Essay On Antigone Vs Creon

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The famous Greek playwright Sophocles wrote over 120 tragedies, yet only seven survived. Among these was the play Antigone. The tragedy follows a young woman named Antigone as she fights her newly appointed uncle King Creon for a proper burial of her brother Polyneices. He does not receive a proper burial unlike his brother Eteocles due to the fact that he is viewed as a traitor to Thebes. Creon and Antigone both display the qualities of a tragic hero, but Creon would be more qualified. First off, both characters are born into nobility. Creon’s noble background puts him in the position to be king after the death of his nephews. In order to establish Creon’s credibility as leader, the Choragus introduces him as the “new King…of Thebes, Menoeceus’ son” (i.1-2). By directly addressing Creon as the king, his status as a higher power is clearly recognized. Similarly, Antigone’s aristocracy derives from her father who is King …show more content…
Creon’s authoritative demeanor is not only directed towards the citizens, but his family as well. In fact, during a heated argument with Creon, Haemon describes his father as “a man who maintains that only he has the power/ To reason correctly, the gift to speak the soul- /A man like that, when you know him, turns out empty” (iii. 76-78). Haemon emphasizes that a man who is controlling and leaves no room for change is empty inside. In this case, that man is Creon and his strong- willed personality is causing him to make unwitting mistakes that he will pay for later. Likewise, Antigone’s inflexible behavior becomes damaging to her well-being. She announces to Ismene that she “will bury [Polyneices herself]… And even if [she] dies in the act, that death will be a glory” (Pro. 55-57). Antigone is so headstrong that she would risk her life just to prove a point. Someone who is stubborn and will not allow for change will cause detrimental damage to themselves just like Creon and Antigone

Creon Vs Antigone Essay

Baldwin Literary Tradition III 28 February 2024 Divine Duty vs. Earthly Pride The discussion that I found most exciting during our class lectures was over Sophocles’ Antigone. The question that was mentioned in class was if Antigone or Creon was correct on whether Polynices should receive a burial. In class, Nicholas sided with the intention of Antigone because he believed that it was completely necessary for Polynices to be buried by Antigone due to familial duty to honor her brother, as well as divine…

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Antigone vs Creon Essay

needed to be fulfilled. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Antigone, Antigone has the responsibility of being loyal to her brother, Polyneices. However, Creon has the responsibility of being loyal to the people of Thebes. Therefore, both Antigone and Creon have been loyal to whom they have wanted to be loyal to; this is why both are equally correct. Antigone and Creon were equally loyal. Antigone was loyal to her family and the law of the Gods while Creon was loyal to his people and his word: “And now you…

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Antigone Vs Creon Essay

In the play, Antigone, Creon, and Antigone have different views on the rules and the law. Yet they both have contrasting traits that are seen as traits that the tragic hero has in play. At the play's beginning, Antigone expresses her heroic side by failing to comply with the law set for her country and sticking to her belief til the end. Creon expresses his traits by trying to restore order in Thebes and doing almost anything to keep it in order. In the play's climax, Sophocles makes it obvious that…

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Antigone Vs Creon Essay

portrayed in the play Antigone, a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles. King Creon makes a very public decision about not burying Polyneices, so when he finds out someone disobeyed him and buried him anyway, he thinks he has to punish whoever disobeyed him. King Creon feels as if he has to show his power, especially since he is a new king. As a result, he sends soldiers all over Athens to search for the person who disobeyed him. In this scene from the film adaptation of Antigone, where the soldiers…

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Antigone Vs Creon Essay

Antigone by Sophocles is an absolute classic and a great example of a tragic hero. The play has maintained popularity throughout history and is still relevant today. The clash between Antigone and Creon is essential to the story. Their different motives, actions, and beliefs lead to a prolonged tragedy. By analyzing how the characters speak, behave, and think, in contrast to Creon's personality, we can observe how these interactions shape Creon's journey as a tragic hero and steer the story toward…

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Who Is Creon's Loyalty In Antigone

Divine Duty vs. Earthly Pride The discussion that I found most exciting during our class lectures was the moral debate over Sophocles’ Antigone, as she is a character that struggles to balance her conflicting demands of familial and religious duty, with those laws set by her uncle in King Creon. The question that I found most interesting during class was surrounding Antigone's attempt to bury her brother in Polynices, despite Creon's rejection of the idea. Nicholas argued in favor of Antigone, as he emphasized…

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Free Will In Antigone

including a girl named Antigone-- from which the play gets it's namesake-- who is the heroine of the play discussed in this essay. When Oedipus discovered who he was and what he had done he left the kingdom and cut out his own eyes. Iocaste’s cousin, Creon, took over as King of Thebes. Creon manipulated Oedipus’ two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, into hating each other. Polyneices gathered a rebel army and a battled ensued; during which both Polyneices and Eteocles killed one another. Creon forbade anyone…

Words 661 - Pages 3