The main drive in the whole play, as well as one of Antigone’s motivation, is the divine law set by the gods. The law states that once a person has died, they need to have gone through the proper burial rituals (done by anyone in the realm of the living) in order for the soul to pass to the underworld and into Hades’ realm. According to Greek mythology, these laws were set by the gods since the start of time and they hold importance over all other human laws. Antigone understands these laws and the hierarchy which explains the importance compared to the law of the state. She clearly explains this on Pg.39, emphasizing to King Creon that she “did not believe that Zeus was the one who had proclaimed it; neither did Justice, or the gods of the dead whom Justice lives among...I did not intend to pay, before the gods, for breaking these laws …show more content…
I shall never let criminals excel good men in honor.” (236- 244) In this quote we can see that Creon is deliberately going against divine law for the sole purpose of trying to drive Thebes away from the destruction of the war and helping it thrive, making it steady. He is mostly trying so hard to prove his position in society because he has just become king, and he needs people to respect his authority as well as obey it. He claims in Pg.50 that “It’s my job to rule this land. There is no one else.”(885-886) This shows that not only is Creon committed to right the state but to also be the only one to accomplish it, seeing as how he is king. Antigone's second motivation, and perhaps one we can most relate to, is her devotion to her family. When Antigone finds out about Creon’s law and how everyone is forbidden from burying Polynieces, she makes it her mission to give him the burial rights he deserves, even if she dies trying. On Pg.23 she vowed that “I will bury him myself. If I die for doing that, good: I will stay with him, my brother; and my crime will be devotion.” Pg 23,
Sophocles shows Creon as being selfish as he takes so much pride in his laws and explains through this quote that when laws are keep the city is perfectly fine, but when the laws are broken and people keep breaking the laws then the city is a mess. However, Antigone is fighting for the gods’ laws and respect for her brother, which in turn is breaking Creon’s
(Sophocles 1.1.110). Creon believed that honoring the body of a traitor would anger the gods more than following the Greek custom. He believed that he was sincerely acting in favor of the gods and doing what was expected of him. This explains the severity of Creon’s law: he wanted to maintain law and order in Thebes seeing that the kingdom was at risk of falling apart. Creon would soon learn the value of questioning his previous
In their interactions, Creon is motivated by his pride in ruling as king. Antigone believes Hades the God of the dead, “still desires equal rites for both” (line 592), meaning she believes the Gods wanted the same for both brothers, no matter what side they were
Creon acknowledges that everyone is against him when he says, “Old man, you’re all like archers shooting at me-/ For you all I’ve become your target-/ even prophets have been aiming at me” (Scene 5: 149-1151). In the quote, Creon states that he is everyone’s target. He even specifies that the prophets are against him. His decree that violates the laws of the god might have something to do with that, that and his pride.
Creon thought that he could make an example of Antigone. Creon abused his powers. He thought that he could change or break the laws of the gods and not allow other people to break the laws. He didn’t want to
Antigone being the one to fight for her beliefs and obeying the god's laws attempts the burial of Polyneices and goes against Creon’s law to prove to him that he’s in over his head that he has too much pride in himself, in lines 15-35 Antigone claims that she is going to go
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.
Antigone Antigone was wronged and Antigone is tragic hero because she wanted to get a proper grave site, Creon was her uncle, Antigone was the good one. Antigone wants her brother to be buried but her uncle wouldn’t let her. Her uncle Creon was a very mean man.
As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man. But whoever shows by word and deed that he is on the side of the State,––he shall have my respect while he is living and my reverence when he is dead ( Scene 1). Creon’s regards towards his own laws cause him to withdraw from all other beliefs or opinions that others have to offer him. He believes that the people of Thebes should obey his rules if they want his support.
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.
Correspondingly, Creon's bona fide adherence to the laws of man is evident in the defense for his resolute actions. In the conversation aforementioned between Haemon and Creon, the latter defends his decision by declaring it is to "respect his own authority". As in his opinion, a respected ruler who is in the early stages of establishing authority must be uncompromising and resolute in making decisions. Creon rejects using divine laws to rule his people for they are irrational, and trusts that solely following man made laws will he be able to guarantee a peaceful and prosperous existence for his city. Creon says that the laws enacted by the city’s leader "must be obeyed, large and small, / right and wrong."
She needed to prove a point by herself and didn’t want anyone else involved. Antigone is a selfish character who only wants what is best for herself and doesn’t think about the repercussions of her actions and the effects that they will have on those around her. When Antigone decides to go ahead with her decision to burry her brother, she alone is engaging in an act of civil disobedience toward the king directly, but quite frankly she doesn’t care. Her character has little regard for powerful people especially when they have different views than her own. Antigone, as well as everyone in her kingdom, knows what the wishes of Creon are in regards to her brother, but going along with her characteristic of disrespect toward authority, she breaks the rules anyways knowing that there will be consequences for her actions.
She would willingly accept her punishment for her actions because she would die honoring her brother and giving him a traditional
Creon is the protagonist in Antigone, because his motivation throughout Antigone is the stability and wellbeing of Thebes. Moreover, Antigone is the antagonist in Antigone, because her motivation is selfish and deceiving. In Antigone the setting is Thebes post the death of both airs to the throne. Eteocles dies defending his country from his brother Polynieces which died attempting to reclaim his right to the throne. The conflict throughout Antigone is Antigone’s responsibility to bury her brother Polynices and the law created by Creon, the new king of Thebes, which states that “No one shall bury him, no one mourn for him.”
Laws have maintained the order and stability of society from old days of ancient civilization to today’s contemporary society. As law-abiding citizens, we allow the laws to be enforced through punishments and consequences; however, when these laws threaten ethical values and justice, they are challenged in a non-violent method known as “civil disobedience.” In Sophocles’ Antigone, Antigone challenged the political authority of Creon in a defiant act that related the struggles between her duty as a citizen of Thebes and her loyalty to her family. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” written by Martin Luther King, Jr., King protests racial injustices and systemic racism throughout the South and laments the need for civil disobedience to be used