Antigone
The play Antigone by Sophicles is a tragic play about a series of event after king Oedipus finds out his identity. Oedipus blinds himself and is expelled from Thebes by Creon, Antigone’s uncle. Antigone accompanies her father during the exile while his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices fight each other to death for the throne. As a result, Creon takes over to rule Thebes and forbids the burial of Polynices’ corpse. According to Creon’s religious and political views, anyone who buries the traitor’s body deserves death. However, I find Creon’s decision as arbitrary and unnecessary. I support Antigone’s decision to bury her brother because she is brave, has morals, and stands for her actions.
Antigone is a brave person from the beginning to the end of the play. She buries her brother even knowing that the punishment will be death. An example of her bravery is when Antigone is captured and brought to her uncle, but she stays calm. She argues with her uncle that the law is not written, therefore, why should she not bury her family member.
Another reason why I support Antigone is that she has morals. Her loyalty to her family is seen from the prologue. She does not care if her brother is a patriot or traitor. They both deserve the same memorial. She also resists Creon’s power. To her a person with power and authority does not mean that they are righteous. Whereas when I compare Creon to Antigone, his loyal is directly towards the state. He puts his family second and serving the state as top priority.
I can see from Antigone and Creon’s standpoint. Creon wants to be a good ruler, but it is hard for him to please everyone. He can not keep his family struggle under control because he puts the state above all. Eventually, in the end Creon loses the respect from his family and faces his son and wife’s death. Antigone on the otherhand deals with three deaths at once. She wants them all to have proper burial as a sign of respect. Therefore, I support her decisions more than Creon’s.
Antigone is a brave person from the beginning to the end of the play. She buries her brother even knowing that the punishment will be death. An example of her bravery is when Antigone is captured and brought to her uncle, but she stays calm. She argues with her uncle that the law is not written, therefore, why should she not bury her family member.
Another reason why I support Antigone is that she has morals. Her loyalty to her family is seen from the prologue. She does not care if her brother is a patriot or traitor. They both deserve the same memorial. She also resists Creon’s power. To her a person with power and authority does not mean that they are righteous. Whereas when I compare Creon to Antigone, his loyal is directly towards the state. He puts his family second and serving the state as top priority.
I can see from Antigone and Creon’s standpoint. Creon wants to be a good ruler, but it is hard for him to please everyone. He can not keep his family struggle under control because he puts the state above all. Eventually, in the end Creon loses the respect from his family and faces his son and wife’s death. Antigone on the otherhand deals with three deaths at once. She wants them all to have proper burial as a sign of respect. Therefore, I support her decisions more than Creon’s.
I agree that Antigone is righteous and moral, but is she resilient and calm? "Resilient" implies a readiness to bend, to bounce back, but Antigone seems to me rigid as steel. "Calm" comes closer to her character, though I think a word like "unshakable" or "unruffled" would be more accurate.
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