Iphigenia And Antigone: A Literary Analysis

There are people who exist in the world who have beliefs that are so strong, they are willing to die for them. These beliefs can be for their country, family and religion. There are people who make the choice to die because of their beliefs whereas there are people who die because their beliefs are in the hands of others. One example of this would be that American soldiers don’t often chose to lose their lives, but they die because they are standing up and protecting something they believe in. They go into war knowing they can potentially not come home, but they do not take their own lives. Whereas those who are deemed suicide bombers intentionally offer themselves to death as they fully kill themselves for their beliefs. Throughout centuries …show more content…
They both involve the young women whose hopes of helping others lead to their death. The two believe they are giving up their lives for a noble cause. They die for love, and both are in a sense sacrifices since they die for a cause. For honor of others, they give up everything they have. Antigone notices the importance of family and being loyal, she maintains her dignity when she says “It will not be the worst of deaths- death without honor” (p. 140; 82-33). Disobeying the king was the cause of Antigone’s death. Her brother was named a traitor and Creon stated “No one shall bury him, no one mourn for him,” (p.139;20). Antigone felt so adamant about this, she risked her life to give him the burial. With this she says “But I will bury him; and if must die, I say that this crime is holy:” (p. 140;55-56). She was not murdered but did take her own life rather than facing terrible …show more content…
Agamemnon says that according to the prophet named Kalchas, “Iphigenia, my daughter, must be sacrificed to Artemis, the deity of this place” (119-121). Kalchas said to her father, Agamemnon, that the sacrifice must be made in order for the Greek ships to be able to leave the city of Aulis, and continue to Troy. Once this happened honor was then given back to Polyneices and Agamemnon, along with Greece through both of the women’s actions. Both Iphigenia and Antigone’s fate was set by them accepting the tasks ahead of them and what needed to be done. Antigone knew her brother deserved to have a proper burial, and even though she was punished, she was not murdered. But, she was sentenced to be put to her death. Iphigenia understood and knew that she needed to be sacrificed, she states to her mother, “All these good things I can win by dying. Because of me, Greece will be free, and my name will be blessed there”