Antigone And Creon Character Analysis

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In history, many individuals perform rebellious acts such as Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr. These two reformers portray many unique traits but none being weak and fearful. These rebellious and powerful attributes are also present in Sophocles’ Antigone through Antigone’s, Ismene’s, and Creon’s actions. Through direct characterization, Sophocles suggests that people who break the law are not weak and fearful.
Antigone exhibits courage while breaking the law. She exhibits this courage by burying her brother Polynices while it is forbidden to do so. Antigone reminds Ismene of Creon’s lack of allegiance to Polynices: ”Why not? Our own brothers' burial! Hasn't Creon graced one with all the rites, disgraced the other,” (26-28). Antigone explains …show more content…
Creon proclaims that Polynices will not get a proper burial. Although Polynices was a soldier,” [he] must be left unburied, his corpse carrion for the birds and dogs to tear, an obscenity for the citizens to behold,” (229-230). This proclamation is supposed to keep Antigone from giving her brother a proper burial. However, the law of the god’s states that all men should get a proper burial. Thus, because of Creon’s unbearable power, Ismene is willing to go against his law to abide by the gods’ law. Ismene lies to Creon about Antigone’s actions. Antigone decides to bury Polynices; Ismene knows this but will not tell Creon to tell keep her sister safe. Ismene requests, “Then don't, at least, blurt this out to anyone. Keep it a secret. I'll join you in that, I promise,” (98-99). Ismene promises her sister to keep her disobedience a secret. Creon later finds out Antigone committed this felony. Ismene then is assertive about wanting to be blamed as well as her sister. In conclusion, Antigone, Ismene, and Creon all portray, through their actions, many unique traits but none being weak and fearful. Like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. these characters break the law to stand up for their beliefs. Sophocles suggests through direct characterization that individuals who break the law are not weak and
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