th century, which explained the city’s inflated sense of pride for their system of government. Athens ran under a democratic ruling, literally meaning that the common people held power in the governing of the city. …show more content…
Creon was a firm believer in not allowing personal feelings to get in the way of his ruling; family was no exception to him. Creon declares Polyneices doesn’t deserve a burial, since he acted a traitor to the city; thus, his body was left out in the open to rot. Creon states himself “[…] a man who rules the entire state and does not take the best advice there is […] is the very worst of men-and will always be”(Sophocles). I find irony in this statement, because in essence, the god’s rulings would be considered the highest and purest form of advice there is, and he blatantly disregards the advice of the gods to bury every citizen and proceeds to implement his own mortal decree. The chorus takes the side of Creon, and states that when a man “turns to evil, then he has no city. […] let him not share my home or know my mind”(Sophocles). The chorus represents the group of common people, so the fact that they have the same mentality as Creon when it comes to this topic may indicate that they fear rebutting against his authority, even if it goes against their own religious …show more content…
Antigone was a firm believer in doing what she believed was morally and religiously right, even if it meant going up against authorities. This shows that she has a firm connection with the gods, and does not wish to upset them. In particular, she shows respect for Hades, who is the god of the underworld. Since every human being will be spending eternity there after their life is over on earth, she feels as if she should respect the wishes, therefore taking it upon herself to give her brother the burial he deserved. She claimed that she wouldn’t even do such an action for her own husband, or child, since both of those could be replaced. Her morals are questionable here, although it is important to note that her “[…] father and mother, too, are hidden away in Hades’ house [...]” (Sophacles), meaning that there is no way she could ever have another blood-related brother. So Antigone feels as if she owes a great deal of respect and honor towards the members of her family and will go out of her way to maintain its