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antigone essay

Antigone Essay

Antigone

In Antigone there are two strong willed and stubborn characters that are unwilling to change . Both are so similar that it makes it impossible for them to see eye to eye . Creon is a powerful ruler who is proud of his wisdom . Antigone is a willful young woman who is enraged because of the law that Creon has passed that prohibits the burial of her brother In her fury Antigone decides that her brother must have his last rites This rash decision makes her appear like a typical wild

and undisciplined young woman , but later on she is portrayed loyal to her family and is uncompromising her beliefs . Ultimately Creon 's decisions not only affect the life of Antigone , but his own family as well

The play opens with the dialogue between Antigone and her sister Ismene In this dialogue you see that Antigone feels that the law that Creon has laid down is primarily directed towards herself and Ismene . In the ancient Greek household the funeral rites as well as the mourning of the dead was the duty and privilege of women . Therefore Antigone is insulted , and enraged by the judgment Creon has made to keep Polynices from being buried . If this is what has to be then who are we to change things says Ismene . Ismene believes that women have no place in the matters of the polis

During the fifth century B .C . Greece women were in the same rank as the slaves . Antigone doesn 't believe that there is anyway she can be convicted as a traitor . She almost seems egotistical , or invincible to the laws of the polis . Antigone feels that Creon has no right to keep her from the burial of her brother . He is her brother and it is the right of the gods have given to the mortals . Everyone good or bad deserves a proper burial . Ismene offers to keep what Antigone is planning a secret to keep her safe , but she is insulted that Ismene would want to keep something as important a secret . Antigone feels no shame for what she plans to do . Seeing the strength and persistence of Antigone , Ismene is finally persuaded to help . Which in contrast to Antigone demonstrates Ismene 's weakness as a woman

Antigone sets off to the place where her brother is lying exposed and secretly throws dirt upon him to symbolize the burial rites he should have received under the true law of the gods . This is her first attempt in rebelling against the law Creon passed . When Creon learns what has been done he can 't understand why that the gods would ever care for someone who was a traitor and criminal . But most of all he believe that someone would go against the king 's divine law . The king orders the Sentry to find out who has committed this horrible crime . The guards return to the site where Polynices lies and after awhile they see Antigone cursing the...

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