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Is Creon Justified In Antigone

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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. Creonʻs punishment for Antigone did not only affect her, but also everyone who was involved in the situation, including Creon. Creonʻs punishment for Antigone was not justified for three reasons: Antigoneʻs love for her family being put first, Creon is trying to prove himself, and Antigoneʻs beliefs. …show more content…

As Antigone said when Creon asked her if she has heard of his edict, “It was public. Could I help hearing it?” (708). This tells us that Antigone knew that what she was doing was illegal and yet she still chose to bury Polyneices no matter the consequences for her. On the other hand, you could say that even though Antigone knew what she was doing was wrong, she did it because she knew that it was the right thing to do. As Antigone states when talking to Ismene, “It is the dead, Not the living, who make the longest demands” (694). This clearly tell us that, she is more fearful that the Gods will punish her much worse than Creon ever could if she neglected burying, Polyneices,

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186 Words | 1 Pages

Antigone was right in her decision in disobeying Creon and his decree to not bury Polyneices. Antigone was right in her decision in burying polyneices because she was following what she thought was right. She decided to follow what her religion told her to do even if it would cause her death: ” But I will bury him; and if I must die”(Prologue,55). She was not afraid about dying because she knew that

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782 Words | 4 Pages

In addition, Antigone has her own struggle, faceing her uncle King Creon, by herself. Moreover, Antigone was declared the death penalty, on behalf of giving her brother funeral honors. This is a very unruly move, because her brother is considered a traitor to the king and people, which ultimately means he shall not be buried. However, it shows King Creon that Antigone would do anything to modify the law, as well as taking her own life, just so her brother has a proper funeral. To emphasize, Antigone responds to King Creon, “ If I die young, I say I’d gain something” (Sophocles 20).

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962 Words | 4 Pages

After Creon declares the entombment of Antigone for attempting to bury Polynices against the declaration of his edict, Antigone laments her consequence of death. She displays a change in trait from her hubris as she expresses sorrow in her recognition that she will die at young age and never be able to marry or have children. The Chorus, in return provide their final judgment to Antigone as they state, “Your own blind will, your passion has destroyed you.” (Chorus, 959). Although the Chorus is sympathetic to Antigone’s sorrow, they remind her that she faces her death as a consequence to her negligence to overruling state power.

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534 Words | 3 Pages

Creon has a rational, important reason to deny Polyneices a burial and to punish Antigone for her actions: doing only what is best for Thebes. As King, he announces to the populace of Thebes that he plans to “follow the course that he knows is best for the State” (1.197). By giving a speech to garner the trust and respect of his citizens, and making the promise to do what is “best for the state”, Creon demonstrates his commitment to governing wholeheartedly. His directive on the burial of Polyneices directly reflects Creon’s ethics of putting the cohesion of the city before anything else. He wants social order and stability, so Antigone breaking a direct order from the throne makes Creon seem fallible.

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686 Words | 3 Pages

In Antigone, it is evident that both Creon and Antigone made mistakes in spite of the fact that they had right intentions. Creon attempts to uphold the law in order to maintain structure and be what he considers to be a just leader, however, Creon’s mindset remains too rigid and his actions don’t adapt in light of the circumstances. Antigone wants to stay loyal to her family and save her brother’s soul, yet she isolates herself and shows disrespect for the law. Creon does not allow Antigone any grace for her actions because he explicitly adheres to the laws of the city.

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725 Words | 3 Pages

Antigone, written by Sophocles, tells of a woman who follows the god’s laws over the edict of her uncle, by performing the forbidden burial of her brother with her own hands. Many of Antigone’s choices lead up to her untimely and tragic death, but she is not the only one. Her uncle Creon believes that he can present an edict that could overrule the gods. The play Antigone is full of pride, betrayal, and most importantly the consequences of choices. This story contains many different choices.

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609 Words | 3 Pages

In Antigone, the titular character buries the body of her brother, Polynices, despite a declaration from Creon that no one shall bury him or else they will face death as well. Antigone believes that divine law, the right of all bodies to be buried, is greater than Creon’s law. She also claims she could not leave the body and live on in grief and she is not afraid of death. Antigone makes the right choice in sacrificing her life to bury her brother because she makes Creon a better person, does what she knows is right, and receives eternal benefits. Antigone’s decision to bury Polynices makes Creon a better person after she faces death for her disobedience of Creon’s decree.

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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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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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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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1353 Words | 6 Pages

Antigone’s actions are motivated by her allegiance to her family, moral conscience, and religion amid Creon’s political injustice and tyranny. Antigone’s actions motivate her to demand Ismene to prove whether she is “a true sister or a traitor to your family” (26-27). Antigone maintains loyalty to her brother despite his actions which threatened Thebes. Her inability to bear the thought of her brother’s corpse being picked apart by animals and not being honored with proper funeral rites forces her to act. Antigone’s fierce allegiance to her family is laid bare as she is willing to sacrifice her life to honor her brother and defy the law in an act that she believes is morally just.

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743 Words | 3 Pages

Antigone is the best representation of a tragic hero in this play.     In the opinion of others, one may say that Antigone has a tragedy that is more complex rather than simple. The importance of having a complex tragedy is the more difficult and hard this said persons woe is, the more anthropomorphic and relatable this will be to us humans. In the play Antigone, she plans to go against Creon’s rules and bury her beloved brother who died for reasons that she believes to be honorary. As Antigone states,”That must be your excuse, I suppose.

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1343 Words | 6 Pages

Creon has officially made the decision that he is not going to bury Polyneices which angers Antigone. Antigone needs help to reach her goal and she says to Ismene, “You may do as you like, since apparently the laws of the Gods mean nothing to you (Sophocles, et al. 192).” Ismene is hesitant to agree with Antigone and join her in this task because she does not want to break the law and go against Creon’s words. Antigone is making Ismene feel

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536 Words | 3 Pages

A Greek tragedy would not be complete without an evil or immoral character. In Antigone, Creon was not only the tragic hero, but he was also the most immoral character. Creon’s excessive pride results in his downfall, and it negatively influences many of the other characters in the play. If it wasn’t for his title of ruler of Thebes, readers would not act as sympathetically towards Creon throughout the play. The most obvious immoral decision that Creon made in Antigone was the decision to deny Antigone a burial for her brother, Polyneices.

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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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