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What Does The Grave Represent In Antigone

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Antigone
Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone combines the foolishness of thinking one is wise with the stubbornness of youthful idealism as characters wrestle with familial bonds, cultural traditions and romantic love. The noblewoman Antigone seeks to give her brother Polyneices an honorable burial against the wishes of her fiance's father, who had Polyneices killed for his crimes. This leads to her own burial and the sacrificial death of her fiance, Haemon. The play begins and ends at the grave, which serves as both the setting and a symbol. Whether it be honor, a familial bond, the desperation of a voice unheard, or the unbreakable bond between two young lovers, the grave represents something unique to each character and their identities.
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Instead of letting Creon control her death, however, she takes matters into her own hands and hangs herself with a “noose of fine clothes” (Sophocles 1.4.1222). This shows her contempt for the norms of the society she is living in, and her obstinate refusal to be controlled or silenced. To her, the grave could symbolize freedom and a final stand against oppression. In the finale, the story reaches its last grave. In discovering Antigone’s execution, her fiance Haemon rushes to save her, only to find he is too late. He sees her hanging from a noose and runs his sword between his lungs as he pulls her towards him for a final embrace. His death means the end of his cordiality and civility. He had spent his whole life trying to please everybody, and failed to save the one person he actually cared for. As the messenger describes it, he joined “Her deadly marriage bed, blanketed with rocks” (Sophocles 1.4.1206) and died there with her. In this final act, he solidifies his unconditional love for and commitment to Antigone. This grave symbolizes sacrificial love, the ultimate end both beautiful and

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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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926 Words | 4 Pages

When Creon finds out it was Antigone he sentenced her to death. Antigone, felt she did not want to die under Creon’s order so she hung herself. When Haemon (Creon’s son) finds Antigone his fiancé dead, so he kills himself and soon after Creon’s wife stabs herself too, Creon says in pain, “Let me go inside. I don’t know what to do.

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681 Words | 3 Pages

So Creon had hurried to the cells, however, by the time he had arrived, all he found was Antigone, who had hung herself and Haemon, his son, who had perished by his own hand. Then upon returning to the kingdom he sees that his wife, who had heard of her son’s death, had pierced herself in the heart.

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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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692 Words | 3 Pages

Moreover, by saying “I will bury the brother I love”, she shows her stubbornness because she acts against Creon’s decree, which states that the body of Polyneices will not be buried, and that who performs the burial for him will be stoned to death. The tragic fate of Antigone is death, which results from her tragic flaws, loyalty and stubbornness. The speech “To me, since it was my hand That washed him clean and poured the ritual wine: And my reward is death before my time!”

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399 Words | 2 Pages

As the play unfolds, both Antigone and Creon become tragic figures who suffer the consequences of their actions. Antigone's steadfastness leads to her death, but she remains true to her beliefs until the end. Creon's fear and stubbornness lead to the deaths of his son and wife, and he is left to face the consequences of his actions. The audience sympathizes with both characters, as they are both motivated by duty and a sense of what is

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686 Words | 3 Pages

She concludes her story by committing suicide without regard to the lives that will be affected by her loss. Haemon “tumbled around her[Antigone], hugging her waist, grieving for his marriage lost,” resulting in his death as he “drew his two-edged sword” and drove it through his body (1223-1224; 1233). Consequently, Haemon’s mother “died at the alter [by] a sharp sword-thrust” because she could not bear the demise of her beloved son. Antigone’s mistake in disregarding those who love her affected many, which leads the reader to better understand that both characters

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626 Words | 3 Pages

It is a tragedy about a young girl burying her loved brother even through her uncle, the king, outlawed it. She knew the consequences would be harsh. However, she did it for she greatly loved her brother and wanted him to have a proper burial. “This death of mine is of no importance; but if I had left my brother lying in death unburied, I should have suffered,”(Scene 2, prologue lines 70-72) Antigone told the King.

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765 Words | 4 Pages

In the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, burial customs of the ancient Greeks play an extensive role. The women of the family perform the burial rites, and believed that if their distinct methods were not followed, the soul is destined to suffer between worlds until the correct rites were performed. Antigone, the sister of Polynices and Eteocles, is aware of this and is not going to stand by and let her brother, Polynices, linger between worlds in pain, after being killed by Eteocles. With her ambition and determination she does the deed, and of doing so she follows the god's laws, but breaks Creon’s laws in the midst of it. Creon is also aware of the burial rites but still decides, through his stubbornness, that Polynices shall not be performed these rites, because of his actions against Thebes.

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1501 Words | 7 Pages

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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484 Words | 2 Pages

Antigone’s selfless sacrifice in which she surrendered her life for her brother’s burial portrays to the audience her allegiance to tradition; therefore, giving meaning to the work as a whole.

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1059 Words | 5 Pages

(Line 546-547).” Antigone does not want her sister to experience the same glory she has worked for. She wants to be remembered as the one person who

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882 Words | 4 Pages

In lines 599 to 601, Creon’s states that, due to his selfishness and stubbornness, he will not allow a woman, that woman being Antigone, to change his mind and defy his judgement. He declares that, if Antigone chooses to not change her ways, she will be killed, as to not waver from his own decree. Antigone therefore dies as a result of Creon’s insufferable and ignorant ruling, causing her to suffer at Creon’s hand. Creon’s ruling for the murder of Antigone also causes Haemon to suffer. Creon finds Haemon, in his last moments, mourning the loss of Antigone, “now among the dead, his father’s work,” as described by the messenger in line 1364.

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1113 Words | 5 Pages

Therefore, since Antigone ends up hanging herself and causes her fiancé and the fiancé’s mother to commit suicide as well, it gives the

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757 Words | 4 Pages

Antigone’s love is so great for her brother that she went against the king and buried him with religious rights. Then Haemon kills himself because Antigone had died and he wanted to be with her. In the end Creon’s wife killed herself because her son had died. Creon is perceived as the tragic hero of the play when he is talking

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