Antigone
Antigone’s story is a traumatic tale. The story focuses on the conflict between Antigone and her uncle, Creon. Kindhearted Antigone and Creon have different views of how the burial of Antigone’s brother, Polynices, should be handled. Antigone fights for a proper burial, of which she believes Polynices is deserving. Creon, on the other hand, does not find his nephew deserving of a proper burial, and opts for leaving Polynices’ carcass on the plain outside the city to rot and be eaten by animals. Antigone, who is desperate at this point, begs her sister, Ismene, to get involved in the struggle for their brother’s burial. Antigone’s lover is Haemon, the son of Creon, making him Antigone’s cousin. Ismene frantically tries to persuade Antigone to give up her fight, for she is no match for strong, bloodthirsty Creon. The punishment for going against his word is death. Antigone ignores this warning and proceeds in burying her brother’s body. Once Creon discovers this illegal act, he decides not to execute her, but banish her to a cave for the rest of her life. Antigone decides to hang herself in the cave with the cord from her bath robe. Upon seeing this, Haemon stabs himself. Creon’s wife then kills herself as well.
Theme:
The theme of this dramatic story is even though Antigone was “little,” she exemplifies the will to pursue and carry on when a plan is foiled. Although the story ends with many people committing suicide, Antigone expresses the overall main idea in staying committed to fighting against an unjust law in hopes of being victorious. Strong-willed Antigone fights for the noble cause of giving her brother the proper burial he deserves. Antigone follows through with her overall plan, even though the end comes too soon for her in the decision to commit suicide.
Allusions to Antigone:
Theme:
The theme of this dramatic story is even though Antigone was “little,” she exemplifies the will to pursue and carry on when a plan is foiled. Although the story ends with many people committing suicide, Antigone expresses the overall main idea in staying committed to fighting against an unjust law in hopes of being victorious. Strong-willed Antigone fights for the noble cause of giving her brother the proper burial he deserves. Antigone follows through with her overall plan, even though the end comes too soon for her in the decision to commit suicide.
Allusions to Antigone:
- 1 Romeo and Juliet - Both Romeo and Juliet demonstrate the same theme Antigone did in their story. Romeo and Juliet are so committed to fighting for their right to openly love one another that they take their lives in the process of professing their “undying” love for one another. Romeo and Juliet would rather die than be in a world in which the are not permitted to love one another. Antigone would rather take her own life than be held as Creon’s prisoner for and immoral crime.
- The Greek Tragedy - In the late 6th century BCE, the Athenians successfully drove out the tyrants that once occupied their land. The Athenians then established a strong and powerful democracy. Athens then the largest empire in the world. It conquered other Greek cities, growing into a hungry imperial power itself. Athens eventually stretched its power too thin and collapsed. This story expresses the main idea illustrated in Antigone. Athens symbolizes Creon, the antagonist, for Athens was the strong power that bossed everyone around. Creon is also this character in Antigone. Whatever Creon says, goes. But even Creon, like Athens, is conquered in the end when all of his family commits suicide based on a decision he made. Creon could have prevented the deaths of his family, ergo, he has fallen just as Athens once did.
- Oedipus and the Sphinx - The classical literature involving Oedipus and Sphinx, a monster with the head of a woman, body of a lion, and wings of an eagle. The Sphinx was known for presenting weary travelers with riddles. If the traveler could not correctly answer the riddle, she would devour them. The Sphinx spotted Oedipus. Her riddle was this: “What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?” the answer being ‘man' (who crawls as a baby, walks on two legs as an adult, but leans on a cane in his old age). Oedipus correctly solved the riddle. Shocked, the Sphinx threw herself from a cliff. This exactly demonstrates the theme of Antigone. The Sphinx would rather die than live knowing someone has outsmarted her and her riddles. Antigone would rather die for doing a good deed rather than live in isolation until her death.