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The Conflict Between Antigone And Creon

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The play Antigone by Sophocles presents problems between two sides, and they are the values of the oikos world, represented by Antigone, and the values of the polis world, represented by Creon. The play is mainly about Antigone trying to justify natural justice against the law of the state that Creon is holding against her with no hesitation, It also displays the different roles men and women were taking at the time. The conflict between Antigone and Creon happened because Antigone’s brother Polynices was announced a traitor by the state and in death, it was made illegal to grant him a proper burial, and that is where Antigone attempts to justify her actions. Antigone represents the values of the polis world and in this worldview, Family, …show more content…

She strongly believes that is it her duty to ensure her brother is buried and backs up the statement about her belief that the law of gods is more meaningful than human laws by saying "Nor did I think your edict had such force that you, a mere mortal, could override the gods, the great unwritten, unshakable traditions". Before Antigone proceeded to bury her brother by herself, she was asking her sister for help doing it because she did not have the strength to help with her brother’s body, as much as her sister wanted to help she was too afraid of the punishment of disobeying the law and instead of helping she tried to convince Antigone not to do it but Antigone just responds by saying “I will bury him myself. And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory." Antigone openly admits that she disobeyed Creon’s order to forbid the burial because it is not the “law of god” but it’s his laws that he personally put into …show more content…

He says, "When someone keeps the laws that are ordained and does not lend his hand to the schemes of the state, his city will stand in great strength." Creon cites his duty as the king to enforce the laws and maintain the authority of the state and threatens to punish those who disobey his law and makes it clear that he will not compromise his position or show mercy to those who challenge his authority. Creon justifies his law forbidding the burial of Antigone's brother Polyneices by claiming that it is a necessary measure to maintain order and protect the state from any rebellion that might come from honoring a

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Antigone sacrifices her own life, trying to stand up in the horrible society in which she 's imprisoned. Would you do it? Oedipus has just passed away in Colonus, and Antigone and her sister decide to return to Thebes with the intention of helping their brothers. You can look at Antigone 's clash with Creon as symbolic of the larger struggle of a man. Creon relationship with Haemon demonstrate how parents assert their power in relationships with their children, and how children can lose favor with their parents.

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714 Words | 3 Pages

Boom! It shocked her, her own brother has died why “why would this happen to me, she repeated to herself. Antigone begins with the two sons of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polyneices, who are fighting for the kingship of Thebes. Both men die in the battle. Their successor, Creon, decides that King Eteocles will be buried, but Polyneices, because he was leading a foreign army, will be left on the field of battle.

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195 Words | 1 Pages

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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323 Words | 2 Pages

Creon’s son Haemon after learning about Antigone’s fate tries to reason with his father as to why he should let her go but every point he makes only causes Antigone more trouble, rather than helping. During Haemons conversation with his father he tries to reason with his father that he is not always right and that he needs to learn to bend his own rules in order for his leadership to work. He tries to convince Creon that “for a man to learn, even a wise man, is nothing shameful, nor to learn to bend or give way”(Sophocles 39). He tries to convince his father that if he needs to learn to bend his rules or his city will snap under their pressure. He is trying to show Creon that by releasing Antigone he is not going to lose control of the city

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740 Words | 3 Pages

In Sophocles Antigone it states “; but his brother Polyneices, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city”. This shows that Creon decided that his actions were for the best for his people. This shows that Creon was trying to be justified by doing what's right for his people and not letting personal ties disrupt what's right. Antigone is justified in her own way because she is trying to bury her brother because she feels since he is dead he deserves to be out in peace. Antigone stated that her brother deserves a burial just like anybody else because he also fought.

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481 Words | 2 Pages

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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1221 Words | 5 Pages

Creon enacts the law of no burial for Polynices’s corpse because he was a traitor to their country. Polynices’s sister, Antigone refuses to listen to Creon’s order and she says to her sister, Ismene,” he has no right to keep me from my own.” She stands in the face of Creon’s unjust law to follow her gods’ divine laws, and she buries her brother’s corpse. Creon’s full power isn’t enough to stop Antigone. When Creon knows that Antigone buried her brother’s body, he orders his guard to put Antigone in a cave till she starves to death.

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259 Words | 2 Pages

One way of how Creon represents the problematic nature of man-made laws is through his character. One characteristic of Creon that leads to his problematic man-made laws is that he is ruthless. Although Polyneices is said to have brought war on the State, he is still considered family. Even then he still shows no pity toward Polyneices. Creon leaves the boys body out for shame and to be eaten by wild animals.

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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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513 Words | 3 Pages

n Antigone, Sophocles alludes to many Greek myths in order to accentuate how Antigone views the situation of her being punished by Creon for giving her brother the proper burial he deserved by the law of the gods and the importance of her words. Creon has decided to sentence Antigone to death for going against his words and following the laws of the gods by burying her beloved brother Polyneices. Creon’s tragic flaw is recognized when Antigone says, “How often I have heard the story of Niobe, / Tantalus’ wretched daughter, how the stone / Clung fast about her, ivy-close; and they say / The rain falls endlessly / And sifting soft snow; her tears are never done” (Sophocles 994). Niobe, queen of Thebes, was turned to stone for her belief

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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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1159 Words | 5 Pages

Antigone is put in a devastating position when her two brothers have both died fighting against each other and one has recieved burial and the other has not. One brother is being portrayed as honorable and a hero and the other as a traitor who deserves to rot because of his actions. Antigone is justified in her act of disobedience when she decides to bury her “traitor” of a brother, Polynices. This is made clear in the play Antigone by Sophocles when divine laws are said to be important over everything and when Antigone's rights are being violated. From a critical source and standpoint it is also true because Creon’s authority is questionable from the start and dishonoring the dead is prohibited by rules of warfare.

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1014 Words | 5 Pages

The play Antigone features a deep struggle of power for King Creon. Creon faced several insecurities, during his rule, as king of Thebes. These insecurities, which stemmed from an internal power struggle, went on to, not only affect his rule as king, but his personal relationships, and emotions as well. Other reasons for his actions stem from family matters that have hindered Creon's ability to successfully control and rule by himself.

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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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300 Words | 2 Pages

In the story, the relationship between Antigone and Creon is very important and contrasts greatly. If they had found a way to resolve their differences, the story may have ended differently. The tension between these two characters is based on Creon’s actions and thoughts in regard to Antigone’s brothers and the brother she buried. Creon left Polyneices, her brother, to rot outside of the city. He commanded that if anyone buried Polyneices, they would be put to death.

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