The story of Antigone is a depressing one filled with curses and an awful turn of events due to the stubbornness of one person: Creon. Polynices and Eteocles, the brothers of Antigone and Ismene, kill each other in battle and Polynices is not allowed a proper burial because he fought against Thebes. Antigone is outraged against the idea that he can not have a respectful burial and from her innate wanting to restore honor to her sibling she creates a cataclysmic situation.
What does Antigone want Ismene to do?
Antigone wants Ismene to help fight against the dishonor towards Polynices. She has very strong feelings towards this and creates a deep conflict with Ismene. Antigone is asking her sister to compromise her self in order to die in honor, but maybe that is too much to ask for from a person.
According to Ismene, what should women not do?
According to Ismene, women should stay in their place and just follow their roles. She disagrees with Antigone and decides not to help her out because it may cost her life. Antigone is appalled and views her as weak, yet Ismene can not be blamed for not helping.
Do you consider Antigone or Creon the more important character in this play? Or do you consider them both equally important? In your response, consider why one or the other, or both, might deserve the title of protagonist or tragic hero.
This a tough question and I would have to say that both characters could satisfactorily be the tragic hero and that they are equally important to the story. They both headstrong and desire the same thing: to fight for what they think is right. Antigone believes Polynices should have a proper burial because he is her brother and Creon thinks that he does not deserve one because he was a fighter against Thebes. In a situation like this, I would say that Creon could be right. For example, today in politics if someone came and fought against the country, such as a terrorist, I would believe that they would not be treated the same as an American and that he probably would not be respected. I really think this question is a matter of how you look at it.
What vision of rulership does Creon set forth? To what extent does he follow through with this and what would you say is Creon’s most important mistake?
Creon believes he is the king and that he is everything. He must make decisions without doubt and that Thebes is HIS city and responsibility. He has a good view; however, he takes it too far and gets stubborn. He begins to think everything is about him and his honor. He takes the situation at hand too personally. For example, when Haemon says the death of Antigone will bring upon another death, Creon takes it as a threat rather than realizing that his son meant his own death. Instead of worrying about such a medial burial he should have been focusing on real political issues. His stubbornness eventually leads to the death of many, two of which important to him.
With what powers does Antigone align herself with and would you say her mission has more to do with personal issues or religious piety?
She says that being respected by the gods is better than following immoral rules set by Creon. Although she says this, I believe it is truly a personal issue. When one loses a sibling irrational, yet bold actions tend to take place.
Do Antigone's choices have anything in common with the choices and situations in Oedipus's life? Is Antigone's tragic fate the result of an inevitable destiny or does she make choices which contribute to the fulfillment of that fate?
Her choices are kind of similar in the way that she and Oedipus both strive due to their urge to do what is right. Also, this urge of theirs both leads them to several deaths. Oedipus’s death was due to inevitable destiny, but Antigone’s fate I believe was from her choice. She chose to fight for what she though is respectful and died for it. In my opinion, that is a honorable death and I have no doubt in my mind that she fulfilled what she wanted before death.
In the end, Creon’s battle with Antigone lead to the death of his loved ones. I think Sophocles intended for this to happen to show that he believes Antigone is right and that maybe loyalty to one’s family should come before loyalty to a piece of land. Antigone died and was happy dying to get Polynices buried properly so really in the end, Antigone died happy while Creon lived to witness his son and wife die.(768)
2 comments:
Steven, good choices of questions. Remind me to ask people to give the source of the questions they choose to answer--I'm curious to know where they came from.
The one that interests me the most here is the last one, about similarities between the two plays. You talk about Antigone's choices, and I think I'd say the same thing about Oedipus, at least in the sense that what he learns about himself and his past is the result of choices he made, even if the prophecy itself is not. What do you think?
Well I think Oedipus is predominantly fate because in the story he is informed about a curse on him already. I just felt that antigone was more of a choice to fight for a certain cause, while Oedipus was actually doomed from the start. Antigone could of not fought for Polynices and nothing would of happened, I feel like it was conveyed that Oedipus was destined to his tale already.
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