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Justifiable Actions In Antigone

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Some actions are justifiable, while others are not. Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in 441 B.C. as the third of the three Theban plays. The protagonist, Antigone, defies the law of man, placed by King Creon, by burying her brother Polynices who was decreed a traitor. In the play, most of Antigone's actions are justifiable because the intentions are dedicated to her family and following the law of the gods over the law of man. Through her civil disobedience, Antigone displays her love of her family by protecting their well being for the cost of her own life. When Antigone tells Ismene about the decree that bans them from burying their brother, Antigone argues she will bury their brother even for her life: “[Creon] has no right to …show more content…

Antigone declares to Ismene that defying Creon's proclamation will be seen as heroic to the gods: "I will bury him myself. And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory. I will lie with the one I love and loved by him outrage sacred to the gods! I have longer to please the dead than please the living here: in the kingdom down below I'll lie forever" (85-90). Even though Creon decreed that Polynices is not to be buried because he is a traitor, Ancient Greek culture believes that all humans, traitor and heros, are to be buried. Antigone explicitly states that her act of civil disobedience will be praised by those who truly matter, the gods, and that death is eternal life. When Antigone is brought forth to face Creon for charges of burying Polynices, she argues that he has no authority to override traditions: “It wasn’t Zeus...who made this proclamation...Nor did that justice, dwelling with the gods, beneath the earth, ordain such laws for men. Nor do I think your edict had such force, that you a mere mortal, could override the gods, the great unwritten, unshakable traditions” (499­-505). Even once she is brought forth to face the kind, Antigone displays no remorse for her actions because she truly believes she did the right thing according to the gods and that Creon is merely a human with no real power. A mortal who proclaims something, especially against tradition, is no match for the powerful, immortal gods. In conclusion, Antigone's actions are based on what she believes the gods would approve of, such as protecting

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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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In the tragedy he talks about his decision to make burying polyneices illegal but the burial of eteocles was noble and honorable. Antigone does not take this lightly and feels that Polyneices should also have a burial, because

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She defies Creon’s law because she is trying to honor her brother and preserve the God-given rights of a proper burial after death (Leshak). Even though she recognizes death as the consequence for her action, Antigone fights the struggle of the individual and still feels the need to bury her brother. She does not only feel the need to bury Polynices because he is her brother, but there she strongly feels that is is her moral duty to due so in order to please the Theban gods and will only be found “guilty of the holiest crime”. Another reason that Antigone’s civil disobedience is symbolic is because she is a woman. Creon states that no woman will rule him as he lives and since Antigone loves the dead, she will join

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Antigone is a play written by Sophocles that focuses on the consequences of Antigone's decision to defy her uncle the king and bury her brother Polyneices. The play presents Antigone as a brave and noble character who is willing to sacrifice her life to bury her brother, which is a death sentence. Although her uncle, King Creon, sees her decision as treasonous, Antigone's actions are justified when she honors her brother in ways only known. First, it is important to note why King Creon feels guilty about Antigone's actions. Creon makes it clear that the body of Polyneices must not be buried because he is a traitor and an enemy of the state.

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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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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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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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By dying with her brother, Antigone feels like she would be more content than living on her own knowing that her brother is not being respected in his death. Similarly in Anouilh’s version of the play, Creon shows that his actions and his decisions are motivated by family loyalty as well. Creon attempts to save Antigone’s life from his own capital punishment since she is family to him. During Antigone’s imprisonment, Creon speaks with her,

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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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Arguably she made a heroic decision, but deciding what her intent was behind those decisions is questionable. Undoubtedly one of Antigone’s motivations was to be certain that both of her brothers were resting

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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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Antigone felt that Creon’s laws were prejudiced against her belief in God's proclamation and her personal morals or core values. She put her family first the whole time,

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Antigone’s beliefs proclaim that “Hades longs to see these laws fulfilled” to honor the burial of Polyneices corpse (Sophocles 519). She emphasizes her conviction that “it was not Zeus who made this proclamation” (Sophocles 450). Antigone has profound respect for the gods and the traditions of her people. Her actions are accomplished to pay homage to the Greek gods. She maintains that her actions are

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The search for justice is never ending. Justice may be delayed, denied, or postponed, however, the search is timeless. To be just is to argue for fair rights for all. It is to be someone that will help the people of the community. However, many times justice is not sought and not given to those who need it most.

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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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