Antigone Compare and
Contrast Essay
Sharayah Martinez
10/1/13
Blk2
In
the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone, the main character, comes into conflict
with her uncle/king, Creon. Antigone’s two brothers had feud over who would be
king after their father and left the kingdom. Polyneices was the brother that had
went against his brother and his own country. Creon then labels him as a traitor
to his country and according to Creon’s decree a traitor does not get a proper burial.
Antigone tries to be loyal and give honor to her brother by burying him
properly, but Creon gets in her way.
Antigone
is very loyal to her family. She stuck at her brother’s side even though he was
a traitor. She still loved her father even after she found out he had been
cured and cursed the whole family. Although she was not so loyal to Ismene, she
had told her, “You shall not lessen my death by sharing it!” (830.156) What she
was telling Ismene is that don’t try to take credit in what you didn’t help do
or even want to help do. She was really loyal to the gods. To the gods a proper
burial was important. If you did not bury someone properly their spirit would
not make it to the underworld god Hades.
Creon on the other hand was not loyal to family but to the state. He didn’t
care if Polyneiece or Antigone were his niece and nephew he still killed them
and gave them no mercy. He told the people of Thebes, “I have the honor to inform
you that our ship of state”. (prologue.8) He’s explaining the comparison of a
ship to the state that it rocks back and forth and they must stabilize it. In
scene two.118 he told Antigone that she was alone on that option. He was
telling her even though that she is family that he doesn’t car and he won’t
give her mercy.
Antigone
and Creon have one similarity. They both have a lot of pride. Antigone tells
Creon, “I do. I deny nothing”. (2.59) she’s being prideful and taking responsibilities
for her actions she isn’t begging for mercy or even saying sorry. In
(scene2.121) she tells Creon that she does not feel any guilt in what she did.
Antigone knew the consequences if she got caught but she took the risk anyway.
Antigone is very prideful and determined and doesn’t let anyone stand in her
way. Like Antigone, Creon is also very prideful. He told his son, “My voice is
the one voice giving orders in this city!” (3.104) He’s saying that he doesn’t need
anyone to tell him how to do his job or run the state. In (scene 3.74) he told
the old man Tiresias that no matter what he said nothing would change his fate.
He’s not going to believe him because he’s just an old man he could just be
losing his mind. I noticed that both of Creon’s and Antigone’s prideful nature
led to their down falls. Antigone and Creon’s Family had died because of their
pride.
It
was mostly Creon’s fault. Creon did not listen Tiresias; as a result, his wife
and son killed themselves. The people of Thebes didn’t think what Antigone did
was wrong. Antigone was also the cause of the conflict to. If she would have obeyed
Creon and Ismene when they said not to do it, she would still be alive. In conclusion,
Creon’s wife and son dies due to his pride and Antigone completed her task,
but also died.
