The play “Antigone” is a Greek play that was written by Sophocles. The play battles between religion, family, and the law. This play is about a king named Creon. His son’s name was Haemon. Haemon was engaged to Antigone. Antigone’s brother, Polynesis, died. Creon declared that no one burry him. Once Creon heard that someone was burring Polynesis, he decalred that the guards arrest whoever it may be. The guard arrested Antigone and returned her to Creon. Creon seemed to be trying to prove that he obeyed the law and not one would get away with disobeying him. Antigone on the other hand wanted to follow the gods and bury her brother. The biggest dispute is between Antigone and Creon. Creon seems to be a person that needs to be dominate at all times and at this time, men were dominate over women. Women should not disobey a man or disobey a law. Antigone disobeyed both.
Antigone was a very str4ong willed woman. When her sister, Ismene, refused to help bury their brother, Antigone did not hesitate and buried him even in the daylight. She didn’t try to hide the fact that she committed the crime. When Antigone was arrested and was said to be killed, Ismene claimed that she was in on this crime as well. As readers we begin to wonder why she tried to claim that she committed the crime, when she didn’t and she knew the consequences. I believe that she either felt guilty for not burying her brother or she didn’t want to live without her sister.
Creon tried his best to show his dominance when his son begged him to let his wife, Antigone, go free. Many people beg Creon not to murder the poor girl. In the end Creon “mans up” and decides to let the girl live. When Creon returns to get Antigone, he finds that she has hung herself. This angers and upsets Haemon, Creon’s son. Instead of living the rest of his life and accomplishing something for himself or others, he kills himself as well. I think that Haemon is very selfish. He was a prince and had potential to be a king, he could have done so much more for the people and affected others. Instead of thinking of his potential and the future, he only thought of himself by killing himself. We later find out that Creon was very upset about the death of his son. He begins to realize that what he had done was wrong and the gods were punishing him. In the end, Creon’s wife, Eurydice, decided to kill herself as well. She had lived through the murder of her niece, Antigone, and her son, Haemon. She did not want to live through anymore. Eurydice’s suicide was Creon’s biggest punishment because once she was gone that left Creon alone with no one. This really affected Creon and changed his way of thinking. He could tell that the gods were punishing him for acting as he did. Now, he had to live the rest of his life alone.
3 comments:
I agree with you about the reason behind Ismene trying to take the blame for the crime. She did not want to lose her sister after losing both of her brothers. She did not want to be alone. I also agree with you that Haemon could have been a great King, since he did not agree with his father, he would do the opposite and probably take the citizens opinions into consideration before making laws.
I agree with you when you say Antigone was a strong willed woman. Even though she did not have help from her sister, Ismene, because she was being stubborn. She showed she was not going to stop what she was going to do. Her sister should have helped her knowing it was family. Antigone was not fearful for buring her brother because she had been the one that killed her..It's important for anyone to stick together during tough times like these, but Ismene showed she did not want too.
I agree with your idea in this play and i just want to share my idea that Creon is very stubborn and arrogant to everybody. He cannot accept others to disobey his edict, he cannot accept Antigone’s behavior and refute, so he executes her, which then causes the death of both his son and wife.
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