Antigone Essay Questions

Essay Antigone
Antigone2 Antigone herself represents the highest ideals of human life –– courage and respect for
the gods. In the mythical story "Antigone", Antigone first demonstrates feminist logic when she
chooses to challenge a powerful male establishment. This establishment is personified by her uncle
Creon, who is newly crowned as the King of Thebes, and it is usually challenged by whole
city–state. She believed that the law of the gods (to give proper burial rights to every dead body)
was more important than the law of the King. Creon became angry that a woman questioned his
sovereignty and commanded her to death even though she was the daughter of Jocasta, his sister.
The bold, tradition–braking character of Antigone...show more content...
"Imagine it: I caught her naked rebellion, the traitor, the only one in the whole city. I'm not about
to prove myself a liar, not to my people, no, I'm going to kill her!". Creon believes that if he does
not follow through on his word the people of Thebes will not respect his authority as king. In
determination to gain respect from the people from Thebes, Creon decides to take Antigone's life,
which ironically leads to his demise. Creon refuses to compromise or humble himself before others
especially women, he states "better if it must happen, that a / should overset me". He stubbornly
refuses other characters the right to express opinions different from his own. Creon abuses his
power to force others to accept his point of view. This extreme male dominance conflicts head–on
with Antigone's bold unwomanly challenge to Creon's authority. Antigone does not give Creon
additional respect either because he is a man in a patriarchal society or because he is king. In
such way, she argues an equality of the sexes, as well as equality under God. Unlike her sister,
Ismene refuses to challenge the male authority, even if it means to not fulfill her duties as a sister.
Ismene states: "we must remember that we are two women / so not to fight with men. / And that
since we are subject to strong power / we
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Essay on Antigone
The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central
conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to
burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one
who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for
her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the dutyfamily members owe
one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private
ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in
his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to...show more content...
Some of the times the Chorus speaks in this drama, it seems to side with Creon and the established
power of Thebes. The Chorus's first speech (117–179) describes the thwarted pride of the invading
enemy: The God Zeus hates bravado and bragging. Yet this encomium to the victory of Thebes
through Zeus has a cunningly critical edge. The Chorus's focus on pride and the fall of the prideful
comments underhandedly on the willfulness seen in Antigone and will see in Creon. In Creon's first
speech, where he assumes the "Now here I am, holding all authority and the throne, in virtue of
kinship with the dead" and reiterates his decree against the traitor Polynices (191–192). In lines
308–309 the Chorus says to Creon "My lord: I wonder, could this be God's doing? This is the
thought that keeps on haunting me. The Chorus is questioning Creon if it could be the doing of
God who buried Polynices, Creon replies; "Stop, before your words fill even me with rage that you
should be exposed as a fool, and you so old. For what you say is surely insupportable when you say
the gods took forethought for this corpse" (310–313).
Even though Antigone exhibits a blamable pride and a hunger for glory, her disobedience is less
serious than those of Creon. It is evident that Antigone's actions are driven by a love for her brother,
and a desire to please the gods. While Creon's actions are

Case Study Questions On Antigone
1. What is Creon's motivation for forbidding the burial of his own nephew PolyneicГЄs? Why would
he issue an edict that runs so contrary to his family obligations? Creon's motivation for forbidding
the burial of his own nephew Polyneices is because he fought over the throne of Thebes which
was rightfully to be given to his brother who was next in line. He and his brother both killed each
other which is why Polyneices brother is having a proper burial and Polyneices was left out in the
wilderness. Creon would issue an edict that runs so contrary to his family obligations because he
feels that if he allows this to happen within his family then it makes it acceptable for his citizens to
get away with following the law. 2. What are AntigonГЄ's reasons for performing funeral rites on her
brother's corpse in direct violation of Creon's edict? Antigone's reasons for performing funeral rites
on her brothers corpse is that she believes she must follow what the Gods have proclaimed instead
of the law which was put forth by Creon. She follows what she believes is right instead of standing
back and following the law like her sister Ismene. 3. What are the larger issues behind the conflicting
positions of both Creon and AntigonГЄ? Is either person or position clearly wrong? The larger issue
between Creon and Antigone are whether family members should be above the law. I personally
think that Creon is wrong but his point of view is that if he allows Antigone to get away with trying to

The Tragedy of Antigone Essay
It is plain to see what about the character of Antigone it is that makes this a tragedy. Tragedy is
defined as a dramatic composition dealing with a serious or somber theme, and this story fits all
these criteria. First of all, it involves a tragic course of events that involved both of her brothers
dying and then being completely disrespected even in death. She felt she had to rectify this mistake,
even though it was against the law, and the opposition was too great. Because of her attempt to
rectify the injustice, even more tragic things happened to her and her family. This is why she is a
tragic heroine.
First of all, there was a tragic series of events that caused her to become involved in them by
disrespecting her own brother. She...show more content...
Antigone says, "I will do my part,–and thine, if thou wilt not,–to a brother. False to him will I never
be found," as well as that it is wrong for her brother to have been left above ground, "unwept,
unsepulchred, a welcome store for the birds, as they espy him, to feast on at will." In Greek times,
these customs of burial were even more important than they are today, because of beliefs about
luck, religion, and what would happen to the spirit or the family if the body was left unburied. This
is why it was used as a punishment by Creon, and was so hurtful to Antigone that she was willing to
risk her life to undo it. Ismene explains to Antigone the reasons that she will not take part in such a
proceeding. Herein lies another example of the tragedy aspect of this play, as Ismene reminds
Antigone of how her father, mother, and both her brothers had already died. Anyway, Ismene said
she wouldn't go with Antigone to bury her brother, and initially tries to talk Antigone out of it, but
then simply wishes her luck and promises she won't tell anyone. In the next scene, Creon explains,
"Polynices,–who came back from exile, and sought to consume utterly with fire the city of his
fathers and the shrines of his fathers' gods,–sought to taste of kindred blood, and to lead the remnant
into slavery," and that is why no one can grace him

Antigone By Sophocles ' Antigone
"But one must neglect nothing that the gods demand" (1349–1350). Sophocles' Antigone takes place
in a trying time for the city of Thebes, when Oedipus, their king, and most of the royal family have
died, and Creon has just been appointed the new king. Throughout the play, Creon tries on his
power as the new ruler, and seems to believe that the gods will not be angry with some of his
choices as king, even though they directly violate the divine law. However, inAntigone, when there
is a conflict between the divine law and the state law, the divine law always prevails. Antigone
continuously follows the divine law, and although she ends up dead, she does not face Creon's pain of
losing everyone he loves and all his people turning against him. The play begins with Antigone
disobeying Creon in order to do what she believes is right in the eyes of the gods and in the eyes
of her parents. Antigone knows that she will die "a holy outlaw, since [she] must please those
below a longer time than people [in Thebes], for [she] shall lie there forever" (75–77). According to
Greek mythology, leaving a dead body unburied results in the dead person not passing smoothly into
the afterworld, and the people who do not bury the body receiving divine punishment. This divine
punishment, which Antigone tries to avoid, becomes more apparent at the end of the play with
Creon's downfall. Antigone's main motive for burying Polynikes is her love for him and for her
parents; however, this statement

Antigone Moral Dilemma
Antigone's Moral Dilemma Margaret Walsh South University Online Antigone's Moral Dilemma
Perhaps the most pronounced question in the play "Antigone" by Sophocles' is the value of
human law vs. divine law. In this tragic play a newly appointed king Creon declares to his people
that treason was committed during battle, and one of the two brothers (Polyneices) killed shall not
be buried according to the Gods, but instead "He shall be left unburied for all to watch the corpse
mutilated and eaten by carrion–birds and by dogs" (Sophocles, 1900.). This dilemma is felt by...show
more content...
Antigone answers no to all that she finds to be vile, "I have longer to please the dead than please the
living here: in the kingdom down below I'll lie forever (Sophocles, 1900. Lines 88–90). These lines
show how much personal power she possesses compared to King Creon. Antigone remains
consistent, even contentious in her disobedience. By offending the king, it is as if Antigone is
leaving him no choice and his prideful ways force him to sustain her sentence. After Creon realizes
that fulfilling his order may be a mistake , he also knows that he cannot retract the ordering of her
death. He had surrendered his actions to the power of the state, and thus rendering himself to a
loathsome state. Unlike Antigone, who finds free will and faith in the laws of the god's. Playwrights
such as Sophocles attempt to understand the meaning of human suffering and reexamine the many
traditions and ideals from the past. Greek mythology questions the public and private responsibilities
of individuals. As in any circumstance fighting against what is valued as right can become a
conflicting power. Antigone's decision to go through this treacherous act alone enabled her to find
peace within the divine laws of nature during her time. The act of surrendering to a fate that was
unjust prepared her for the desire she clung to despite its unbalanced position. Antigone's fatal
removal from the

antigone
Pre–AP English
6 February /2013
Aristotle's Tragic Hero
In order to fulfill the requirements of a tragic hero, a hero or a heroine must have certain
characteristics. For example, they are required to be a member of royalty, be neither completely
good nor completely bad, they have to be responsible for their own downfall due to a hamartia and
lastly they need to realize their mistakes and accept their consequences. In Antigone, there are two
main characters that fit the criteria of a tragic hero, but only the protagonist, Antigone meets all of
the conditions.
Antigone meets the second requirement of a tragic heroine, by fulfilling the criteria of being neither
entirely good nor completely bad. In the opening of the play, Antigone...show more content...
She believes that her, "blasphemy of my birth has followed me"( iv, 44). By her using this quote,
she reveals that if it weren 't for her being born into incest, her family wouldn't be cursed as they
are. Furthermore, she argues, " No more, Ismene. You are alive, but I belong to death" (ii, 146).
This Quotation reveals Antigone accepting her consequences that she has to die due to her act.
Furthermore, realizing that his judgment was unwise Creon changes his mind from the harsh
punishment of public stoning to her being locked in a cave with a limited amount of food.
Antigone shows she is accepting her consequence by responding, " Then let me go, since all your
words are bitter, and the very light of the sun is cold to me. Lead me to my vigil, where I must
have neither love nor lamentation; no song, but silence" (iv, 282). This quote reveals that Antigone
no matter what she did took her consequences and realized that burying Polynieces was all worth it.
Overall, we see Antigone fulfilling her requirements of accepting her consequences of what she did.
From the time she was caught to the time she was given her sentence, she never denied nor took
back what she had done.
Although both Creon and Antigone fulfill the requirements of being a member of royalty, being
neither completely good nor bad, being responsible for their own downfall due to hubris and lastly
recognizing their own hamartia

Sophocles' Antigone Essay
Sophocles' play "Antigone" illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The
play opens after Oedipus' two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war
for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus' brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that
Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors, while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot
away. Creon believes that Polyneices' body shall be condemned to this because of his civil
disobedience and treachery against the city. Polyneices' sister,Antigone, upon hearing this exclaims
that an improper burial for Polyneices would be an insult to the Gods. She vows that Polyneices'
body will be buried, and Creon declares that anyone who...show more content...
Creon has no toleration for people who place personal beliefs over the common good. He believes
that government and law is the supreme authority, and civil disobedience is worst form of sin. The
problem with Creon's argument is he approaches He approaches every dilemma that requires
judgement through descriptive generalizations. In contrast to the morality defined by Aristotle in his
Nicomachaean Ethics, Creon shows that he is deaf to the knowledge of particulars––of place, time,
manner, and persons, which is essential for moral reasoning. In short, he does not effectively bring
together general principles and specific situations Creon does not acknowledge that emotion, and
perception are as critical to proper moral consideration as reason. This explains why he does not
respond accordingly with the reasoning of the guard, Tiresias the prophet, Antigone, her sister
Ismene, or even his own son Haemon. Throughout the whole play, Creon emphasizes the importance
of practical judgement over a sick, illogical mind, when in fact it is him who has the sick, illogical
mind. He too exhibits pride in his argument. To Antigone and most of the Athenians, possessing a
wise and logical mind means acknowledging human limitations and behaving piously towards the
gods. Humans must take a humble attitude towards fate and the power of the gods, yet Creon mocks
death throughout the play. He doest not learn his lesson until the end of the play when he speaks
respectfully of

Essay about Antigone
Antigone
"Make these excuses, I will heap/ The earth over my brother's body" (63). Although no one would
help her, Antigone took a stand against injustice and honored her brother by burying him, even
though Creon said this act would be punishable by death if anyone committed this act of
insubordination. Especially in the age that Antigone lived in, it was considered foolish to simply go
against a man's orders, let alone the Kings. Not to mention that Antigone was related to the King,
making the situation even worse. She committed a supremely precarious action, especially for a
woman. Not only does she bravely follow her morals, but she does a great job of justifying them in
her arguments. Antigone was a civil disobedient by disobeying...show more content...
She does not make people pity her, but rather honor her actions because of how she is willing to die
defending her brother's honor. The way that she explains her cause makes everyone but Creon
admire her for disobeying the law and doing the right thing that no one else had the courage to
do. The last example of Antigone's pathos is her last statement before she dies. This statement is
the best use of pathos in the entire play. It is here that Antigone really grips your emotions and
latches on to everything that she can to make you pity her and want to slay Creon instead. By the
way that she appeals to how she will never be able to have a family, enjoy marriage, or happily end
her life. She then throws in the question of what law she broke and asks what she did that was so
wrong to deserve death. These last statements really impact Antigone's pathos and make the reader
sympathize with her stance as the right one if they had not already been convinced.
Antigone's great claims and support also make her argument the best. The first argument that she
gets into is with Ismene about why she is disobeying Creon's orders by burying Polyneices body
and how she would be disgracing him if she did not. Ismene's defense does nothing to sway
Antigone, as she is set in her ways to do good, and Antigone does a great job of explaining her
case as to why she believes it is her duty to bury her brother. She does such a great job, in fact, that
Ismene really has nothing else to counter

Why Is Antigone A Hero
As I read the play of Antigone by Sophocles, I wondered many things, but I wondered why
Antigone is the "hero" of this tragedy? What is so heroic about her act? Why is her insight so
interesting? And what is so impacting about her principle throughout this story? These are some of
the things I as well thought about while reading this story. I also wonder why Sophocles made her as
the most important person while we learn and see so much about other characters, such as Creon,
why was this story really not about him and his dilemma? This is something that I want to get to the
bottom of.
Antigone was the "hero" of this tragedy, why? Because she stands up for what she believes, she
does what she feels is right, she would rather die in honor than to suffer from guilt. She is very
loyal, caring and brave, I simply cannot name all of the things that make her heroic, that is because
every little characteristic shapes her into the hero she is. Even though I think she is pretty heroic,
this next question is something that I really do study....show more content...
Why not Creon? So to speak, why is Creon not the hero in this story, he simply is the now King of
Thebes, he shows authority and leadership, by simply demanding that Polyneices should not be
buried, shouldn't he be the hero, because he stepped into the role of being the king, and did
something about the man who killed the past king, he took over and played the role as if he has
been ready for this role, he is ruler of the town and has many things to do, say and take over
becoming new king, but he is worried about looking upon the past king and his death, and making
the already suffered Polyneices, pay more for the death of Eteocles, when nobody else really seemed
concerned about

Antigone Essay
Antigone Essay
In any story or piece of literature, there will always be the main characters to fill the pages with
incessant adventure. The characters whose names appear on almost every page and the characters
whose actions the story revolves around. However, a story will also always have its minor
characters. These are the characters that contribute heavily to the plot, yet aren't mentioned quite as
often and are underestimated regarding their importance in the story. In the Greek masterpiece,
Antigone, the author Sophocles construed a myriad of minor characters that contributed to the story
in numerous ways.
Ismene, one of Oedipus' daughters, was created to foil the main character, Antigone. Haemon, the son
of Creon, took...show more content...
However, Antigone is portrayed as gaunt, washed out, and unattractive. With such antagonism
between the sisters, Sophocles presents drama by developing another form of rivalry and another
reason for Antigone to rebel against the law.
At the end of the story when Antigone was listening to her punishment for burying Polynices, Ismene
speaks up and attempts to be held responsible for the crime. She pleads with Antigone to let her die
alongside her, however, Antigone did not want her sister to take any blame in something she had
nothing to do with, so she disregarded her sister's pleas. Sophocles included this situation because it
was another disagreement between the sisters and added more controversy to the plot.
Sophocles included the rivalry between the personalities because it gave each character something
to act off of. Ismene's role was important to the plot because she played the vigilant girl and
provided the story with drama and second–guessing by having contradictory opinions.
Secondly, another character that affected the story with such a minor part was Haemon. Haemon,
being the king's son, had a lot of expectations and generalizations to live up to, but he dispersed them
when he stood up to his father.
One thing Haemon did that influenced the plot was to rebut his father's opinions. Prior to
conversing with Creon, Haemon had a positive outlook about his father. He felt he was a good ruler
and was fair, yet those beliefs were

Thesis For Antigone
What is worth fighting for? There are several examples of literature that have not so much
changed my view of the world, but solidified vague ideas I already had about my values, passions,
and the things I wish to fight for and stand up for as I paint my story.
A play written by Sophocles circa 445 B.C., Antigone, depicts the tragedy of a youngwoman who
stands firm against an obstinate new ruling force–her uncle Creon, in what was right by her family
and her gods in antithesis to that which was better for her country. The altercation involves the burial
of her brother, Polyneices after staging a coup against his brother's regime which resulted in both of
the brothers' deaths, in order to protect his soul from the eternal isolation and...show more content...
Just as Antigone knows with whom her allegiances lie: with her family and her gods. She remains
loyal to them even unto death. Similarly, Psalm 48:14 exalts a God who is so in love with his people
and with a passion to lead them that he has promised to do it eternally: "This God, our God
forever and ever/He will lead us eternally." Know thyself. Antigone exemplifies how knowing your
priorities is key. She put God and family over politics. What are mine: God, family and friends,
education, self, and travel. My passions I discovered are: children and missions. In addition,
Antigone shows that those who act out of passion do not feel remorse for their actions, so long as it
is well thought

Essay On Antigone
(At the studio "The Kingdom"...INDIA sits in her chair saying her original quote to start the show
while the audiences are applauding.) INDIA: Wow, I'm looking around at the audience and I can't
help but think...., I see some queens and kings out there, just beautiful people. You know what that
means.., you've guessed right, you 're on the royal family show. (Audiences applauses again,
INDIA introduces the show.) INDIA: Hi, my names India Coutee and you are on "The Kingdom"
channel and if you don't like drama, shade, and to know the tea then hop on off this carriage. Now
let's get started.
INDIA: You know, today is a special day. A few days ago, if you don't know, there was a tragedy, in
Theban. The family just went to war to see...show more content...
Antigone, when your sister, Ismene, tries to die with you, why do object her?
ANTIGONE: When I decided to bury my brother against the King's will, I asked Ismene did she
wanted to help bury our brother, which of course she said, "no" and that she didn't want to
disobey the king. To which I understand but I was angry, we as women shouldn 't be servants to
men. So, when she decided to be killed with me I didn 't want my sister to claim on something
that I only did by myself. Not only that, I wanted her to regret that she decided that staying alive
and disobey the gods was more important than burying our brother. Also, I didn 't like how she
was being so submissive under men because she was afraid to die. INDIA: I understand what you
mean. Your response is very welled explain. I also think that it 's weak being submissive under
men instead of standing up for what you believe in. O to the next question, if it were someone
else in your brother position, would you have done the same thing? ANTIGONE: If I were close
to that person than yes, but if not then no. Besides me loving my brother and not wanting to
disobey the Gods I feel as though it wouldn't pertain to me unless we were close. INDIA: Thanks
for your honesty. The next question goes to The Watchman. If fate would have it, what would you
have done if you didn 't find Antigone? THE WATCHMAN: First, I would have clearly tried to find
the criminal to clear my name. If it had come down to it though, I

Essay on Antigone
Family is supposed to be the ultimate support, everlasting, and always ready to forgive. In
Antigone by Sophocles, Creon is immersed in a "power trip" that alienates and even kills his
family. He caused his son, Haemon's death, his wife, Eurydice's death and Antigone's death. Creon
views himself as the perfect leader, believes he is always correct, and in turn has to live with the guilt
of three deaths that were his fault.
Antigone goes alone to bury Polynices and deliberately disobeys Creon's law. Antigone not only
lost her two brothers, but she will lose her respect for her family and the gods if she does not bury
Polynices. When Creon finds out that Antigone has disobeyed him and only wants to die, he...show
more content...
Creon does not let his relation with Antigone as her uncle affect his dealing with Antigone in any
way. He swears to punish her even if she is family. His job is to protect and uphold the laws of the
state. If he does not punish Antigone he will look as though he is a weak ruler. Since Creon is related
to Antigone, he must carry out the punishment of Antigone so the people of Thebes will see him as
a strong and powerful king.
Haemon does not want to Antigone to die for what she has done. He attempts to convince his father
that he should change his view about Antigone going against Creon's decree. Creon tells him that
he young and has lost his "sense of judgement over a woman"(93). Haemon does not want to
displease his father, but he is not willing to back down from what he believe is right. Creon gets
angry and says, "bring her out, that hateful–she'll die now, here, in front of his eyes, beside her
groom"(99). Haemon leaves his father's side and dies beside his true love, Antigone.
When Eurydice enters the palace she is faced with the news of her son's death. She demands that
the messenger tell her "...the news, again, whatever it is...sorrow and [her] are hardly
strangers"(121). Eurydice blames Creon for the death of her son. She is so alarmed with the death
that she kills herself. Creon returns with the body of Haemon only to find "a new corpse rising
before [his] eyes"(125).

Antigone Passage Essay
This passage is an excerpt from the prologue of 'Antigone', an Ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles.
In this scene, Antigone is trying to convince her sister, Ismene, to help her bury their brother,
Polynices. It is significant to the rest of the play as gives explanation to future events and establishes
the characters of Antigone and Ismene and their roles in the overall plot. Additionally, the excerpt
gives a strong idea of the setting. In the scene, the audience can infer ideas about past events,
political climate, place, and time. The passage also reveals central themes in the play such as:
mortality, gender, law and power, and loyalty. It gives the audience a hint to the values and choices
the characters struggle with as they have to...show more content...
Ismene also has high regard for her family however lacks will and confidence to do the same as
Antigone. She is afraid of breaking the law and believes she is "not strong enough". Ismene is also
submissive to the patriarchy and its rulers that govern her country, she says to Antigone: "we are
women; it is not for us to fight against men; our rulers are stronger than we". In comparison to
Antigone, we can see that Ismene is not as steadfast in her beliefs or morality. In the passage, we
can clearly see Sophocles exploration of said ideas and themes through his characters. Throughout the
play, the sisters' key traits and nature remain mostly stagnant nevertheless, they do change in some
aspects, notably their courage and regret. Later in the play, it is illustrated that Antigone has capacity
for lamentation and humility. Although she seems unapologetic and "shall be content to lie beside a
brother whom [she] love[s]" in this excerpt, before she is entombed, she grieves for the life she did
not get a chance to live. Subsequent to Antigone being caught for her crime, Ismene takes unwonted
action. Ismene decides to pretend that she also buried Polynices so that she can also be punished.
This decision illustrates that Ismene can be brave and fortitudinous, contradicting the impression of
her in this passage. The famous philosopher, Aristotle, identified that a tragic hero is necessary to the
structure of a

Antigone Essay
I. SUBJECT Antigone is a play about a woman who disobeyed the King's order to not bury her
brother. The play was written by the famous Greek tragedian, Sophocles, in 441 B.C. The story took
place in the city of Thebes and the time period is not mentioned. The main characters introduced in
the play are of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. The primary focus was centered on Antigone
and the consequences she faces after breaking the King's orders. In the beginning, the author
introduced Antigone and her sister, Ismene, and their argument about their recently deceased
brother. The argument involved Antigone wanting to bury her brother and Ismene encouraging her
to obey the King's orders. Antigone ignored her sister's advice and chose to...show more content...
Sophocles believed that it was significant that the law of a persons conscience supersedes the law
of the state. Antigone overlooks the law of the state and follows her heart to do what she knows
is morally right, opposed to a law created by a human with high authority. She understands that the
consequences are heavy for the act, however, she courageously concluded that the importance of
the act was greater than the consequences. In the play, Haemon is brought to his father to be
informed off the news of his soon to be wife. In the discussion between Creon and Haemon, they
speak of Haemon's obedience and Antigone's disobedience to Creon. Creon says, "So I must
guard the men who yield to order, not let myself be beaten by a woman. Better, if it must happen
that a man should overset me. I won't be called weaker than womankind" (Sophocles 211). Creon
makes it clear that his reasoning relies on sexism and not what is truly just. Women are often
downgraded to the status of a secondary role as shown in the story. The argument between the law
of the state and the law of the gods, or religious, is mentioned many times throughout the story.
Creon refers to Antigone's brother as one who betrayed his city and he upholds an order for Thebes,
forbidding Antigone's brother to be buried. Antigone refers to burying her brother as a moral
responsibility. Creon is astonished when he finds that she has disobeyed his

Antigone Essay Questions
1: Hi
2: Hi
1: Have you read the play Antigone?
2: Yes, I was just thinking about it. It was quite enjoyable
1: I agree. I liked the way sophocles portrays the many themes in the play such as loyalty and Hubris.
2: Yes, I also liked how loyalty was portrayed in the play, especially how it was demonstrated by
Antigone and Ismene who were both loyal but in different ways.
1: Who did you agree with in their means of being loyal?
2: I agree with Ismene's way of being loyal because she decided to keep the family line running by
deciding not to die, as most of her family was dead except her sister at the time.
1: But by not doing what she thought was right and by doing what the law enforces, doesn't that
make Ismene loyal to the state rather than being loyal to family?
2: No, I still believe that Ismene is...show more content...
Being the king of Thebes, with so much power, Creon defies the gods and their word by punishing
Polyneices.
2: Well said, leaving that aside, what did you think of the smaller characters of the play?
1: Which ones?
2: Characters such as Tiresias and Haemon
1: Tiresias was loyal to the gods, as prophecies were told through him. One in particular was to
Creon, he told him that his mistake of denying burial would be the downfall of the city. And he also
told him to not meddle with the gods. He shows no hubris as he is just a messenger.
2: And what of Haemon?
1: Haemon was a reasonable man, he was the son of Creon. He was also loyal to the state as Creon
was, but he did not have the hubris that his father did.
2: I believe that is a very accurate description of the two characters
1: Even if the gods sometimes do not take actions or have rules that are for the greater good of
humanity, burial rites were part of greek culture and were denied under certain conditions. With all
that said, Polyneices's burial rites should have not been denied because it goes against the gods'

Oedipus The King And Antigone Essay
He Sees Power, She Sees Oppression:
On the Perception of Power of Women in Sophoclean Tragedy
Living in ancient patriarchal Greek society, women were held to strict values and were always
subordinate to men. Sophoclean tragedy provides a window into this society, and reflects on the
topic of gender inequality; however, the works show a disconnect of relativity between different
points of view. While male characters in both Oedipus the King and Antigone presume that their
female counterparts are held equally to them, the female characters are much more aware of societal
differences that justify their inferiority.
In ancient Greece, men didn't need to worry about not being taken seriously– such is a patriarchal
society. They had many more...show more content...
In ancient Greece, women weren't even considered citizens, and instead were grouped with children
and foreigners (Source 2). According to Fuller make sure you reference the full name and the work
in order to lead into the argument – women had only familial responsibilities, which meant that they
didn't have to concern themselves with social affairs such as battle or politics. This is recognised in
Antigone as Ismene tries to convince Antigone not to get involved in their brothers' deaths, pleading:
"We must remember that by birth we're women and, as such, we shouldn't fight with men" (77–78).
Ismene concedes that in her society there are different roles for both sexes, and a woman's place is
inferior a man's. The conclusion she comes to is paralleled in Oedipus the King, when Jocasta
pledges not to do anything that does not meet with Oedipus' approval (1030–1031). These characters
both acknowledge their inferiority without question; Antigone acts as a foil for them – especially
Ismene – as she questions her place as a woman in society. However, all three of these women are
equally aware of the power imbalance and, whether they try to rebel or not, are all unable to escape
the system of oppression that they face from

The Pros And Consequences Of Antigone
Antigone is a Greek tragedy which presents questions of what one should do when presented with
the dilemma of behaving according to one's morality and values or behaving according to the law.
There is no absolute good nor absolute bad, instead, the world is composed of a complex
combination of both. Ergo, Antigone's rebellion against the law cannot be classified in either of
these extremes. However, she weighted the advantages and disadvantages of her planned action and
smartly selected what was of greater value for her. Although the law should be obeyed to maintain
order and security, sometimes it should also be questioned and broken. The main reason being that
law is made by humans, and the human being is flawed, thus usually law is not perfectly...show more
content...
This were the absolute obedience and fear of the sovereign, her place in society as a woman and
the continuous disgracing on her family because of their past. By her actions, she not only
wanted to pay honor to her brother, but also to show society that she, her family, and women had
strength and deserve respect. There was no better way to do it than to show bravery and give
one's life for one's values. Because a life is a human's greatest treasure, one who gives it cannot be
considered selfish and because of this one attains the admiration of the people. Antigone died
admired by the people, and she only accomplished this because she did not rebel against a natural
law. She did not kill or cause any other type of harm. The insult she did was directly against Creon
and not against society. Without formal procedures, she managed to punish Creon for what he had
done to her and die being a

Essay on Introduction: Antigone and Creon
INTRODUCTION
Antigone
Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, the king that married his own mother, Locaste and unwittingly
killed his father, Laios. When he learned what he had done, he blinded himself and left Thebes,
voluntarily went into self–style exile and died over there. Antigone and Ismene are siblings, the only
surviving children of Oedipus. The other two brothers Polyneices and Eteocles quarreled and killed
each other in a battle when Polyneices returned to assault Thebes, then Creon, Antigone uncle
became the king of Thebes being the only heir in line to the throne. Creon ordered Polyneices be left
to rot unburied on the battle field as a traitor but Antigone could not see reason to let her brothers
body rot unburied. Antigone...show more content...
She valued family pride over the authority of the king. Leaving the dead unburied is against the
natural laws of the gods, she then chose to disobey the Kings law by attempt to bury her brother,
Polyneices. But I will bury him; and if I must die Literature for Composition 462.55
Creon on the other hand, though he installed himself as king, he then put himself in a position to
have known better the laws of the gods. Perhaps, this could have been one of the snares in the
process that awaits any unqualified person who tries to be king. A true heir to the thrown should
have in–depth knowledge about the community law and the laws of the gods; therefore, he would
have guided against either avoiding making laws that runs contrary to the laws of the gods or by
putting himself in an uncompromised position. He could have been briefed of most of the rules
and regulation as a formal process before a prince is allowed to ascend the thrown. In absence of
that, the office he occupied justify that he knows the law. I am aware of course, that no ruler can
expect complete loyalty from his subjects until he has been tested in office. (Literature for
Composition.464.17)
Affinity for disobedience
Laws are made, whether written or unwritten to

Antigone Essay Questions

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