Charlene Pattillo |
Miramar
College |
11
September 2007 |
Sophocles’ Antigone: A Character Analysis
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| In Sophocles’ play Antigone, we are shown a kingdom in crisis. Royal sisters are forced to make decisions affecting the remainder of their lives. A King is insecure about his authority in Thebes. A family is destroyed by pride. As the action unfolds we become aware that although they are sisters, Antigone’s character is opposite of Ismene’s and, she has more in common with King Creon’s character. |
| After the tragic death of their father Oedipus, Antigone and Ismene have to deal with the deaths of their brothers Eteocles and Polyneices. Early in the play we see the distinction between Antigone and Ismene. Antigone decides to bury Polyneices, going against Creon’s order that his body remain above ground. Law-abiding Ismene tries to talk Antigone out of it and will not help her bury their brother. Antigone, however, is stubborn and reveals that she feels the greater crime would be to go against the gods (Schmidt 1095). Antigone is strong-willed and does not see King Creon as someone that can prevent her from doing what she feels is right. She tells her sister, “Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way” (Schmidt 1095). Ismene, who is intimidated by Creon, on the other hand, says, “We cannot fight with men, Antigone!” (Schmidt 1095). Later, after Antigone has been caught disobeying Creon’s order, Ismene is ready to face punishment with her sister, even though she did not participate in the crime. Antigone does not feel that she has “earned” that right and tells her, “You shall not lessen my death by sharing it” (Schmidt 1104). This final rebuke shows us how much these sisters are at odds. Antigone further illustrates the divide by telling Ismene, “You are alive, but I belong to Death” (Schmidt 1105). |
| The characters of Antigone and Creon are more alike. Both show contempt for those who oppose them. Antigone admonishes Ismene for not helping her to bury their brother (Schmidt 1096). Creon shows the same contempt for Antigone for disobeying his law (Schmidt 1104). He also turns against his son Haimon when he disagrees with Creon and remains loyal to Antigone (Schmidt 1108-1109). Antigone and Creon are both boastful. Antigone boasts of burying her brother even though she broke Creon’s law to do it. She shows no remorse when she speaks to the King about her crime (Schmidt 1103). Creon is boastful when he publicly declares it unlawful to bury Polyneices’ body (Schmidt 1098), even though it goes against the law of the gods (Schmidt 1103). Creon and Antigone are loyal family members. Antigone is loyal to Polyneices when she buries him despite the King’s orders, and when she tries to prevent Ismene’s death after she is accused of being a co-conspirator. Creon shows loyalty to his son by saving him from marrying Antigone, whom he considers a “wicked” woman (Schmidt 1105). Finally it is the pride of both Antigone and Creon that leads to their destruction. Antigone has too much pride to comply with Creon’s order to leave Polyneices unburied and dies because of it, and Creon has too much pride to overturn his decision to imprison Antigone and loses his loved ones because of it. |
| Throughout Antigone we see strength, weakness, loyalty, tragedy and pride. Ultimately we see how different two sisters can be, and how alike two adversaries can be. |