Category: Antigone

Antigone, originally written by Sophocles and reinterpreted by Seamus Heaney, presents Antigone, daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, as a woman who is willing to speak out when the king, her uncle, bans the burial of her brother. Antigone meets all of Aristotle’s criteria for tragedy with the exception of featuring a bold and headstrong female in the lead role. Antigone by Sophocles is a play that challenged the status quo and views on women during the time period the original story was written.

Women in ancient Greece had little to no rights in comparison to male citizens. Women were unable to vote, own land, inherit, etc. A woman’s purpose in life was the birthing and raising of children and her place was usually in the home. Ancient Greece had a reputation of favoring men and viewing women as submissive. A woman was always under the control of a male figure whether it be her husband or her father. Antigone explores a disparity between the behavior that was expected of women and the reality of their role in society. In the play, Creon expects Antigone to take a subservient and secondary role as seen in typical Greek societies but she challenges these notions and presents formidable opposition to the men around her.

In his Poetics, Aristotle focuses his discussion on tragedy which serves to arouse emotions of pity and fear. The titular character, Antigone, defies the king’s edict that her brother remain unburied at the peril of her own life leading the king to act brazen in response to Antigone’s defiance. Following Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy, Antigone imitates a single event of considerable magnitude that result in serious consequences.

The play starts out with Antigone declaring to her sister Ismene that she will bury her brother Polyneices. Antigone’s two brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles fought over Thebes resulting in both of their deaths.Antigone asks Ismene to assist her in the burial of Polyneices, “His body…Help me to lift/ And lay your brother’s body,” but she refuses in fear of Creon’s decree.(p.8) King Creon proclaims Eteocles a hero and Polyneices a traitor, “he is forbidden/ Any ceremonial whatsoever. …Nobody is to treat him otherwise/ Than as the obscenity he was and is.”(p.17)He bans the burial of Polyneices and sets the punishment as death. Antigone buries Polyneices and willingly faces her punishment because she believes what she did was right. Antigone faces the punishment leading Haemon to kill himself out of sadness and Eurydice to kill herself following Haemon’s death.

Antigone defies entrenched gender roles as exemplified by her uncle Creon’s attitude towards her. Antigone chooses to express her dissatisfaction with what she believes to be the unethical new regime of King Creon by burying her brother’s body. She resolves to sacrifice her own life in the service of a greater justice. According to Aristotle, when it comes to character, a poet should aim for four things. First, the hero must be ‘good,’ and thus manifest moral purpose in his speech. Second, the hero must have propriety, or ‘manly valor.’ Thirdly, the hero must be ‘true to life.’ And finally, the hero must be consistent. Aristotle states in Poetics that, “even a woman may be good, and also a slave; though the woman may be said to be an inferior being, and the slave quite worthless…There is a type of manly valour; but valour in a woman, or unscrupulous cleverness, is inappropriate.” Antigone goes against that statement and the status quo by presenting us with three strong female characters: Antigone, the strong willed protagonist; Ismene, the sister of Antigone, and Eurydice, the wife of Creon.

Antigone never fears Creon and his laws, and openly defies them and upon being caught in the act of burying her brother, Antigone does not hide from what she’s done and even confesses to it,” I disobeyed because the law was not/ The law of Zeus nor the law ordained.”(p.29) Her sister, Ismene initially refuses to take part in the unlawful act of burying her brother but shows potential to be a strong character when she begs Antigone to help after realizing her mistake. Ismene starts out by encapsulating the normative role of a Greek women in ancient Greek society but evolves throughout the story by aligning herself with her sister and her beliefs. The public also stands behind Antigone as she aligns herself with the gods and defies Creon and his unfair edicts.

Eurydice is only seen near the end, when she decided to curse Creon and kill herself after his actions lead to the suicide of their son, Haemon, “The sword was two-edged, and so was her grief/ For her two sons, for Megareus killed/ Defending Thebes and Haemon, who killed himself./ But then as the dark stole down over her eyes,/ She called you death-dealer and cursed your name.”(p.71,72). Eurydice and Antigone’s show of bravery throughout this play defies gender roles of her time, and makes her death meaningful. Antigone’s death, though by her own hand, was caused by Creon and his misguided laws. Creon later realizes his ignorance and curses himself, “And keep your distance. Everything I’ve touched I have destroyed. I’ve nobody to turn to,/ Nowhere I can go. My recklessness and pride I paid for in the end. The blow came quick.”(p.74) Antigone’s choices show her strong will, and continuous love for those she has lost.

Antigone features a valorous and clever titular character that challenges Aristotle’s view on women and the lack of their ability to be a strong character and the ancient Greek society’s view on women. Throughout this play, Antigone continues to prove that a woman can make a good and believable tragic hero. Antigone stands for the ideas that women should be able to speak out against injustices and that they shouldn’t be confined to the typical household roles.

Throughout history, there have been various cases in which the people of a nation have to take the matter into their own hands in order to bring justice to everyone. Civil disobedience is a right that an individual has to oppose an unjust law in a manner that is passive. Not only is it a right but it also ties into being a responsibility of the people to fight against laws that may be unjustified to ensure the safety and happiness of everyone as a whole. In Antigone by Sophocles, Creon and Antigone stand in opposition to each other as Creon believes that it is rightful to follow civil law in order to prevent chaos in Thebes while Antigone respects the divine law of the Gods and her own morals. Antigone was right to defy Creon and his unjust government that condemned the burial of Polyneices as she was following the will of the gods and her ethics, however, Creon’s intentions enforce the law was to protect Thebes.

Firstly, Antigone proves her loyalty to her family by disregarding the law of Thebes that prohibits burying her brother. She believes that it is her duty to prove that Polyneices is just as deserving as Eteocles who was given a proper burial with military honors. In spite of her brothers killing each other she still views both worthy of their family’s respect, so she is willing to go to the extent of endangering her own life to honor Polynices. After attempting to gain the support of Ismene she solely goes on to bury Polynices even when her sister refuses to help her as she does not want to put her sister in a position that will threaten her. Additionally, Antigone was determined to protect her family as she was disposed to accept any penalty given to her , so that her sister would be freed. When Creon brings in Ismene to sentence her, Antigone refuses to confine her punishment and take all blame as she states, “No more, Ismene. You are alive, but I belong to Death.” Antigone was willing to take full responsibility for her actions knowing the fate caused by her ramifications to allow her sister to be set free even though both of them conspired about the burial. She sticks to her beliefs that family comes first over anything as she does not deny that she was the one that buried Polyneices. Her love for her family has led her to death but she is willing to die to keep the honor of her family.

On the other hand, Creon had the intention of keeping his country safe and keeping order by following civil law. He states, “Polynices, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and the shrines of his father’s gods… is to have no burial.” He perceives Polynices as a threat to Thebes as he was the reason behind the chaos that existed due to him causing a civil war to reclaim his throne. Creon fails to consider that Polyneices belong to his family and should understand that Ececoles was being greedy by not allowing his brother to reign when it was his turn. However, Antigone put the divine law of God before the law made by man. Antigone responds to Creon stating, “your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God” (Sophocles 1035 lines 59-61). The people of Thebes are highly influenced by the Gods as it attributes to their successes and failures, so to disrespect them means to condemn yourself to their punishment. She rather suffer for going against Creon that to anger the Gods that are superior to Creon. Antigone believes that it is right to follow the law of God’s over civil law which can be changed if it violates the Gods.

Finally, Antigone is persistent to prove that burying her brother was the rightful thing to do. When Antigone states, says “but I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me,” she makes it clear that God’s laws are more important in contrast to the laws created by a king. (Sophocles lines 55-58). Antigone’s values were based on divine law which supersedes the laws of Thebes, so her actions were in favor of the Gods which should have her being praised instead of being sentenced to death. Being a strong woman, she was prepared to fight for her own beliefs. Furthermore, Creon encounters Teresitas and then understands that he has upset the Gods, realizing that his stance on the situation was wrongful, which provokes him to free Antigone. Creon himself discovers that his actions were unjust as they violated the Gods. In return he has to suffer the consequences of crossing the divine law of the Gods. Antigone was willing to sacrifice herself in order to prove that her actions were justified .

Antigone was right for burying her brother as she believed it was the rightful thing to do to keep the honor or Polynices. Antigone fought for her beliefs and stuck to her morals which led her to be praised. Creon was a tyrant to his people by condemning Antigone to death when she was following the law of God’s. Civil disobedience is necessary in order to rid one of the unjust laws that are oppressive.

In Sophocles’ play Antigone, the city of Thebes is controlled by King Creon, who fails to acknowledge and distinguish his position as king from his familial relationships. He refuses to hear contradicting opinions and maintains a neglectful character. Throughout the play Creon’s family end their life because of his stubbornness. Although, he finally acknowledges his mistakes it is too late for him to take back his actions.

Antigone’s drive on following her traditional values puts her in the position of Creon’s first victim. All she wanted was to properly bury her late brother Polyneices; however Creon did not agree with that proposition. Antigone acted without talking with Creon on that matter which resulted in him sticking to his original plan of not burying Polyneices. When Antigone was planning this she asked Ismene for some assistance, she stated, “Will you help this hand of mine lift the dead?”(Sophocles). Antigone does not inform Creon of the law breaking that will be happening which is her first mistake. Discussing this plan from the beginning should have not made the situation larger. Antigone is defying Creon orders with her desperate tone of hers. Creon’s reaction to Antigone going against him makes him irritated. Creon’s tempered tone is displayed when ordering his men to bring the defiant who went against his orders. Creon orders, “Bringing this girl, who was caught performing the final rites.”(pg. 74). Creon should have been listened to when he had made his decision, except his huge ego could not let him see other outcomes. Creon would stick to what he has said and will not change his mind. The mistake that Creon had made right there was to give Antigone some sort of sympathy for losing her brother: however Creon being narcissistic explains for his ruling. Although this situation should have been discussed before it broke out to deaths.

Another instance Creon’s pride got in the way was having his wife, Eurydice not be involved in the matter of Antigone and Creon. Eurydice was not informed as to what was happening; although she managed to find out but rumors. She uses personification to clarify how she can to find out, stating, “The bolt, and my ears were greated by this tale of family disaster.”(pg. 100). The use of figurative language right here is to display how the queen was not important when it came to rulings. Eurydice who shares power of Thebes with Creon makes her look as a foolish individual. Eurydice should be on top of the edicts Creon passes left and right. She had to find out by the people of Thebes what was occuring at the castle to expose the rash decisions Creon commits without consulting with anyone. Another instance would be how Eurydice too had to find out her son, Haemon had killed himself. However, this time she was informed at the castle that her only child was now dead. The queen of Thebes would have looked better to her people had she been closer to Creon. Creon’s decisions came from not being held back on what he would say.

Not only were Creon’s family members betrayed in order to show off his narcissistic power, but he also went against the gods to demonstrate his confidence to the people of Thebes. Creon does not ask for opinions when he is deciding rules, but keeps to himself. Creon is similar to a child because they both throw tantrums when people go against them. These actions are displayed when talking to Teirisais, he states, “You circle me like archers, all of you, and i am made your target!”(pg. 95). Creon’s use of a simile proposes his thinking when people explain their own opinions. He doesn’t want to hear from other people that he is wrong, because then there will be no point in being King when his people have better ideas on situations. Due to him having the mindset of the world against him he tends to make irrational decisions, since he can not take criticism. Creon not listening to others is exhibited when talking about Antigone’s punishment, asserting, “…I can offer you no hope. Your punishment stands unchanged.” (pg. 91). Creon does not care that Antigone is his niece, he won’t change his mind to not look like a weakling in front of his people. He seems to care more about his image than helping out his own family members especially when it’s only Antigone and Ismene by themselves. Creon shows some sort of sympathy towards Antigone, as to say that he can’t take back what he already has ruled. However, people pressing on this edict makes him rage with anger on sticking to his idea of punishing Antigone.

In another occasion, Creon had not been wise enough to listen to his own son. Haemon wants his father to rethink his punishment towards Antigone, yet he is too turned down with them two having an argument at the end of their conversation. Haemon starts off by sweet talking to Creon on how he is the best and so are his ideas. On the other hand, Haemon desires for Creon to change his mind because it was unnecessary to go extreme on Antigone. Not only did Antigone have to suffer because of her punishment but so did Haemon. When he had gone after Antigone they found her, “[at] the tomb we saw her, hanged by the neck…” (pg. 101). Antigone had killed herself because of Creon unreasonable idea of punishing her. Haemon did not expect for antigone to be found dead, although his father had sentenced her to go basically die underground. Haemon should have gone after Antigone once Creon had punished her because she was Haemon’s soon to be wife. Instead his dread for Creon did not let him go after her. Creon and Haemon seemed to be close to each other, but they had contradicting ideas at times. In another instance Haemon wanted to peacefully talk to creon so he would not anger him any more than he already was. Haemon had proposed, “let your anger rest; allow us to persuade you.”(pg. 84). Haemon knows his father can twist one’s words to somehow make them offending towards himself. At this point of the play Haemon just wants Creon to listen to what he has to say and to not interrupt. Nonetheless, Creon still had to have the situation go his way and make him the victim. Haemon uses a persuasive and soothing tone to get Creon to listen. Creon though has his own plans on how to rule and doesn’t need people to tell him how to run his people.

A last instance where Creon’s power to put away his family and monarchy power is when Ismene declines to help Antigone. Ismene is afraid of Creon because she seems to now what the outcomes would be if she went against him. Ismene tells Antigone, “…but when it means defying the state – I am not strong enough.”(pg. 63). Ismene knows that if Antigone goes against creon she will have to be ready to be hit by anything from Creon. She uses a fearful tone to express herself to Antigone to beware of Creon. She doesn’t want to mess around with Creon because he is unpredictable and will do whatever he wants to do. Ismene tell Antigone, “…women, and so not meant to fight with men;…we must do what our masters tell us…”(pg. 63).

Overall, Creon’s huge ego got in the way of making decisions he thought was the best for the people of Thebes. However, Creon’s narcissistic side is shown throughout the play to demonstrate his inability to lawfully run as the monarch.

Sophocles’ Antigone, written in 441 B.C.E., is over 2000 years old and is still a common element in an average English class reading list. It is a story about a woman who wants to cause no trouble, but will also stop at nothing to honor her brother in his death. Even though King Creon has decreed that anybody who tries to bury Antigone’s brother will be punished with death, she does so anyway. Antigone disregards the threat and buries her brother honorable as he should be. King Creon leaves Antigone to die in a cave with no food; when he is advised by a wise prophet to take Antigone out of the cave and not punish her, he calls the prophet a liar and keeps Antigone in the cave. Later on, King Creon hears from a messenger that his son and his wife have killed themselves. King Creon is left in dismay and is in severe grief towards the end of the play. The Chorus finishes the play by saying, “For what is destined for us, men mortal, there is no escape” (Antigone 44). Does this quote mean that the way the characters ended up had nothing to do with the things they did throughout the play? This is important to think about because it can flip the reader’s thoughts on the play upside down. Sophocles shows the idea that fate is inevitable through the Chorus, and through his philosophical beliefs.

The chorus in Antigone helps the reader to understand that fate is unchanging and is a predetermined sentence for everyone. The chorus acts as a narrator in the play but has a larger role as a background information giver. Instances, where the chorus talks about fate, helps the reader understand that the characters had no chance to change what was doomed to happen to them. When the chorus says, “That shifting fate had woven for him”, (Antigone, Line 132), it is not saying that fate changes, it is saying that many people try to change their fate or believe that they can. When in reality they cannot and do not have any control. Another instance where the chorus says that fate is unavoidable is when it says, “deathless Fate,” (Antigone, Line 770). This means that fate is persistent and never stops its course.

Another way I know that Sophocles believes that fate is inevitable is through the things he has said in past writings. One example of writing that included his ideas on fate is in Philoctetes when he talks about the Lemnian exile. It says, “the fate of the Lemnian exile,” (Post 77). Even without knowing anything at all about the play, it is easy to see that fate is an element in it. In another one of his plays, Oedipus Coloneus, the theme of certain fate is even more clear. It can be seen where it says, “The curse of Oedipus upon his sons was occasioned by Fate,” (Post 80). The quote can be simplified by saying that fate is what brought Oedipus curse onto his sons. Again, without knowing the context of the play, it is obvious that Sophocles believes in fate and its importance.

Somebody might disagree with the statement that Sophocles believes that fate is always inevitable and unchanging, based on the evidence in Antigone when the chorus tells Antigone that she dies with “distinction and praise”, not by sword or illness, and that it was, “your own choice and alone among mankind you will descend, alive, to that world of death,” (Antigone, Lines 871-877). However, to say that she made the choice does not mean that it was her choice. Fate, in all its power, decided that she would die this way. It was decided long before she even buried her brother; in fact, according to my interpretation of Sophocles’ belief, her fate was sealed from the moment she was brought into the world.

It can be deduced that Sophocles believes that fate is unavoidable through the words of the Chorus and through his other works of literature. One of the most obvious signs of this is when the Chorus states: “what is destined for us, men mortal, there is no escape” (44). This information is important because it totally changes the way the reader reads not only Antigone but all of Sophocles’ plays. This perspective makes the reader question every underlying message of the play.

Works Cited

1. Paris, J. Bernard. Imagined Human Beings. NYU: NYU Press, 1997. JSTOR. Web. Accessed 10 October 2019.
2. Post, Rafton Chandler. “The Dramatic Art of Sophocles.” Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, vol. 23, 1912, https://www.jstor.org/stable/310448?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents. Accessed on 18 October 2019.
3. Sophocles. Antigone. The Seagull Book of Plays, edited by Joseph Kelly, Norton, 2017, pp. 3-45.

Women stepping into the masculine role is exemplified in both Sophocles’ “Antigone” and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. In response to the men’s inability to fulfill their duties, these dynamic characters take on the masculine role to fill the void. Antigone must burry her brother against Creon’s demands when he refuses to perform the proper ritual rites. Lysistrata seeks to stop the war and takes matters into her own hands by acting against male warfare through leading the other women in seizing control of the Acropolis. While Antigone and Lysistrata are portrayed as powerful and independent women who go against their male counterparts, these portrayals greatly opposed the societal gender roles of Ancient Greece. Notably, Antigone and Lysistrata have a particular portrayal of women which illustrates the overall fundamental nature of a classical Athenian woman while giving readers a deeper context of their environment. Understanding the context in which these stories take place, supports the reasons why and how Antigone and Lysistrata take on the masculine role despite the opposition.

In ancient Greece, where Antigone and Lysistrata takes place, gender norms systematically oppressed women. It was regarded as male dominated society with such a narrowminded view towards women. Women during this time period were closely tied to their role as a wife. They had control of the household while the men’s domain was outside the home. As a result, women were subordinate and submissive to the men. Ismene briefly mentions this aspect in her discussion with Antigone regarding their roles as women. “We must do as we’re told…. I’ll be ruled by Creon’s word, anything else is madness.”(10). But as a wife, they were considered an integral part of the home since they cleaned the house, prepared means and oversaw the servants, the children, and their husbands. Kalonike mentions the role of a typical wife when Lysistrata questions why the women aren’t coming. “They will come; it’s difficult for women to get out, we’re always busy servicing our men, waking up servants, putting the baby off to sleep, or washing it or feeding it.” (Page 55). As stated by Kalonike, women lived an enclosed life but only left to visit female friend since it was seen as behavior a respectable woman would do.

Beyond the classical Athenian women role, Antigone and Lysistrata separated themselves from the social rule by refusing to remain in their homes and stepping out into the public sphere. Hence, their actions were viewed as something unfit for women since they were known to be inherently masculine. This is the focal concepts that Antigone and Lysistrata base their roles upon. Antigone, at the beginning of the text, commits an act of civil disobedience by burying her brother. Creon, King of Thebes, is unaware of who buried Polyneices. However, he assumes it was a male when he says, “What man would dare do this?” (30). It should be noted that Creon’s views are strongly aligned with the gender essentials of ancient Greece to the point where he naturally interprets Antigone’s actions with an essentialist gendered lens. Hence, it’s not a surprise that he would assume a male would commit such a crime. Alternatively, in Lysistrata, when the women seize control of the Acropolis, the Chorus of Old Men find it outrageous that they would commit such an act of civil disobedience. “Who would have ever thought the women, wicked cows we feed at home, would seize the sacred image, occupy my citadel, and bare the gates against us? (64)”.

Understanding the roles of women during Ancient Greece highlights the extremity of Antigone’s and Lysistrata’s actions. It also shows how these characters redefined the role of women. Antigone buries Polynices for two reasons: family loyalty and religious beliefs. It’s clear that Antigone is very focused on family loyalty and seeks to bury her brother’s body against Creon’s orders. While her actions are rebellious, it’s portrayed positively due to its devout nature and the fact that it shows loyalty to the male family members. Going back to the role of women, this closely aligns to the views of Classical Athenian women. As explained earlier, family is an important aspect in the role of women. Antigone has grown up with this mindset therefore, leaving her brother unburried would go against her beliefs. She so consumed with the idea of family loyaltay that she even accepts death as a consequence knowing that “the gods will be proud of me” (11). Her actions are also shown in relation to the family members who have opposed her decisions, specifically Creon and Ismene. This does not stop her, rather, it gives her a way of challenging Ismene to prove herself. “Are we sister, sister, brother? Or traitor, coward, coward? (8)”

As for the other reason why Antigone rebels against Creon’s demands is based on her religious beliefs. Burial rites are extremely important religiously hence, not giving someone a proper burial is seen as very disrespectful. This can be intrepreted in the section where Antigone mentions that “No mourning, and the corpse is to be publicy dishonored….” (pg7). Within a family, it’s the male members’ respoisnbilty to give the deceased a proper burial. Since Creon, the nearest family member, regused to burry his newphew, Antigone sees this as her duty to complete the burial to show her family loyalty. As a result of Creon’s refusual to complete his own duties as a family member, Antigone is forced to take on the male roles in order to fufill the void left by her uncle even if it means overstepping the gender boundaries.

Identifying logical fallacies and rhetorical techniques in a work is essential to understand its argument and overall persuasiveness. In Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone, he emphasizes a higher power that transcends the laws of human civilization. In the tragedy, sisters Antigone and Ismene argue over the proper burial for their brother Polyneices. Creon, the new king, wants to punish Polyneices for his disloyalty and let his body rot, unburied. Antigone is outraged by this and believes it is intrinsically immoral to leave Polyneices unburied. So she goes against the new king’s wishes and attempts to give him a proper burial; however, she is arrested in the process and is punished by Creon. The disputations throughout the tragedy contain several fallacies and rhetorical devices that strengthen their purpose. The characters in the play utilize several rhetorical devices such as irony, allusions, and symbolism; they also employ the use of logical fallacies such as red herrings, bandwagon, and ad hominems.

The conflict between Antigone and her sister Ismene, as they discuss the outcome of their brother’s deaths, includes several fallacies, allusions, and appeals to pathos that devolve into a passionate dispute. Antigone begins by alluding to the “curse on Oedipus” (Sophocles 474), her father, to show the connection between the stories. She refers to this tragedy to highlight the unfortunate events that have already occurred in their family. This ties into Antigone’s beliefs that the gods punish those who go against their laws. Moreover, Antigone uses a formal tone to address her sister, “Listen, Ismene” (475), to stress the seriousness of the circumstances. She is emphasizing her argument that the gods are a higher power that demand a particular reverence for life. Ismene is not yet convinced and still affirms her loyalty to Creon. Antigone appeals to pathos throughout her argument in an attempt to convince Ismene to help her. By vividly depicting the decay and brutal treatment that their brother’s body will endure, Antigone intends to shock and horrify Ismene. The verbal picture of the “carrion birds” desecrating Polyneices’ body, draws emotions from Ismene and further strengthens Antigone’s appeal. Furthermore, the poetic diction that Antigone uses to call her brother’s body “a sweet treasure” (475) emphasizes the importance and precious nature of the body. She wants to appeal to Ismene’s emotions as a person they once treasured, is being treated like garbage. Antigone further appeals to pathos as she declares that Ismene is either “a true sister, or a traitor” (475) to their family. This is an example of a false alternative fallacy. Antigone is only giving her two choices, she either loves her family or she is a traitor. The positive connotations of the word ‘sister,’ directly conflicts with the negative word ‘traitor.’ Thomas Allbaugh describes this event in his literary criticism “An Overview of Antigone;” once “Ismene opposes this decision, Antigone calls her a foe.” This also reveals Antigone’s persuasive and forceful characteristics as she tries to please and embody the gods’ wishes. Antigone attacks Ismene’s emotional nature again by asserting that the “laws of the gods mean nothing to [her]” (476). Antigone is trying to get a rise out of her sister and guilt her into helping. The first appeal to shming Ismene does not work, so she strengthens her argument by claiming that she should fear the gods in the afterlife. While Antigone used many strong rhetorical strategies, Ismene chose to remain loyal to the new king and disregard her sister’s initial warning.

Another conflicting claim in the tragedy is between Antigone and Creon; Anigone utilizes irony and appeals to pathos to strengthen her argument against Creon while he adheres to several fallacies. In the beginning of Scene II, Antigone is related to a “mother bird come back to a stripped nest” (Sophocles 484). This appeal to pathos highlights the overall sense of despair and grief that Antigone feels towards her brother’s unburied body. Moreover, Antigone utilizes irony when she claims that “a fool convicts [her] of folly” (485). It is ironic that a fool can punish someone for committing a crime of foolishness. She emphasizes Creons’ inability to appear as powerful king by calling him a fool. Furthermore, Creon’s aggressive diction throughout this argument reveals his disdainful tone towards Antigone. My addressing her as a “girl” (485) he is demeaning her status. According to his standards, she should be respectful to him as a male superior. Both characters commit ad hominem fallacies throughout this conflict, Antigone when she calls Creon a fool, and Creon when he attacks Antigone for being “headstrong [and] deaf to reason” (485). They both seek to criticise or attack the other, rather than to disprove one another’s arguments logically. Antigone continuously brings up the divine law as compared to the human law distinction in her argument, yet Creon attempts to change the subject and place the blame upon her for supporting a traitorous brother. This is an example of a red herring fallacy, where the speaker attempts to divert the attention away from Antigone’s argument. Furthermore, Antigony continues to appeal to pathos to evoke a sense of pity or guilt into the audience. When Creon determines that she will rot in jail for her acts against the king she cries out to emphasize the tragedy she faces. By associating her “vaulted bride-bed” (495) to her inevitable entombment, Antigone is making a connection between her life that will no longer be lived as she accepts death. This appeal to pathos draws audiences’ emotions into the argument. Antigone also indirectly commits a logical fallacy, wherein she suggests that all the “men here would praise [her]” (486). She is pointing out that the Chorus would agree with her if they were not so scared to be punished my Creon. This example of a bandwagon fallacy emphasizes the ultimate uncertainty and beliefs that are conflicting in the argument. Overall, both Creon and Antigone utilize strong rhetorical devices and commit some logical fallacies that develop their claims accordingly.

In Scene III of the tragedy, Creon and his son Haimon dispute over the treatment of Antigone. Haimon appeals to logos or Creon’s sense of reason to strengthen his argument, while Creon commits some logical fallacies. According to author Allbaugh, Haimon appeals to his father “on the basis of the good of the state to spare Antigone.” He rationalizes with his father to be open-minded to more wisdom. However, Creon attacks his son’s feelings for Antigone by dismissing their supposed marriage and calls Antigone an untrustworthy “lawbreaker” (Sophocles 489). The repetition of the word “anarchy” (489) also highlights Creon’s connection of this to disobedience. Creon clearly values loyalty over duty. Haimon on the other hand, attempts to reason with his father’s foolish behavior and reveal the community’s opinions. According to Judith Fletcher in her article “Citing the Law in Sophocles’s Antigone,” Haimon can overhear the city’s voices and “and how it mourns Antigone, who dies undeservedly for a praiseworthy act.” Creon is blind to what his people want and see, and Haimon is trying to show him from the city’s perspective. Moreover, Haimon appeals to pathos as he addresses Creon as “father” (490) instead of king. He is appealing to the emotions of Creon as he is his son and should listen to him out of love. Creon responds to his son’s appeal with anger and claims that Antigone has blinded him from the importance of loyalty. He commits a red herring fallacy by diverting Haimon’s claim about the rights of the gods and their rath. He attacks his son for agreeing with Antigone and calls him an “adolescent fool” (491). Creon tries to avoid the discussion of the divine rights of the gods and their ultimate disapproval for his treatment of Polyneices’ body. While he is trying to make Haimon’s argument appear irrational, he is further blinding himself from the truth behind the matter.

Overall, the use of rhetorical devices, such as pathos and allusions, and logical fallacies in the conflicting claims aided the characters in strengthening their arguments. Analyzing the text and distinguishing common fallacies is important to view the persuasiveness of a conflict. The two main characters of the tragedy, Creon and Antigone, have contrasting views. There is a clear question of morality in this tragedy, between the beliefs of divine powers or the significance of loyalty. This analysis also emphasizes the main idea of a higher power and the preservation of both the civil and religious laws. This tragedy also brings about the questioning of justice and pride; the two should not be mistaken for one another as it could lead to devastating results such as the conclusion of this play.

In modern-day societies, love is usually viewed as an amazing feeling with only positive traits attributed to this feeling. Many people fail to realize – or choose to ignore – the negative parts of this feeling of love, which can be a powerful and dangerous source of motivation for all living creatures. In Antigone by Sophocles and Medea by Euripides, love is seen through the characters’ love of power, self-love, and the more traditional use of love, love for others. Euripides and Sophocles show the destructive and blinding powers of love, which forces readers to understand the power of how love and how it could be linked to undesirable qualities or mannerisms. In both Antigone and Medea, the power of love drives Antigone, Haemon, Creon, and Medea to carry out actions that ultimately lead to death.

Antigone’s love and respect for Polyneices, her brother, is the source of her motivation to do what ultimately leads to her death. She wishes to grant him the respect and dignity of a proper burial because “to refuse burial meant to the Greeks to inflict the worst disgrace on the dead, to refuse him ‘honor among the dead below’” (Falk ix). Antigone recognizes that burying her brother is a sacred duty that “…would be an act of treason” if disregarded, so she decides to go against Creon’s decree that anyone who buries Polyneices will be publicly stoned to death (Falk ix; Sophocles 30). Antigone’s love for her brother was so strong that she decided to follow through with her brother’s burial irrespective of Creon’s decree; she never once questioned her decision or worried about the consequences she would have to endure because she knew that she was giving her deceased brother the dignity that he deserved regardless of what other people thought about the situation. Antigone challenges man’s law and instead follows God’s law by claiming that she would be happy to die while burying Polyneices because “…if it’s a crime, then it’s a crime that God commands (Falk ix). Antigone’s love for her brother drove her to sacrifice her life to restore her brother’s nobility.

Haemon, Antigone’s fiancé, proves his love and admiration for Antigone through his willingness to argue with his father, Creon, and fight against the death of the woman he loves:

But I hear whispers spoken in the dark;

On every side, I hear voices of pity

For this poor girl, doomed to the cruelest death,

And most unjust, that ever woman suffered

For and honorable action—burying a brother

Who was killed in battle, rather than leave him naked For dogs to maul and carrion birds to peck at.

Has she not rather earned a crown of gold? (Sophocles 590-97).

Haemon’s decision to argue with his father, or even express ideas contrary to his father’s, shows the strength of his love for Antigone. He tries to be the voice of reason for his father, and provide explanations supporting the idea that Antigone should not be killed for such a trivial “crime.” Haemon goes as far as saying that Antigone should be honored for her courage and respect for her brother. Creon discounts Haemon’s comments and concerns, and he proceeds to order Antigone’s death. When Antigone is killed, Haemon could not bear to live in a world without his true love, so he killed himself. Haemon’s suicide displays the magnitude of the love he felt for Antigone. Haemon was found “…with his arms about her / …Lamenting his lost bride, his luckless love, / His father’s cruelty” (Sophocles 1027-29). Upon hearing the news of Haemon’s death, his mother killed herself as well, resulting in the loss of two loved ones for Creon due to his ruthless cruelty.

Creon’s selfish love drove two people that were close to him to death. His decision to kill Antigone even after his son gave him contrary advice proved the immense control that his selfish love had over his life. When Creon feels guilt for the troubles he had caused and his cruel treatment of Antigone, he turns his guilt into self-pity. He blames God for what has happened and claims that “…God has delivered this heavy punishment, / Has struck me down in the ways of wickedness, / And trod my gladness under foot” (Sophocles 1073-75). Creon is averse to assuming responsibility for his cruelty. He is unable to acknowledge or even recognize that there was an error in his decree until he feels the weight of his punishment by the divine law. His selfish love makes him a cold-hearted tyrant that cares for no one but himself. Creon’s power has made his heart so cold that he barely feels grief over the tragic deaths of his son, his niece, and his wife. His selfish love leads to his downfall and self-destruction.

Even worse than Creon’s selfish love is his love of power. Creon’s “…unaccountable authority ultimately turns into tyranny, disregarding the political (the voice of the people), moral and religious orders…” (Plescia). He attempts to enforce his own order contrary to the established divine order, but he is proven wrong (Falk vii). Even after the events that came about as a result of Antigone’s death, Creon does not change his view of life. In fact, Falk states that:

It is not Creon’s insight into and acceptance of the law, in the name of which the blind seer Teiresias calls upon him to bury Polyneices and thus respect the will of the gods, that prompts him to yield; it is no change of heart, no willingness to live and act according to values recognized as superior, but merely the fear of retribution that drives him to appease the gods by burying Polyneices instead of first liberating Antigone from her prison (Falk vii).

After being proven wrong while trying to impose his own order, Creon experiences defeat through the deaths of his son, his niece, and his wife, but his love of power does not allow him to recognize this defeat. Creon only does the right thing because he fears that he will be punished by the gods if he does not. His love of power takes control of his life and makes him a prideful, arrogant, and cold man. Creon’s pride and actions lead to several people’s death, including his own, but he does not experience a physical death – he experiences an emotional death.

When Jason went on his voyage in search of the legendary Golden Fleece of Colchis, the King of Colchis tasked him with labors that were thought to be “…an impossible, lethal undertaking” (Robertson xiv). Medea, the daughter of the King of Colchis, fell in love with Jason and used her magic powers to help him fulfill his tasks. After obtaining the Golden Fleece, Medea and the Argonauts fled Colchis with the King of Colchis furiously chasing them. Medea’s undeniable, perpetual love for Jason prompts her to execute many unethical acts. She murdered her brother and mutilated the corpse, so the King of Colchis had to stop his chase in order to retrieve his son’s remains (Robertson xiv). This type of passionate love that Medea has for Jason proves to be a type of “…impulse which tempted humans to misdeeds…considered outside of human control” because of the way it suppresses her own moral judgement (Hamilton). When Medea discovered that Pelias had murdered Jason’s dad, she took it upon herself to get revenge on him. Medea took advantage of the innocence of children and tricked his children into murdering their father. Medea’s love for Jason blinded her, causing her to commit acts such as these that force her and Jason to flee Iolcos because “the brutality of this act caused public outrage…” (Robertson xv). When they relocate to Corinth and Jason decides to leave Medea for a younger woman, her love turns into fury and jealousy. These emotions replace Medea’s feelings of love, which drives her to kill Jason’s new bride, and in turn Jason as well.

Medea’s selfish love stemmed from the love that she had for Jason. The nurse states that life was secure and safe when Medea was with Jason, but they have become enemies now that their marriage has changed (Euripides 19-22). The play leads readers to “…explore the ambiguous, volatile psychology of a wronged woman and how she could arrive at a state where she decides to kill her own children” as a result of the betrayal she experiences from her true love, Jason (Robertson xviii). Medea made many sacrifices so that she could be with Jason, including cutting herself off from her family and murdering her own brother. Jason’s betrayal filled Medea with fury and a strong desire to wrong those who have wronged her. The fact that Medea made a decision to kill her own children, and never once shuddered at the thought of her decision shows how selfish her love had become. Medea’s selfish love leads to self-destruction, as explained by Robertson in the introduction of Medea:

Medea may have committed an ethically repugnant crime and apparently escaped unpunished, but we have seen that she recognizes the wickedness of the act and fights against it, and it is clear that this is a hollow revenge – because it is, in a way, an act of self-destruction (xxi).

Medea’s love-turned-fury makes her “…empowered, ascendant and thoroughly active,” and gives her the courage and power to harm others, even those who have not wronged her at all, including her own children (Robertson xviii). Medea goes as far as “…indulging in an excessive form of revenge – the murder of her own children,” which demonstrates the strength of her selfish love that turns into self-destruction (Hamilton). As the chorus watches, they can no longer understand or offer sympathy to Medea after she chooses to pursue revenge to such an extreme point.

Most modern readers may not be accustomed to seeing love in a negative manner. In Medea by Euripides and Antigone by Sophocles, readers are exposed to the negative aspects of love and the dire consequences that could result from this blinding feeling of love. Love is a force that can drive people to execute actions that destruct themselves and others around them. These negative aspects of love are perfectly exemplified in Antigone and Medea by Antigone, Haemon, Creon, and Medea. In these plays, the reader perceives the characters’ love of power, self-love, and their love for others. The power of love illustrated in these plays leads these characters to commit actions that eventually leads to death. These characters show the power of love and the unwavering hold it can have on a person and their actions.

Throughout the play, Antigone, Antigone is acknowledged as the saint, or hero of this play. When comparing her character to Creon’s, it offers some fascinating conversation starters about the idea of what establishes a hero and a foe. This play shows very evident cause and effect of how one’s ego can change the entire direction of a story.

At the beginning of the play, Antigone’s siblings, Eteocles and Polyneices, have slaughtered each other in a duel. Lord Creon suggests that Polyneices is a ‘double crosser’ to his city, so he requests that nobody gives him the respect of a proper burial. He suggests that his dead body lay on the ground and be tormented by the city’s people. Antigone suggests that her sibling ought to have ”his respect among the dead men.” Despite of Creon’s request that states, any individual who has the audacity to stand up Polyneices, should be executed. Antigone is forced to stand up for her brother, as no one else would be willing to do so. All of this angers Antigone as she believes that her sibling must be respected in death, and in doing as such, she should ”please those that are dead,” as her time among the dead will not be any longer than her time among the living.

Antigone, be that as it may, is additionally tormented by a hamartia, or disastrous blemish. (This is an ordinary component among literary legends, as it displays expressions of sorrow or grief, which is a common theme in older plays). She is attacked by pride, and doesn’t yield to common sense, regardless of her sister Ismene’s refusal to help and Creon’s readiness to pardon her. Antigone is inclined to accept a rather honorable demise compared to an ethically distant life.

Hamartia is an act that leads to the fall of a very dominant character. Creon is portrayed as the leader in Sophocles’ Antigone. At first he has very good and respectable reasons for some of the laws and regulations he sets. But, overtime it is evident that his virtue toward the laws he sets in the city become all that he cares about, developing a very self-centered personality. Creon’s unfortunate imperfection, his arrogance, causes his defeat. Creon won’t tune in to anybody. He is so obstinate and his pride is so grand, that he could never force himself to recognize the fact that he would ever steer off-base of what his leadership position holds.

At the point in the play when Creon is conversing with Teiresias, he reveals a lot about his character. At first, he doesn’t accept the fact that he could ever be wrong about his interpretation of Antigone. Creon says, ‘Whatever you state, you won’t change my will.’ Time and time again, Creon shows how big of an ego and overbearing personality his character has, always believing that he is better than all. ‘The State is King!’ says Creon, which demonstrates that he would go to the extent of believing that he is as superior as the divine beings. Creon has an excessive amount of pride, and the divine beings don’t care for that. The extent of Creon’s excessive arrogance causes his destruction and downfall in this play.

Creon is considered a “tragic” character. His experiences cause a negative effect on his personality, therefore leading to his hamartia. His hubris doesn’t adequately give him a chance to manage his issues. Teiresias’ prediction is the peripeteia and Creon discovers things won’t go the manner in which he arranged. The blind prophet informs Creon that he has indeed angered the Gods and this will lead to misfortune in his life. At last, Creon has his anagnorisis and truly begins to understand that his arrogance has brought his destruction. Creon is genuinely a sad character in Antigone.

Creon’s hamartia can be set right and he seems to do so towards the end of the play. After speaking with Teiresias, Creon at long last understands that his big ego has not let him adequately resolve his contentions. He has this revelation and states, ‘I have been imprudent and absurd.’ He consequently recognizes that he has allowed his pride to take over the decisions he makes, resulting in a turn for the worst. In addition, Creon finally accepts the fact that it was indeed his fault, that Haemon dies. Because, he would listen to his son and accept his advice, Creon acknowledges that every bad thing that has happened could have been avoided. Through a series of struggles found between Creon and his son, along with the people of his community and Antigone, he caused irreversible damage to his reputation. His power was too important to him, when the people around him were just trying to steer him in a better direction. Creon likewise says, ‘My very own visually impaired heart has carried me from murkiness to definite haziness.’ This shows his realization that with trying to go about the “problems” in his society, on his own terms, was not the appropriate solution. His heavy heart and loaded brain blinded him of what was right. At that point, he was already headed in a misguided direction and it finally hit him, it was too much for him to handle. Creon’s self confidence did not let him viably manage his contentions.

Although being confident can be a very praiseful trait, there becomes a clear distinction between confidence and being too assertive. In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon’s true personality is revealed by the selfless acts of Antigone. She helps recognize the many unfortunate characteristics of Creon, causing his hamartia to become disclosed by the end of the play.

The time when Creon start the execution ceremony, Antigone started singing about herself how she was going to die, and she did not see the ritual of marriage and no one sings for her wedding, and she would marry Akron, She seems sad about her life which will end as she a young woman and without marriage, when she says “ without anyone’s weeping, without friend without a marriage-song ” ( 935-936).

The final speech of Antigone shows some signs of weakness. How she was alone , No one dared to help her, let her fight and stand against the king alone. She also seems to feel a little remorse, waiting for gods to help her as in her speech “what Justice of the gods have I transgressed? And why should I, in my misfortune, keep looking to the gods for help?” (987-991), at the same time she knows that she does the right thing by listing and obeying the god’s law. Antigone believe Creon’s law is unjust and immoral, and God’s law is the first thing, it’s more important than family.

Antigone is important person, if she die they will be a lot of problems, as a blind man Teiresias said in his long speech (1060-1098), in short, if Antigone dies this way, the city will be destroyed. There are also other consequences of Antigone death which Creon didn’t think of it. When Haemon try to defend Antigone, his father wrath of it and called him a slave to women (line 816), Haemon said to his father “No, don’t even think she’ll die beside me! And you will never see my face again …” (823-826). After a lot of arguments about Antigone about the punishment of Antigone, the king receive a news by means of messenger that Haemon kills himself, it was a shock to Creon and this is because he did not take Haemon’s words into account. Antigone killed herself with her hand and in this way, it’s seems that she still defies Creon even in her death, this indicate how she is strong, confidence about her decision, and courage. They found Antigone hanging herself inside the tomb. Haemon stabs himself after failing to kill his father. Then Eurydick – Haemon’s mother – killed herself when she knows that Haemon die, and she made Creon incur the responsibility of Haemon death, her death and all bad things that will happen.

Antigone example of strong woman, she defies the king alone, no one can do what she did. Also she endured all hardships and strong-willed.

If Antigone is not in play, there would be no theme for the play. Even if we thought that if not Creon’s law existed will be no theme for play, which is wrong, it’s opposite, because Antigone who is against this law, and if not she, there will be no one to stand against the king. It was Antigone who made the plot and also start excitement the drama. The death of Haemon and his mother is also based on Antigone. All that things prove that Antigone is the true protagonist and Creon is the tragic hero.

The story of “Antigone” begins after the death of Eteocles and Polynices, Antigone’s two brothers. Their father, Oedipus, had left the throne to Polynices, but Eteocles took the throne for himself and exiled his brother which resulted in a war that killed them both. Because Eteocles died as King of Thebes, Creon, their uncle and now the king, ordered for him to be buried but Polynices’s body was ordered to be left unburied because he was seen as a traitor. Creon was so serious about this that if anyone dared to disobey him they would be sentenced to death. In Greek culture being properly buried is seen as the only way to “enter the afterlife peacefully” ( Zink, 2014) so when Antigone hears this decree she is immediately outraged and compelled to action. The next series of events and its consequences exposes the tension between the “old” and “new” ways and results in a collision that was bound to end in tragedy.

Some time in Ancient Greece history there was a dark age that decreased the population drastically, resulting in people moving away from large settlements and into small communities consisting of their household and estate (Sakoulas, 2002-2019). During this time people created a new type of government system called the “Oikos”. The values and structure of the Oikos were quite simple, the men were considered the most important part of the family but the women ran the household and were in charge of things like weddings and funerals. In the Oikos loyalty to your family was very important and there was no notion of the public good but rather bringing honor and glory to your household.

Eventually, the Dark Ages of Greece ends and “formal political institutions [emerge]” (“Individual, Oikos & Polis”, n.d) because the governing style of the Oikos was no longer sufficient as tribal Greece developed into more of a city-state. The new social and political structure that emerged was called the “Polis” which did include some of the structure and values of the Oikos but there were still many differences. In the Polis, they developed civic law to preserve social order. Individuals were important for the whole system to work but were ultimately just subordinate parts and were required to put aside their personal needs and interests for the good of the whole community (Sheilds, 2007). In “Antigone”, Creon represents the values of Polis while Antigone represents the values of Oikos. Their conflict represents the chaos that is caused when these two distinct ideas are not properly integrated.

As stated earlier, when Antigone hears about Creon’s refusal to bury Polyneices she is outraged. When discussing the situation with her sister Ismene, Antigone asks her sister to join her in burying Polynices’s body anyways. Ismene refuses though, out of fear of Creon’s command that whoever disobeys him shall be killed. Antigone is angered by her sister’s response and storms off, banning her sister from joining in the glory of burying their brother. In this scene, we can get a clear look at Antigone’s personality. She is very defiant, outspoken, and passionate in her beliefs. Her actions are purely driven by her belief in the Oikos. To Antigone loyalty to her family is most important. She is not fazed by the fact that Polynices is seen as a traitor of the city but it is more important to her, that as his sister she maintains his honor in death. Another factor that contributes to her decision is the role that women play in burial rituals in the Oikos. One of the few responsibilities given to women in Ancient Greece was playing a major role in burial rituals. Burial rituals were such a sacred thing to the Greeks so of course, Antigone would feel compelled to perform them as one of the few remaining women in her Oikos.

This part of the story also gives us a look into the personality and beliefs of Ismene who is more driven by the values of Polis. Just by reading Ismene’s response to Antigone’s preposition you can just tell that they are polar opposites. Ismene isn’t as rooted in the beliefs of the Oikos as Antigone is to justify risking her life to bury her brother. Ismene understands that there has been a shift in the structure of society and has adapted to that, realizing that as women they have no power in the polis, especially when going against the King. To avoid losing more of her family she just wants to give in to Creon’s law and obey. However, Antigone believes that the law of her gods reigns over the law of man.

In the next scene, we are introduced to Creon. Creon begins by giving his first speech as King of Thebes to the chorus and gives his decree forbidding the burial of Polyneices. His speech is interrupted however by the news that someone has broken his law and buried Polyneices. In Creon’s speech, we can see how much his actions are influenced by the values of the polis. As King, Creon decides who is and who isn’t allowed a proper burial based on their relationship to the city-state and not by their relationship to him. Because Polyneices was seen as a traitor to Thebes, Creon is compelled to deny him a burial. In the polis, preservation of the city-state is more important than any individual and whoever goes against this is to be punished which is a law Creon is trying to uphold.

Unfortunately, Creon and Antigone are too headstrong and set in their beliefs to come to a resolution, revealing that the melding of the old and new ways isn’t going to be harmonious as previously hoped. Because neither one of them was able to swallow their pride both of their fates end in tragedy. Creon loses his son and wife and is left alone in the world and Antigone loses her life. I believe, however, that both these tragedies could have been avoided but that would require each character to go against their beliefs.

Even though the courage and strong will of Antigone is often admired I do believe that if she was more docile like her sister Ismene and adapted to the structure of society at that time this whole situation wouldn’t have begun in the first place. But these distinct traits of Antigone is what makes her who she is so is she so it would be very difficult for her to change. Creon’s bad leadership and pride also played a major role in the escalation of the situation. For example, instead of staying calm and stoic in response to Antigone’s defiance Creon won’t let it go and vows to “break her stubbornness” not realizing that he is being just as stubborn. Creon is also unable to put the values of the Oikos into account to understand Antigone’s actions. If he would have just done that I believe that he would have been more understanding and merciful which ultimately wouldn’t set in motion the demise of his Oikos.