Essay on Does Antigone Deserve To Be Punished - 742 Words

Xiaoqing Shi Dr. Henry Bayerle Classics 102Q 25 November 2011 Does Antigone Deserve to Be Punished? Antigone has been acclaimed as a model that challenges authority and insists on just acts. However, according to Aristotle, a tragedy requires a man’s harmartia, which means error. Therefore, as a main character of a great tragedy, Antigone must possess flaws. Antigone’s self-certainty is one of her mistakes that contribute to her tragic fate. She regards burying dead people as absolute just behavior under any circumstance. This rite is important in Ancient Greek culture, but weather or not gods desire appropriate arrangement of Polyneices’ body is under question. It is Zeus that brings death to Polyneices because†¦show more content†¦The conditionality of burying the dead shows that gods’ law is less sacred for Antigone than she claims to be. Neither does she care about her living families. She humiliates Ismene publicly, causing Creon’s death indirectly and set her uncle Creon in a dilemma where he ne eds to punish his daughter-in-law. Her real incentive is individual reputation, for she excludes Ismene from standing by her and asks Ismene to spread the news about her defiant act. She seems to use religion and family as elegant reasons to achieve honor. On the contrary, Creon, as a king, weights the interest of the overall state more than his own family. After experiencing the civil war caused by Polyneices, he understands the great need of the polis for order and thus enacts harsh laws to punish people causing riots. Unanimous obedience to law would also encourage his people to fight bravely in the war by being â€Å"loyal and dauntless at his comrades’s side†. Creon has to retain the validity and effectiveness of the law, because if every citizen can pursue any personal interest without fear for grave consequences, the entire social operation mechanism would break down. Punishing Antigone is necessary to retain the order of the polis. If we assume that A ntigone’s action is absolutely just, her strategy to execute justice still lacks insight. She isolates herself by rejecting Ismene’s companionship. Nor does she mention her fiancà © Haemon in the play. HerShow MoreRelatedThe Four Main Characters In The Tragedy Of Antigone858 Words   |  4 Pagesfall. The main conflict of the story occurs between King Creon and Antigone. Creon’s decrees that Polyneices was a traitor who fought against his city and because of that, his body should not be buried and be left out in the open for the animals to do whatever they please. Antigone does not agree with Creon’s decree because Polyneices was her beloved brother who was the one being punished. Antigone argues that Polyneices deserves to be buried not only because he was family, but because he too foughtRead MoreCreon : The Tragic Hero In SophoclesAntigone886 Words   |  4 Pagesis clearly effective in Sophocles’ Antigone which is about a young woman’s will to do what is right by the Gods. Also, according to Aristotle, â€Å"a tragedy can arouse twin emotions of pity and fear only if it presents a certain type of hero or heroine who is neither completely good nor completely bad† (â€Å"What is† 739). He or she must also be â€Å"highly renowned and prosperous,† have a tragic flaw, learn a lesson, and suffer greatly (â€Å"What is† 739). Therefore, in Antigone by Sophocles, Creon is the tragicRead MoreAnalysis Of Civil Disobedience In Antigone1078 Words   |  5 Pagesbooks are getting in trouble for their acts of civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is refusing to follow certain laws as a form of political protest. In Antigone, written by Sophocles, Antigone rebels against the laws of Creon and buries her brother, Polynieces, when everyone was ordered not to. Modern day people around the world like Antigone are also defying laws. Women in Saudi Arabia who went driving when laws forbid them to and they got into a lot of trouble with the government, Israelis whoRead MoreEssay about Antigone1326 Words   |  6 Pages Antigone; The Tragic Hero nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Antigone is a classic work that never ceases to be analyzed by critics and students around the world. The debate over who is the real tragic hero of Sophocles’ play Antigone is a topic that is heavily discussed. To this day there is still no agreement. Some people believe that Antigone is the real tragic hero of this tragedy, while others believe that the hero is in fact her uncle, Creon. It is logical to say that Antigone is the tragicRead MoreAntigone And Creon As A Tyrant1452 Words   |  6 Pages Antigone takes place just after a war between Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. Eteocles fought on the side of Thebes whereas Polynices resembled an invader. Afterwards, Eteocles is buried and seen as honorable. However, Polynices is denied a proper burial because he is considered a traitor to Thebes. In this play, Sophocles uses Antigone and Creon as foils by characterizing Antigone as a martyr and Creon as a tyrant to urge the read er to realize that one’s own morals are more significantRead MoreGender Roles In Antigone1547 Words   |  7 PagesIn Sophocles’ Antigone, gender roles are a major conflicting theme throughout the entire play. The setting of the play was written during the Greek mythological days, around 442 B.C. During these days, men were dominant and held all of the power, so women were automatically treated as less. Antigone and Creon portray the conflicting sides between male and female, and Ismene and Haemon portray opposing sides to Antigone and Creon’s actions. Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon each show differencesRead More The Relationship between Gods and Mortals in Mythology Essay1359 Words   |  6 Pagespower for both gods and mortals. For instance, in Sophocles tragedy, Antigone, justice prevails over king Creons actions. He sentences his own niece to death for giving her deceased brother, a pronounced enemy of Thebes, a proper burial. In return for his rig id ruling he loses his wife and son to tragic deaths. Creon puts his own city?s justice before the determined justice of the gods, and pays dearly for it. Antigone also receives justice for her actions even though she dies. She did goRead MoreAnalysis Of Sophocles The King Of The Thebes 979 Words   |  4 PagesUnited States Army betrays our country to side with terrorists and other enemies in attempts to take over America, but is killed in t battle. Does that general deserve a proper burial that is usually given to regular armed service men and women? That’s basically the same situation that King Kreon is put in at the beginning of Antigone. Throughout Sophocles’ Antigone, Kreon, the king of the Thebes, has good intentions, but remains stubborn and inflexible to the outcries of his own family, the unhappinessRead MoreSophocles Antigone Essay1702 Words   |  7 Pages Sophocles’ play â€Å"Antigone† illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The play opens after Oedipus’ two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus’ brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors, while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot away. Creon believes that Polyneices’ body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience andRead MoreWhat Makes The Best Type Of Person Is The Most Honest And Good?1358 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout history humans have both depended on and struggled with both manmade and religious beliefs. Beliefs of which have allowed our understandings of life, power, and civilization. Stories of Gilgamesh written by Herbert Mason, Sophocles Antigone, and Thucyides by Paul Woodruff date back from as early as 420 BC. These stories demonstrate the meaning of life and the purpose of civilization. Civilizations of which, have been built around justice. T he best type of person is an admirable one. The