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Thebes In Sophocles Antigone

463 Words2 Pages

In front of the palace of Creon, the king of Thebes, a city-state in Ancient Greece. An unjust King is ruling the state, in the eyes of Antigone, a young woman who is set to marry king's Creon’s son. Thebes is a place of tragedy for Anigone, for she has arrived only to find that her two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, are dead, but only Eteocles is to be buried, the other to be left to rot, for he is a "traitor.” Outraged, Anigone asks for the aid of her sister, Ismene, to bury her brother's body against the king's law. However, Ismene refuses, and urges her sister not to oppose the king’s law. Nevertheless, Antigone goes against her sister wishes and buries their brother herself. First, she only covers him, just enough to give his soul peace. …show more content…

This unidentified man has defied the king, and he is determined to find them. Consequently, they uncover the body and again, leave it to rot. Again, Antigone attempts to bury her brother’s corpse, but this time, she was caught and brought to King Creon. At first, he doesn't believe this woman would or could do this, but she makes a point not to deny any of it and confesses to this crime against the king. She challenges the king through courage and bravery and claims her brother deserves the right to be buried. She knows she is destined to die, but she has no regard for her punishment and is standing up for what she believes in. If citizens do not agree with King Creon’s laws they will be punished, hence they always agree with him. They fear his power, not himself, while Antigone fears neither. Antigone is promptly treated like common street trash now that she stood up to the king. The king does not care who you are, only what you

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The tragic play “Antigone” written by Sophocles, follows after the war between Thebes and Argos. In the war, the two sons of Oedipus, Eteokles and Polynices fought for the throne; however, as a result, both sons die. Due to the brotherly feud, Eteokles and Polynices uncle, Creon becomes the king of Thebes. The new king Creon then passes on a law to not bury Polyneices the exile who rebelled against Thebes, but honor Eteokles who defended the country. He then stated, if the body were to be buried by someone, the burier must be executed.

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