Suicide In Sophocles Antigone

Words: 942

Pages: 4

Open Document

In Sophocles’ tragedies Oedipus Rex and Antigone, suicide is eminent in the story when a main character committed suicide it cause other character’s to do the same thing. From Oedipus’s wife/mother, Jocasta hanging herself when Oedipus finds out that he married his own mother and murdered his own father causing him to stab his eyes out. The deaths of Eteocles and Polyneices unintentionally causing Iseme to refuse to help Antigone bury Polneices, Antigone to commit suicide, causing her fiancé Haemon, and his mother‘s suicide as well. In the trilogy suicide is a sign of both an internal conflict and external expectation. In the trilogy there is a connection between honor and suicide in Sophocles’ plays. Every main character in Oedipus Rex committed suicide or nearly committed suicide had an internal conflict, external expectation, or both. …show more content…
The origin starts with the external expectation of the kingdoms and Antigone’s two brothers Eteocles and Polyneices who battle each other in a war to see who will become the King of Thebes after Oedipus is exiled. At the unfortunate terminus of the war, Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other. After the deaths of Antigone’s brothers Antigone asks King Creon to be allowed to bury her brother. She wanted this because during the time of Ancient Greece it was considered if a body was unburied, the soul would not find peace, in the world. King Creon declares that Antigone’s brother Polyneices doesn’t deserve an honorable burial and threatens anyone with death who tries to bury Polyneices and says, “No one shall burry him no one shall Mourn him.” (Page 970, Line 20) He explains to her that Polyneices is considered a tyrant who attacked Thebes in order to retrieve the crown from his brother Eteocles, but in the midst of a waging war, it wrecked havoc, and caused devastation upon

Creon's Suicide In Sophocles Antigone

to the gods with the support of her own people and the local soothsayer of Thebes? What good intentions did the other have when he caused two lovers, one being his own son, to commit suicide? Today, we will explore how Antigone’s motivations and intentions justify her actions against the immoral King Creon. Antigone demonstrates her immeasurable love for her “dear brother” Polyneices when she sacrifices her own life to save his soul even though his body has died (95).…

Words 1021 - Pages 5

Bio Med Essay

Honors English Novel Study Form Title: Antigone Author and Original Year of Publication: Sophocles, 1888 MLA citation: Sophocles. Antigone. New York: Dover Publications, 1993. Print. Pertinent biographical information on author (You must use an online source and must also include a citation that matches the Works Cited page): Sophocles was born around the times of 496 B.C.E. into wealth, as a son of an arms manufacturer. As an Athenian citizen and “well-known as a masters of tragedy…

Words 4814 - Pages 20

Antigone vs Kreon Essay

Antigone vs. Kreon- "Nomos" vs. "Written Laws" Antigone is a play written in 442 B.C. (hypothetical) by the noted Greek playwright Sophocles. In the play Sophocles deals with issues such as the relationship between males and females and the state as well as the position of women in society. He uses Antigone to represent obligation to family and the gods while Kreon represents obligation of the "written laws" of the state. I think that if the context of the play is taken into consideration then Antigone's…

Words 920 - Pages 4

Essay on Antigone: Sophocles and Tragic Hero

Creon: The Archetype of a Tragic Hero The Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles is a story of defiance on one part and ignorance on the other, ultimately resulting in downfall in both cases. The play begins in the aftermath of a civil war in Thebes; there are many casualties including two brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles. These brothers along with their sisters, Antigone and Ismene, are the children of Oedipus, the previous king who suffered a curse that led to his inevitable demise. The current…

Words 768 - Pages 4

Examples Of Heroism In Antigone

The Tragic Heroine of Sophocles’ “Antigone” Excessive pride leads even the strongest of characters to destruction. For example, Antigone, written by the scholar Sophocles, exemplifies the devastating consequences of pride. In the final play of Sophocles’ Theban trilogy, the protagonist encounters numerous conflicts due to this tragic flaw. While Antigone’s heroism is derived from her loyalty to her siblings, her inability to be humble in times of conflict directly results in her demise. Because of…

Words 949 - Pages 4

Allusions In Antigone

Sophocles, a much famed tragedian, is considered by many literary critics to be able to write beautiful plays that are effective in teaching the audience valuable life lessons by retelling Ancient Greek mythology into tragedies, whilst using several allusions to other renowned Ancient Greek myths. However, these life lessons were intended for the Ancient Greek audience, but these life lessons have managed to bridge the gap of time and appeal to the modern audience. A clear example of one of Sophocles’…

Words 1283 - Pages 6

Creon Tragic Hero

Sophocles’ Antigone features many elements of a Greek Tragedy. One of these many elements featured in the play is its usage of the ‘tragic hero’ trope. A tragic hero is one of the main characters of a Greek tragedy play. This character would start the play on a good, moral path, and had everything. During the course of the play, they would experience challenges, and but by the end of the play, they would experience downfall, and lose everything. The character of Creon is an example of a tragic hero…

Words 592 - Pages 3

Creon's Role In Oedipus

Throughout the plays Antigone and Oedipus The King we see the role of the chorus play a major part. The main characters constantly have conversations with the chorus, and the chorus provides advice, asks questions, serve as a jury, and take many other roles in the plays. The chorus in the Antigone is much more judgemental of Creon than the chorus in Oedipus The King, because we see Creon doing what he wants over seeking advice from people, yet Oedipus listens to his people. In Oedipus The King, the…

Words 1740 - Pages 7

Antigone Analysis Essay

Antigone Final In Ancient Greek theatre, we see examples of characters possessing excessive, engrossing pride that is often coupled with blatant arrogance, not regularly but most of the time. Hubris is constituted by a display of these aspects. Characters in plays are usually seen as those with Hubris, particularly the Tragic Hero. These characters in the story, usually royalty, suffer from a Tragic Flaw which is ultimately responsible for their descent unto their inevitably untimely death. Hubris…

Words 564 - Pages 3

Sophocles and Ap Analytical Essay

July 30, 2012 English 12 AP Analytical Essay In the novel "The Oedipus Cycle" by Sophocles, it is clear that even in ancient Greece women were seen as insignificant creatures that were inferior to men. Women are expected to obey and be subordinate, characters such as Ismene, Eurydice, Jocasta reveal different variations of submission . Antigone, a courageous heroine challenged the law, she rebelled against expectations. Her character is strong, which shines a light on a image that isn't often…

Words 864 - Pages 4