Antigone: Hero or Criminal?
Two brothers fighting for their beliefs on opposite sides of a War, die in combat leaving their two sisters behind. One is allowed to be buried and the other is not based on his beliefs. The two sisters mourn for the death of their brothers praying for justice that never arrives. The justice they desire is Equity. Equity is defined as, “the quality of being fair and impartial” (Oxford). Antigone represents Equity because she is the only character who seeks the proper treatment of others no matter the consequences to her own well-being. In the ancient play Antigone written by Sophocles and translated by Richard Emil Braun, the main character Antigone is faced with this exact dilemma. She is the only sister who vows
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In the United States, the jury has the right to be apart of the final verdict of the case, therefore they are an example of equity because more than one opinion is applied to the case rather than just one from the judge. The only person in Antigone who has the right to justify the consequences of Antigone’s actions is Kreon, which is unfair. Equity is applied though, in the idea that Antigone does the right thing for her sibling, even though she knows the consequences. I believe the main character Antigone is true in her actions because of her never ending will to fight for her own morality; just to seek equity for her family. Antigone is a prime example of equity because she is willing to sacrifice her life for the sake of justice itself. She displays the idea of equity in justice because she is loyal to her family to fight for her brother Polyneices to have a burial like any other warrior. Her determination is strong, although King Kreon criticizes her actions. . She is a fierce soul, as she never fails to exhibit what she truly feels toward the laws and what she holds most sacred like in this
King points that is completely hypocritical as we cannot expect some rules to be applied to and understood, while others are overlooked. King has channeled all these inequities into a large group of individual who wanted to gain support for the rights that they should be allowed. Antigone however addresses her concerns in a straight footed manner. Giving little regard for
Conner Johnson Mr. Milroy English 10b Hon. 17 January 2023 Ambiguous character Antigone is a morally ambiguous character who plays a pivotal role in the play Antigone by Sophocles. Being the play’s lead character, She is the starting cause of all the struggles in the drama. Violating the law is an action Antigone sees as necessary to fit what she believes is morally right, consequently creating contrast in her character of whether she is morally just or conversely purely evil.
Both Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. can be viewed as rebels. Despite strict laws being enforced by their governing bodies, each chose to challenge authority in favor of their moral compasses. By objecting to the laws set in place, both Dr. Martin Luther King and Antigone fought for what they felt was truly right and just in each of their given situations. Although each character’s circumstances and actions seem to differ greatly, Dr. King would agree with Antigone’s choices to question authority in order to uphold mutual respect and honor for all individuals, as well as religious values, despite the laws set in place. Religious beliefs were Antigone’s driving force in opposing the law of Creon.
She dares to challenge the arrogant tyrant Creon by expressing her points bravely and furiously, trying to warn him that women do not always have the obligation to do what men command; she dares to protest the balance between duty and law, “…for it was not Zeus made such a law; such is not the Justice of the gods.” (Antigone), making her decisions in an equitable way and promise to find the real justice so as to give respect to her brother, Polyneices’ burial. Even though in the end Creon tries to give Antigone a lesson by putting her to prison, Antigone did not escape, for she understood that her action and pride would bring about these consequences, and she did not regret for doing this. In addition, we can also observe women power by seeing Creon’s words and behaviors. Creon’s hubris as a men affects how he thinks about women, he considered women as secondary creature.
Antigone, who feels the same love for both her brothers, decides to bury her Polyneices, even though Creon will put anyone to death that tries to. She tries to get Ismene involved, but she refuses to break Creon’s law. Antigone gets caught in the burying of her brother and Creon sends her to
In the play Antigone, Sophocles demonstrates the conflict between family and God through the characters of Antigone, Ismene and Creon. Antigone being ambitious and strong willed throughout the play, fights for his brothers honor and proper burial while Ismene on the other hand, is more timid fears the consequences that may occur if the laws are broken. For Creon he is the King and holds most power, until the Gods feel he is incapable. Antigone, Ismene and Creon all use logical and emotional appeals to achieve a compromise to either bury Polynices or not.
Antigone thought it was unjust to let her brother go without a proper burial. She took the power of freedom and her free will and made the situation “just” in her eyes.
I am Antigone. We both fight for the rights of others who cannot do so, like Antigone used her life to avenge and respect her fallen brother, Polyneices. Similarly, I use my privileges in society, such as white skin and moderate affluence, to benefit those who need it most in their fights for economic or social equality. The fight for justice holds its hardships as told by both our experiences: Antigone faced capital punishment for going against Creon’s decree, as I and others in the modern era face lawmakers against our purposes. Regardless, Antigone and I both hold strong with “the unchangeable unwritten code of Heaven” (17), using our advantages to help those who need it most, despite the backlash of placing morals and integrity over rules and regulation.
“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” – Stitch, Lilo and Stitch. In Sophocles’ Antigone and in Anouilh’s version of the play, family loyalty is a theme that plays an important role in the actions and the decisions of the characters. The theme of family loyalty is largely represented through the two main characters of the play, Antigone and Creon.
Antigone’s first core value is that she believes in putting her family first. This core value influences her decision that leads to her attempting
They view her as immortal and equal to the gods because of her bravery to do the right thing and her harsh punishment the king sentenced her
In Antigone, there was two brothers who shared being the King and one of the brothers, Polynices, wanted to start a war with the kingdom because he wanted to be the main ruler. Polynices and his brother Eteocles fight and they both end up killing each other. Their Uncle Creon, who takes position as King when they are both killed, decides that only Eteocles will have a proper burial and Polynices will be left to rot. Antigone, Polynices and Eteocles sister, thinks that Creon’s decision is unfair and takes upon herself to give Polynices a proper burial. When their other sister Ismene finds out, she is stuck between helping her sister bury their brother and following Creon’s demands.
Antigone’s actions are motivated by her allegiance to her family, moral conscience, and religion amid Creon’s political injustice and tyranny. Antigone’s actions motivate her to demand Ismene to prove whether she is “a true sister or a traitor to your family” (26-27). Antigone maintains loyalty to her brother despite his actions which threatened Thebes. Her inability to bear the thought of her brother’s corpse being picked apart by animals and not being honored with proper funeral rites forces her to act. Antigone’s fierce allegiance to her family is laid bare as she is willing to sacrifice her life to honor her brother and defy the law in an act that she believes is morally just.
Antigone exhibits Fairness by wanting all other aspects to be thrown aside and give her brother a fair right to a proper
English Literature Ms. Jackson The tragedy of right vs. right in the play “Antigone” In the play “Antigone” by Sophocles both Creon and Antigone are equally justified in their actions, however because they place different values first (Creon with law, and Antigone with emotion), conflict is created between them, creating a tragedy of right vs. right rather than right vs. wrong. The idea that neither of the main characters are going directly against each other proves this play is a tragedy of right vs. right. Creon himself says “Anarchy- Show me a greater crime in all the earth.