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Creon's Motives In Antigone

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Why do people do things? Why are laws created, laws broken, and crimes committed? Behind every action is a motive. In Sophocles’ work of art Antigone, there are many possible motives for the character’s actions. Creon forbids Polyneices burial, sentences Antigone to death, locks Antigone in a stone chamber, and decides to free Antigone because his motives are to be a liked by the Greek Gods and the people of Thebes. Creon says, “but his brother Polyneices, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and the shrines of his father’s gods, whose one idea was to sill the blood and sell his own people into slavery – Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; …show more content…

Creon orders whoever did this to be brought to him. A sentry then brings Creon’s niece Antigone to him. Creon asks Antigone if she confesses to these things and she responds, “I do. I deny nothing. (2. 352). Creon asks Antigone if she heard his decree stating that Polynecies should not be buried. Antigone then says, “It was public. Could I help hearing it?” (2. 355). Creon sentences Antigone to death because she knowingly breaks Creon’s decree and makes Creon look like a fool when he questions her about it. Creon says, “Who is the man here, she or I, if this crime goes unpunished” (2. 83-84). Creon punishes Antigone to show the kingdom that he cannot be bossed …show more content…

He informs him that the people do not believe his ruling against Antigone is fair. The people say, “She covered her brother’s body. Is this indecent? She kept him from dogs and vultures. I this a crime? Death? – She should have all the honor that we can give her!” (3. 556-558). Because Creon wants the people to like him, Creon takes this into consideration. For a new punishment for Antigone, Creon says, “I will carry her far away out there in the wilderness, and lock her living in a vault of stone” (4. 632-634). Locking Antigone inside of a stone vault is Creon’s compromise for a punishment. Inside of the vault, she will be able to live as the people want her to and still pay for breaking a decree. Creon’s actions show that he can still be respectable and that he listens to the

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Some may say that Polyneices was a traitor well he is, that 's the reason why Creon wants Polyneices not buried. She was trying to look out for her family but, her uncle did care about this. Most people would have done the same thing. Antigone is correct for bold rebellion to bury her brother because she was loyal to the gods, what her religion was and her family means to her.

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In Sophocles’ Antigone, the protagonist, Antigone, possesses the characteristic flaw of blind passion. Antigone tells the tragedy of a recalcitrant woman’s agony due to a new edict declared by the ruling power of the state, King Creon. The young woman, Antigone, wants to bury her brother, Polynices, but Creon’s edict announces that anyone who does so will be punished in death. Antigone rebels against the law of the state because she is assertive in her decision to bury her brother in order to honour the gods and maintain family loyalty. She courageously decides to act upon her free will and is prepared to face the consequence of death that proceeds.

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Creon shows an extraordinary amount of stubbornness throughout the story. An example is seen when Antigone wishes to give her brother, Polyneices a proper burial so he can have a pleasant afterlife with the Gods. Creon, as king wishes to have him rot in the fields because he turned his back on the state in which the events occurred.

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In the play, Antigone by Sophocles when a new man Creon becomes king he forbids a traitor's body to be buried so that he would be an example, this man being Polyneices, Antigone’s brother. Antigone, fearless in her actions, will not let her brother's body rot in the street even if it's against Creon's rules, but Creon due to his pride will not listen to anyone including Antigone. This will lead to pain and suffering for Creon later in the story. The main character Creon is foolish, for killing Antigone for trying to give her brother a burial. Because he would not hear out Tiresias or others.

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Tragic hero Antigone is a greek drama in which sophocles, the author show the development of a persona character. Antigone the main character, is upset with king creon over his decision to bury her brother. Creon’s decision challenge the traditions of his culture. Antigone disobeys the kings interactions and experience with Antigone begin a transformation in king Creon. Creon’s tragic development begins from his own beliefs which are contrary to the laws of the God’s which causes conflict between Antigone and those close to him.

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For having committed the crime, Antigone is taken in. Creon initially refuses to accept the sentry's claims, but Antigone admits that she is guilty and aware of her actions. Creon demands that Antigone be put behind bars. "Creon, what do you want more from me than death?" Antigone asks.

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His free choice is represented by a quote from the guard surveying Polyneices body, “We saw this girl giving that dead man's corpse full burial rites—an act you’d made illegal” (337). Although Creon's own niece turns out to be the one that went against his word, he still chooses to follow through with the punishment even though the deed Antigone did was morally right. The punishment that he lays upon Antigone is excessive and unjust considering the crime. While in an argument with her, he calls to his guards proclaiming, “Take her and shut her up, as I have ordered, in her tomb’s embrace [...]

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In the scene in which Creon will not allow her brother to be buried. This goes against her personal beliefs she confronts Creon when she says “if I had allowed my own mothers son to rot, an unburied corpse that would have been an agony.” Creon wouldn’t allow Antigone brother to be buried even tho Antigone felt it was the right thing to do. Antigone is talking to Ismene about burying her brother but Ismene tells her to keep the idea a secret but Antigone disagrees and says “But I know I’ll please the ones I’m duty bound to please.

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“…even if she were closer than my sister’s child, closer than any who shares my family’s chapel, she and her sister will not escape the worst fate” by saying that, he believes she will stop with the arguments and simply follow his laws however, it’s quite the opposite what happens next. She mocks him even more by questioning, “Do you want something more than killing me?” Later on into the scene, they start discussing the death of Polynices and Eteocles, while Creon believes that Polynices shouldn’t deserve to be buried and that the gods wouldn’t like him because he is bad person. “The good don’t want to share honors with the bad” However, in the other hand Antigone replies by saying that both of them should be buried, this causes Creon to enrage and exclaim “No woman will rule

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In the classic play by Sophocles, Antigone is a tragic story of the bold Antigone who defied her uncle, King Creonʻs, edict by burying her brother, Polyneices, who died attacking the city of Thebes, trying to take the power away from their brother, Eteocles, who refused to share the throne with Polyneices. Even though Antigone knew that going against Creon and burying her brother would not end well for her, she still choose to risk her life to do what is right. After being caught breaking the law, Antigone is appointed to be locked away, isolated in a cave until she dies, but she hangs herself at the end. At the same time, things for Creon are not looking good, as everyone around him seems to be against him in his decision for punishing Antigone. Everyone Creon cares about kills themselves from a curse that is put on Creon for not following the Godsʻ laws.

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765 Words | 4 Pages

Antigone being the one to fight for her beliefs and obeying the god's laws attempts the burial of Polyneices and goes against Creon’s law to prove to him that he’s in over his head that he has too much pride in himself, in lines 15-35 Antigone claims that she is going to go

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Core values are an important trait for everyone and has influence on how people act and what you are like. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Antigone, the protagonist, Antigone, is influenced a lot by her core values. The play Antigone was the story of the daughter Antigone of Oedipus and Iocaste, which took place after they tragically died. Antigone is influenced by the core values of her belief of family coming first, her following of God, and dying with pride and honor is important. Antigone’s core values and morals are more important than anything and these influence her choices throughout the play.

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Some people may argue that Creon was justified in punishing Antigone although she is his direct relative. Those who defend Creon’s actions say that maintaining order in Thebes is more important than loved ones. This is an understandable concern, however, in obtaining the so-called “order” in Thebes, Creon faces a punishment far worse than death. Additionally, the people in Thebes do not agree with their ruler: “the city mourns for [Antigone],” and they believe that she deserves “a golden crown” for her demeanor (775, 782). Antigone, Haemon, the people of Thebes and the Gods all have one thing in common; they all disagree with Creon’s decree.

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“ Mistakes made by a foolish mind, cruel mistakes that bring on death.” (1406 to 1407.) In this quote, King Creon of Thebes is acknowledging that he has made tragic mistakes, because he wanted to the laws of his state, that he put in place, instead of preserving the safety of his family, which consequently lead to suffering for many. In the play Antigone, by Sophocles, the character Creon makes decisions based on what he feels is right, and refuses to pay attention to other’s advice. His stubbornness and selfishness prove fatal, and as a consequence of his moral deficiency, he kills an innocent woman, and loses his son in the aftermath.

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She was outraged when she found out that her brother Polyneices was going to be left to rot and be eaten by animals, because he was a traitor to the city. Antigone believed that her brother deserved a proper burial even though he tried going against the city unlike her other brother Eteocles. She asks Ismene (her sister) to join her in this act of rebellion but Ismene does not want to get in trouble for going against her kings orders so Antigone does it on her own. Creon feels disrespected and punishes Antigone for not following his rules. He seals Antigone while she is alive, inside a tomb.

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