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Examples Of Creon's Behavior In Antigone

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Ivan Umana James Reed English 1301 05/1/2024 Is Antigone’s Behavior Justified? In Sophicles’ play Antigone, the main conflict in the story happens as a result of Creon’s decision to forbid Polyneices, one of Antigone’s deceased brothers, from being given a burial by law. This enrages Antigone, causing her to go against the king, Creon, and find her brother’s body and provide it the proper burial she believes it deserves. The conflict featured in the play raises a question, which is if Antigone’s behavior throughout the play is justified or are Creon’s decisions justified. Numerous individuals believe that since Creon’s decisions are the law as a result of him being king, that Antigone should therefore have no right to disobey the law by giving her deceased brother a burial. This, however, is proven incorrect by the fact that Antigone was merely …show more content…

In the beginning of the play, Creon states that Eteocles “shall be buried in his grave'' due to him perishing in a noble manner. Creon then proclaims that Polyneices shall not receive a burial and prohibits anyone from honoring him by giving him a grave or mourning him. The reason as to why Creon prohibits the burial of Polyneices is due to the fact that he was “a returned exile” that “sought to burn with fire from top to bottom his native city, and the gods of his own people” (Sophicles 2010-2011). This explanation given by Creon provides the reader with a reason as to why Polyneices is not deserving of being honored with a burial. Creon being the current king of Thebes signifies that his orders are meant to be perceived as the law. When Antigone is challenged by the fact that Creon has forbidden the burial of her brother, she states that it is not Creon’s right to keep her away from her own. This highlights the fact that Antigone is aware that it is against the law,

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I used this quote from Antigone because it properly states Antigone’s viewpoint on Creon’s decree. As told in the story, Creon's decree was that no one could grieve for or bury Polyneices. Creon made this proclamation because when Eteocles and Polyneices fought over Thebes, Eteocles was pronounced king and exiled Polyneices from Thebes. Polyneices, in turn, formed an army to take on the city, ending up with Eteocles and Polyneices killing each other, thus putting Creon in the position of power. Creon then proceeds to label Polyneices a traitor and finally, makes his decree.

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318 Words | 2 Pages

Antigone dearly beloved brothers Eteocles and Polyneices has joined their ancestors in the afterlife. Eteocles has been buried with honor There seems to be a problem with Polyneices who has not been buried. Antigone uncle Creon, don 't want to bury his own nephew.

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883 Words | 4 Pages

"There is nothing shameful in burying my brother (Plato,72). Antigone's morals are still unable to see her tragic flaw. With Antigone’s death it is viewed by her insolence toward Creon, but by her failure to reason with her emotional values. Antigone impels Creon by defying his order which causes the fate of her life. Instead of obeying to Creon’s verdict this overcomes her

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365 Words | 2 Pages

In the story of Antigone, Antigone’s uncle, Creon, is the king of Thebes who forbids the burial of his nephew, Polyneikes. Polyneikes is Antigone’s brother who went to war with one of their brothers. The fight between the two men ended in death for both, at which was based on who was justified by the state. The brother who fought Polyneikes was awarded a proper burial while Polyneikes was left as a food source for dogs and vultures. Antigone disliked the fact that Polyneikes was not awarded a proper burial because it is her brother.

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1233 Words | 5 Pages

Who: Antigone What: Creon made an edict that Polynieces is not allowed to have proper burial rites but Antigone wants to defy him and bury his brother’s corpse Why: She must face this problem because she thinks that Polynieces deserves to be buried so that his soul may rest. Against all prohibitions and without any just cause, she will bury her brother to the point of her own death. Solution Attempted:

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626 Words | 3 Pages

Antigone a relative of Creon wants to go and bury her brother, she wants to do what she believes is the right thing. “Is to have no burial:

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702 Words | 3 Pages

As the king of Thebes, Creon has the ability to do anything especially enforcing any law or commanding others what he wants, and ruling other people’s lives. Sophocles uses Creon to communicate that “excessive power or ruling” can be a harm or cause evil tendencies, instead of being beneficial by his actions towards his family and citizens. The power of Creon causes him to make an unjust law followed up by a harsh punishment, threatening the one who buries Polyneices with a death penalty. Antigone thinks that Polyneices deserves a proper burial. She asks “will you come?”(Sophocles, 31) to Ismene to come join her to the proper burial because “he is [her] brother, and he is [Ismene’s] brother, too (Sophocles, 32).

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848 Words | 4 Pages

In the play Antigone, Sophocles tells the story of the titular character as she buries her traitorous brother in defiance of a tyrannical despot. Through this action, the play asks the question of whether the laws created by one man “could override the gods, the great unwritten, unshakable traditions,” (504-5). Some may argue that Creon's decree is merely one of necessity, an unavoidable evil to allow the city of Thebes to heal and unite. He is a patriot holding his city together in times of strife. While Creon may believe this, saying "our country is our safety" (211), it is actually his lack of love that causes him to deny Polynices his burial.

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1226 Words | 5 Pages

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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406 Words | 2 Pages

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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746 Words | 3 Pages

In Sophocles’ devastating ancient Greek tragedy Antigone, the life of Antigone, a brave independent woman who is forced to question her morals, drastically changes due to fate and crucial decisions that are made. When Antigone’s brother Polyneices is killed at war, he is not given a proper burial, nor is he allowed to, according to Antigone’s uncle and the King of the state, Creon. Antigone wants to bury him, therefore causing the characters to struggle with the decision of who is morally correct. This theme of choosing between following one’s individual conscience or following the state’s law is seen throughout the entire play, and the three main characters who struggle with this decision are Antigone, Creon, and Ismene. Antigone, the brave female protagonist in the play, is determined to

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552 Words | 3 Pages

In the play "Antigone" by Sophocles, Antigone rightfully decides to bury her brother, Polynices, but when the king, Creon, finds out, she does not repent for her actions. She is a woman that stands for what she thinks is right, which in this case is that Creon is wrong for condemning the burial of her brother. She shows braveness with her actions because not all people have the courage to risk their own lives so that their brother can rest in peace. For instance, Ismene states "What? You 'd bury him – when a law forbids the city?"

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622 Words | 3 Pages

Antigone is the daughter of the late king Oedipus, and Creon is the king of Corinth. The conflict that these two face is the burial of Polyneices, who was Antigone’s deceased brother. Creon was not allowing Polynices to be buried, because he had fought against Athens. To Creon, this was correct: “And yet you dared to overstep these laws?” (Sophocles Line 458)

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765 Words | 4 Pages

In the play, Antigone, by Sophocles, Polyneices and Eteocles, have killed each other and Creon orders Eteocles to have an honored burial while Polyneices is to be left without a burial. Antigone tells Ismene, who are both sisters of Polyneices and Eteocles, that they must bury Polyneices, Ismene tells her she can not so Antigone buries Polyneices alone in defiance to the state laws. Creon and Antigone have conflicting values. Creon holds the laws of the city higher even when other beliefs state otherwise.

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1113 Words | 5 Pages

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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