Essay On Antigone Vs Creon

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The famous Greek playwright Sophocles wrote over 120 tragedies, yet only seven survived. Among these was the play Antigone. The tragedy follows a young woman named Antigone as she fights her newly appointed uncle King Creon for a proper burial of her brother Polyneices. He does not receive a proper burial unlike his brother Eteocles due to the fact that he is viewed as a traitor to Thebes. Creon and Antigone both display the qualities of a tragic hero, but Creon would be more qualified. First off, both characters are born into nobility. Creon’s noble background puts him in the position to be king after the death of his nephews. In order to establish Creon’s credibility as leader, the Choragus introduces him as the “new King…of Thebes, Menoeceus’ son” (i.1-2). By directly addressing Creon as the king, his status as a higher power is clearly recognized. Similarly, Antigone’s aristocracy derives from her father who is King …show more content…
Creon’s authoritative demeanor is not only directed towards the citizens, but his family as well. In fact, during a heated argument with Creon, Haemon describes his father as “a man who maintains that only he has the power/ To reason correctly, the gift to speak the soul- /A man like that, when you know him, turns out empty” (iii. 76-78). Haemon emphasizes that a man who is controlling and leaves no room for change is empty inside. In this case, that man is Creon and his strong- willed personality is causing him to make unwitting mistakes that he will pay for later. Likewise, Antigone’s inflexible behavior becomes damaging to her well-being. She announces to Ismene that she “will bury [Polyneices herself]… And even if [she] dies in the act, that death will be a glory” (Pro. 55-57). Antigone is so headstrong that she would risk her life just to prove a point. Someone who is stubborn and will not allow for change will cause detrimental damage to themselves just like Creon and Antigone
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