What Is Creon's Reason In Antigone

Words: 1115
Pages: 5
Open Document
In modern times, conflict between God’s law and man’s law is largely prevented by the separation of church and state, mandated by the constitutions of most modern countries. But long ago, in ancient Greece, religion played a huge role in government, and a leader would typically be respectful of God’s mandates. For this reason, in the play Antigone, the king, Creon, is largely viewed as the play’s antagonist because he does not allow for the religious burial of his nephew, Polyneices. Thus, his motivations often clash with the more religious citizens in his city, such as his niece, Antigone, who defies Creon and buries her brother despite his edict that anyone who does so will be put to death. In Sophocles’s play Antigone, Creon’s complex character …show more content…
Antigone burying her brother against Creon’s verdict is a prime example of this clash. Creon, who is motivated by power, could not possibly understand why Antigone would want to put her life at stake to ensure a safe journey to the afterlife for a brother who, as he claims, never cared about her. When Creon questions Antigone about why she would bury Polyneices even though she knew it would result in her death, she simply says “I owed it to him. Those who are not buried wander eternally and find no rest” (Anouilh 29). This demonstrates how she was more motivated by the God’s rules and her loyalty to her brother than to Creon and his earthly edicts. This does not sit well with Creon because, unlike Antigone, he believes that his imposed laws carry more weightage than those of the gods. Creon even says, “Then why Antigone, why? For whose sake? For the sake of them who believe in it? To raise them against me?” (Anouilh 33). This further demonstrates how Creon could not understand why a God’s law and loyalty to family would ever be able to overpower his laws. This clash of their two motivations highlights his hamartia, which is his hubris. He arrogantly believes that his laws are more important than the God’s laws. He does not try to understand Antigone’s plea of familial loyalty and refuses to back down from his position and his
Show More

Related Documents: What Is Creon's Reason In Antigone

Antigone vs Creon Essay

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 can prove what you are: A true sister…

Words 961 - Pages 4

Antigone Essay

Durning the extraordinary play Antigone by Sophocles, Sophocles demonstrates the craving of power by Creon creates suffering for others. Creon thinks he has more power than the gods. and doesn’t give a proper burial to Polyneices. Creon’s greed, craving of power, and his everlasting ego draw out suffering among others. Sophocles portrays Creon’s greed and ego by allowing Creon to ignore others’ important thoughts. For example, when Antigone gives a valid reason for trying to bury her brother…

Words 356 - Pages 2

Creon And The Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone

throughout Sophocles’s plays. In the play Antigone, for example, the tragic hero is depicted the character Creon. The main conflict within Antigone is there is confrontation between the protagonist, Antigone, and the antagonistic tragic hero, Creon over the burial of Antigone’s deceased brother Polynices due to Creon accusing him of treason. This was an example of a clash of moral and societal rights and wrong doings. Creon’s rebuttals against Antigone, those…

Words 635 - Pages 3

Antigone Essat Essay

thing that can destroy some ones life or sometimes be seen as a mere nothing. Antigone is a brave, determined, risk-taking, and passionate girl growing up in the city of Thebes. She would never let law stop her from doing what is right. She knew she was going to severely punished by King Creon, but that did not disrupt her mission. She buried her so-called ‘traitor’ of a brother because she loved him. In the play Antigone, Sophocles uses Antigone’s hubris to show how it can lead to the character’s…

Words 822 - Pages 4

Essay On Antigone Vs Creon

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…

Words 639 - Pages 3

Antigone Creon Tragic Figure

The tragic figure of Antigone is Creon; Creon displays several errors in judgment and two major frailties of character throughout the events of Antigone that lead to the tragic events of the play, and his eventual downfall. Some may view Antigone as the tragic figure of the play because of the overall tragic nature surrounding the events of her death, but Antigone carried with her the support of the people and Antigone accepted her fate. She seemed to throw her life around like she was ready for…

Words 1305 - Pages 6

Essay on Tragic Hero? Who Could It Be?

Tragic Hero? Who Could It Be? In the play of Antigone there is much dispute over who is the tragic hero. The two main candidates for this position are of course Antigone, but also Creon. Both are very analogous and have good reasons why they should be considered to be the tragic hero of the play, but one of them is much more obvious. Creon is by the far the obvious choice however for many reasons. Creon has more qualities of a tragic hero than Antigone, him being the center of all conflicts, suffering…

Words 757 - Pages 4

Haemon Vs Creon Essay

What happens when characters with distinct ways of thinking clash together? In “Antigone” the play by Sophocles, we see the difference between the characters of Haemon and his father and King of Thebes, Creon. As a character foil, Haemon highlights Creon’s faults because of just how much his ideals are different from each other, Haemon defends Antigone while Creon condemns her instead, further highlighting Creon's noble stature, tragic flaws, and free choice that leads to his downfall. Creon’s noble…

Words 639 - Pages 3

The Will Of One Essay

Gregory Edwards Tuesday, May 13, 2014 To Be Lawful Or To Be Good: A Three-way Comparison Between Antigone, Odale’s Choice and The Island Sophocles’ Antigone follows the fate of one of Oedipus' daughters, born of his incestuous relationship with his mother. The play starts with Antigone bringing her sister, Ismene, terrible news. Just before the start of Antigone, their brother Polynices led an army against Eteocles for the right to inherit their father's throne. The brothers took each other's lives…

Words 3463 - Pages 14

Antigone Creon Tragic Hero

The tragic hero in Antigone isn’t the person you’d expect it to be. This person is Creon, the “guy in charge” who orders the death of one of the main character also known as his niece, Antigone. Throughout the play, we see Creon as the antagonist who constantly makes harsh and irrational choices such as punishing Antigone for burying her brother. But from an alternative lens, we see him as a leader who is devoted to his government and will do anything to keep the law of the land strong and applicable…

Words 484 - Pages 2