Sophocles’ Antigone Essay - 1759 Words

Sophocles’ Antigone The character of Antigone in Sophocles’ play, Antigone, is one of the most controversial tragic characters in classic literature. The war in her city has torn her family apart, caused the death of both her brothers, and created a reason for her to fight against the King, her uncle. Her uncle, Creon, makes a ruling that her brother, Polynices, is not to be buried because he is a traitor, but according to her religion, her brother’s soul will not go to the afterlife until he is buried. In defense of her brother, she buries his body illegally and is subsequently sentenced to death. With her complex patterns of thought, bold actions, and the end she encounters, the character of Antigone causes debate among critics as to†¦show more content†¦According to the History for Kids Organization website, â€Å"Sophocles also remembers the terrors of war and barbarism, which can sometimes overcome men and women. He pleads, in his plays, for the triumph of reason over wild e motion and anger† (n/a). As an adult, he was also into politics and worked alongside such famous ancient politicians as Pericles, Aeschylus, and Herodotus. Women of Sophocles era in ancient Greek history had very few rights. Their main purpose in life was to marry and produce sons. They were merely extensions of the men they married since women were never considered citizens of a city. A woman who was not married and not a virgin could be bought and sold as a slave. Despite the evident lack of respect for women in their society, however, ancient Greek artists still made use of women as the main characters in their works. In her essay, â€Å"From Tragedy to Hierarchy and Back Again: Women in Greek Political Thought,† Arlene W. Saxonhouse states that women in Greek tragedy are meant to help question the norms of the patriarchal society because Greek men, confronted with a women hero, are forced to see that they in fact need women to exist, annulling their right to complete dominance over society (404). Antigone is no exception to this statement. In her fight to rescue her brother from a restless soul, Antigone also helps bring out the issues of male chauvinism and sexism inShow MoreRelatedAntigone By Sophocles Antigone1478 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout Antigone, Antigone is a presented as a strong woman who is both dedicated to her family and her community. That said, there is much conflict between these two dedications. In this paper, I will give examples of Antigone’s different individual responsibilities and her philosophies and explain how those conflict with the commitment that she is to have to her community and indirectly, her king. Ultimately, I will argue that Sophocles demonstrated his values of family, the way of the godsRead MoreSophocles Antigone By Sophocles Essay1869 Words   |  8 PagesIn Sophocles’ play Antigone, two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices fight for the thrown of Thebes. The war comes to an end when both brothers die fighting for the honor, and their uncle Creon becomes the king of Thebes. Upon his coronation, Creon issues a decree that Eteocles, the former kin g of Thebes, will be honored with a traditional military burial, while his brother Polynices will be â€Å"left unwept, unburied, a lovely treasure for birds that scan the field and feast to their heart’s content† (SophoclesRead MoreSophocles Antigone By Sophocles964 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles, a famous ancient Greek tragedian, the main character, Antigone, demonstrates a prohibited action in a strict, male-dominated society. Greek civilization upheld strong values and rules that were designed to enforce orderly behavior among its people. There were state laws created by the King, Creon, and divine laws created by the Gods. Divine law was superior to the king laws, and if that rule was disrupted, eternal consequences could ruin an individual. In this societyRead MoreSophocles Antigone By Sophocles1892 Words   |  8 PagesAntigone †¢ Title: Antigone by Sophocles †¢ Genre: Play; Tragic drama †¢ Historical context: Written circa, 442 B.C.E. in Athens Greece. Performed circa, 441 B.C.A. Its literary period was classical. While Antigone was the first written of Sophocles’ three Theban plays, it was the last of the trilogy. It was performed during a time of national unrest. Sophocles was appointed to serve as a general in a military crusade against Samos. The significance of the historical events during that timeRead MoreAntigone, by Sophocles1997 Words   |  8 PagesThe death of Antigone is truly a tragic episode in the Theban Plays, where she hung herself with a woven linen of her dress. By convention, her death would be characterized with feminine quality. However, Antigone, one of the few female characters in the book, possessed distinguishable female characteristics that are as remarkable as a male hero. Antigone was determined when she made up her mind to bury her brother. She was an agent of her words and took up the risks that accompanied to her dee dsRead MoreAntigone By Sophocles Antigone1525 Words   |  7 Pagesneglect nothing that the gods demand† (1349-1350). Sophocles’ Antigone takes place in a trying time for the city of Thebes, when Oedipus, their king, and most of the royal family have died, and Creon has just been appointed the new king. Throughout the play, Creon tries on his power as the new ruler, and seems to believe that the gods will not be angry with some of his choices as king, even though they directly violate the divine law. However, in Antigone, when there is a conflict between the divine lawRead MoreSophocles Antigone By Sophocles1495 Words   |  6 PagesAs one of the most famous tragedies ever written, Antigone, by the Greek playwright Sophocles, has received much notoriety as well as much speculation. Set in the city of Thebes after a devastating civil war between the brothers Polyneices and Eteocles, the play begins after the brothers’ deadly struggle for the throne. Polyneices and Eteocles have already caused the undue deaths of one another, and without another man in their immediate family available, their uncle Creon travels to Thebes to seizeRead MoreAntigone By Sophocles Antigone912 Words   |  4 PagesIn Sophocles, â€Å"Antigone† begins with the stages of grief as Antigone mourns the loss of her two brothers, Polyneikes and Eteokles, who die simultaneously in face-to-face combat in Thebes. Eteokles dies with honor fighting for the Thebesians and is honored with rituals and a proper burial. The body of Polyneikes, who attempted to burn the city of Thebes, is left for the dogs and birds to savage. Thesbesian’s law forbids anyone giving a traitor, like Polyneikes, a proper burial, for that itself isRead MoreAntigone by Sophocles622 Words   |  3 PagesIn the playwright Antigone by Sophocles, the characters reveal their values while exposing a life lessons through their actions, dialogue, thoughts ,and effects on others. Antigone st arts with two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, being killed at battle. Creon, the king of Thebes, declares that Eteocles’ death will be honored and Polyneices’ dishonored. He instead will lay unburied to become the food of animals. When the play opens, Antigone takes Ismene, Antigone and Ismene are sisters of the deadRead MoreSophocles Antigone By Sophocles967 Words   |  4 PagesTragedy in Antigone Antigone is one of the greatest Greek tragic plays by Sophocles. The play portrays two main characters, Antigone and Creon, who undergo tragedy in the play. Various arguments have been put forth regarding who amongst the two characters is the actual tragic hero in Sophocles’ Antigone. A number of people are for the idea that Creon qualifies since he does possess the real characteristics of what tragedy is all about, while numerous others believe that Antigone is the actual hero