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Antigone Essays

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If you were told not so do something, even if you thought it was ethically right, would you continue to do so? This question lingers and weaves its way through all the character’s in Sophocles’ Antigone. This great Greek tragedy expresses many different and difficult emotions that are often suppressed ...

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Antigone is a Greek tragedy by Sophocles, that centers around a young female, Antigone, after the deaths of her two brothers. Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, were battling for the throne of Thebes. As the brothers were dueling against each other, they ended up defeating one another. Since Eteocles was the King of Thebes and was seen as defending his land, he was treated like a hero and given a proper burial. While Eteocles was treated like a hero,...
3 Pages 1182 Words
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...
2 Pages 918 Words
The question of what is right or legal had been always a subject of discussion. What is right can be defined as subjective which, is based on people’s understanding of morality, ethics, and values and what is legal as objective which, is based on people’s understanding of the laws of their community or nation. What is legal does not mean it is right and what is right should not be illegal. It is why sometimes people do what they think...
2 Pages 1006 Words
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...
2 Pages 965 Words
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...
2 Pages 780 Words
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...
3 Pages 1271 Words
Antigone and A Doll’s House are plays set back in history to a time when men were considered superior to women. Antigone is an ancient greek drama about a young woman who goes against her society's beliefs and buries her brother. A Doll’s House is a play about a woman who risks a lot to save her husband's life. The main character in Antigone is Antigone, a young woman who disobeys her uncles law in order to bury her brother....
2 Pages 719 Words
Despite Greek philosophy not having an accurate meaning of “free will”, it can be either considered good or bad. The act of having “free will” generally comes from what you think is the right thing to do. It is a will that allows us to choose what we feel is right based on how we interpret different ideas and the environment around us. It is believed that everyone has one from the day we are born and we can choose...
3 Pages 1139 Words
Creon out of his pride kills his own wife and son out of selfishness which make him a true tragic hero. Creon is a character who so caught up with what others think. Creon is isolated character who keeps to himself his plans and acts. He is very misleading character tries to lead others to crime. Creon faces dishonesty from others and sees the true character of people he thought he could trust. Creon as the protagonist with his stubborn...
2 Pages 904 Words
Throughout the centuries, history has given society people whom one can call a hero. There are ongoing reasons why these heroes have been given a special title and looked upon: bravery, determination, agility, inspiration, or confidence. However, a tragic hero carries different characteristics and traits. Aristotle argued that tragic heroes meet five standards. In Sophocles’ Antigone, King Creon exemplifies all five qualities of a tragic hero. Although many might believe there are different tragic heroes seen in the Greek drama,...
1 Page 646 Words
The interactive oral presentations for the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, has allowed me to acquire new knowledge about the background details of the characters, the history of burial, and the rules of marriage in the ancient Greek times. When I first started reading the play, I was confused with the storyline, characters’ names, and their family tree. However, the presentations were a great opportunity for me to gain a better insight into the play. Also, I believe that I...
4 Pages 1771 Words
Morality is often regarded as objective, completely black and white. Although, the circumstances and consequences of actions broaden the picture and allow for condemnation or justification. Accusations of the extreme are polluted by one’s surroundings. The contextual power of culture and ingrained tradition supports multiple interpretations of morality. Sophocles’ Antigone demonstrates this truth. The understanding of women as inferior and undeserving of a voice is essential to the recognition of Antigone’s role in her society. The patriarchal system of Antigone’s...
6 Pages 2651 Words
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...
3 Pages 1430 Words
Some people might declare that Oedipus was punished worse than Creon. On the other hand, some people might believe that Creon had the worse punishment out of the two. Oedipus’ story started out as him being a prince of Thebes. The city has been struck by a plague, the citizens are dying, and no one knows how to put an end to it. Creon then tells what he has learned from the god Apollo, who said the murderer of Laius,...
3 Pages 1398 Words
In Sophocles’ “Antigone,” the main character, Antigone, displayed strong determination and loyalty to her family and god. However, I sympathize more with Kreon because he was a man of his words and he refused to break social peace and state laws. Throughout the play, Kreon’s character exemplifies the traits of a tragic hero. Creon was suffering from his actions without knowing that he will be losing everything but the law. Compare to Antigone, Kreon regrets his decision and cannot alternate...
2 Pages 1083 Words
Bartleby is quite a peculiar character because he doesn't do any of the tasks he is asked to do. Bartleby is a character who refuses the power of authority. Instead of following the rules, he decides to go along with his own. Whenever his boss, a lawyer asks him to do everyday work Bartleby's response is always “I would prefer not to.” The word “prefer” contains a powerful feeling of being in charge. Bartleby is not giving satisfaction to his...
3 Pages 1486 Words
In Sophocles’ Antigone, neither Antigone’s nor Kreon’s actions are truly defined as purely admirable or moralistically sound. However, Antigone, the tragic heroine, embodies the idea of truly fighting for what she believes to be socially acceptable, which is indeed treating the dead with the upmost respect. Despite the potential dangers that may arise as Antigone fights for her brother, Polyneices, to have a proper burial, her stubborn front and unfailing determination yield her to not give up against the coarse...
3 Pages 1246 Words
The story of Antigone is one of the oldest, yet most well-known, theatrical pieces. Sophocles, was the first playwright to interpret the myth to create a theatrical performance. The appeal of Antigone to many playwrights, as well as the reason for its longevity, is its ability to adapt to any social or political theme. In 441 b.c. Sophocles adapted the myth of Antigone to a play that emphasises Athenian ideals and cultural values. Centuries later in 1944, Jean Anouilh reinterpreted...
3 Pages 1523 Words
Introduction St Thomas Aquinas has undoubtedly been known for his principle work, the Summa Theologiae. Thomas Aquinas worked steadily on this writing for many years between the years of 1265 and 1273, and the writing was intended to be a guide for beginners in theology to organise a collection and assist with Christian doctrine and philosophy. The Summa eventually became ‘one of the most influential works of Western literature’ and this established Aquinas as a leading theorist of the natural...
4 Pages 1651 Words
For several centuries, many women have been fighting to have the same rights as men. Men made women believe that they were the second class citizens and were also made to believe that they should always obey a mans order. In fact, in ancient Greece, they believed that a woman’s sole purpose was to only run the household and have children that were preferably male. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, he writes about the distinctive behaviors between two sisters...
2 Pages 796 Words
Justice is a theme present in most in Greek Literature, to punish one’s actions or words that are considered wrong or to uphold ideals seen as good. Justice is used to instil that wrongs in society are stopped, and rights will be upheld. Revenge is the act of committing a harmful action towards a person or a group in response to a grievance however in many cases revenge can be seen as justice. While Medea and Antigone are alike in...
2 Pages 1010 Words
Antigone, penned by Sophocles, is the final play in the trilogy of tragedies, beginning with King Oedipus. The battle between the two sons of the extinct King Oedipus ends with both dying in battle. With the deaths of two brothers, Uncle Creon, the only remaining man, sits on the throne. Kreon orders that Eteokles, who died to defend his homeland, be buried in a beautiful ceremony, while his other brother Polyneikes is convicted of treason and his body is left...
2 Pages 781 Words
Women are housewives; men are the breadwinners. Even though these ideas are not relevant today, they existed during the time of the play “Antigone.” In ancient Greece, women were seen as property. Men were seen as the head of the house. The roles of men and women in Sophocles’ “Antigone” show examples of gender inequality. In Sophocles’ play, “Antigone,” Ismene perpetuates gender roles, and Antigone challenges them. First, Ismene perpetuates the gender stereotypes of the day. In the prologue, Ismene...
1 Page 532 Words
Antigone as a character within Jean Anouilh’s modern re-creation of Sophocles’s Greek classic, ‘Antigone’, is surrounded by ambiguity. Within Sophocles’s version, Antigone is presented with clear, rational, and understandable motives for defying Creon and the oppressive state in which he struggles to uphold. However, unlike Sophocles, Anouilh teaches us nothing of Antigone’s motivations and instead creates a depiction of an irrational, existential; rebellious teen, who herself is unable to conclude what it is she is dying for. ‘Like Sophocles, Anouilh...
3 Pages 1451 Words
'But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy' Once described as a play depicting the complexities of 'state versus personal', Antigone's sheer determination to transgress against the politics of the king, to follow her personal beliefs, presents her as a highly strong-willed protagonist. The idea of a female figure with such bravery and obstinacy was extremely controversial to the standards of the classical period in which the tragedy was first written,...
5 Pages 2480 Words
The question of what is right or legal had been always a subject of discussion. What is right can be defined as subjective which, is based on someone's understanding of morality, ethic, and values, and what is legal as an objective which, is based on someone's understanding of the laws of his community or nation. What is legal does not necessarily means it is right and what is right should not be illegal. It is why sometimes people do what...
2 Pages 882 Words
An injustice to one civilian can spread and create injustices across the country to hundreds of people. In Dr. King’s letter from Birmingham, he states, “I cannot sit by… and not be concerned about… Injustice anywhere is a threat to rights everywhere.” (King, 1). This demonstrates that Martin Luther King understood that the injustices happening in Birmingham cannot be ignored and it is detrimental for there to be a change as this can later start to affect other places.  The...
1 Page 657 Words
Antigone, who was Oedipus’s daughter, had both a theme of free will and fate, however, they seemed to contradict one another. Although her fate was to live, her free will would not allow her to break the promise to her brother, which was she would give him a proper burial. This went against the king, Creon at the time, and she was to be punished by death if she chose to follow through with the burial. At this time, however,...
2 Pages 1119 Words
Women were still treated as inferiors in the male-dominated civilization of Early Athens. But Throughout Antigone, there are many references to feminism including: Antigone and Ismene’s relationship, Creon’s anti-feminist remarks, and Antigone’s fearless and valiant assertiveness. In the opening of Antigone, it is revealed that Antigone and Ismene have different ideas when it comes to being women in a patriarchal civilization. Ismene says “We must remember that we two are women, so not to fight with men; and that since...
1 Page 657 Words
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....
3 Pages 1167 Words
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