Antigone Play Analysis - 1803 Words

Antigone is a very interesting play that was enjoyable to read. This play is somewhat long, but reads quickly as the characters in the play are interesting to learn about and understand. I liked how Antigone is a strong female heroine with a sense of righteousness and courage, especially when it was set and written in a time when male heroes were more common. The exposition of this play, that is spoken through the chorus right after Ismene and Antigone first dialogue at the beginning of the play, is that a civil war went on lead by their two brothers Polyneices and Eteocles. The war has now ended with both of the brother’s deaths and Creon in charge. The death and tragedy of King Oedipus also marks as a part of the exposition. The inciting†¦show more content†¦This causes the climax, when Creon has finally decided to let Antigone go, only to find out that she has committed suicide due to failing her goal to have her brother’s soul rest in piece. The dramatic question of this play is whether it is right to disobey the laws of man if it is right by the laws of the gods. Antigone decides that it is the gods’ laws that are to be obeyed rather than human laws and acts accordingly. As a result, Antigone is the protagonist of this play because her actions are the direct focus and defining factors that illustrate the playwrights meaning and purpose. She is also the character that directly and with zeal, acts in response to the inciting incident. In contrast, Creon, is the antagonist, that prevents Antigone from accomplishing her goal to bury her brother. He believes throughout the play that his laws dominate over the laws of the gods, and is punished as a result. This is seen in the resolution of the play, as due to Creon’s tyranny and Antigone’s death, Haemon and Creon’s wife decide to follow in Antigone’s footsteps in ending their own lives. This resolution appearing at the end of the play, and r evealing the lesson for Creon that pride destroyed him. During this time period, Greece was in a moment of imperialism and nationalism. This country believed itself to be the best country and was actively trying toShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Play Antigone 1117 Words   |  5 Pagesjourney to fill the void inside of him and search for the enlightenment that he craves. Before he experiences his awakening, he faces many obstacles and fights many battles between his internal values and the values of the world. Likewise, the play Antigone is the story of a tragic hero who defies the rules of her society in order to do what she feels is morally just. She is eventually charged with treason and sentenced to death by the society because of her act of heroism. It is made evident, inRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Antigone 933 Words   |  4 Pageswhom they worshiped. 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One of the conflicts in Antigone, is the struggle between the twoRead MoreJustification of Creon in Antigone by So phocles Essay994 Words   |  4 PagesJustification of Creon in Antigone by Sophocles Antigone is a tragic play written by Sophocles in about 441b.c. The play is a continuation of the curse put upon the household of Oedipus Rex. Sophocles actually wrote this play before he wrote Oedipus, but it follows Oedipus in chronological order. The story of Antigone begins after the departure of Oedipus, the king of Thebes, into self-exile. Oedipus’ two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, were left to rule over Thebes. An argument over rightsRead MoreGender Roles In Antigone1547 Words   |  7 PagesIn Sophocles’ Antigone, gender roles are a major conflicting theme throughout the entire play. The setting of the play was written during the Greek mythological days, around 442 B.C. During these days, men were dominant and held all of the power, so women were automatically treated as less. Antigone and Creon portray the conflicting sides between male and female, and Ismene and Haemon portray opposing sides to Antigone and Creon’s actions. Antigone, Ismene, C reon, and Haemon each show differencesRead MoreAnalysis And Comparison Of Ophelia And Antigone1485 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis and Comparison of Ophelia and Antigone Analysis of Antigone Antigone s story begins in the middle of things as the audience is expected to be aware of her background. Antigone firmly believed that she and her sister were the final victims of a curse that was placed upon their family long ago. The rest of her family members had already paid the price of the evil, and it was, therefore, their destiny to die as well. 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It features two central characters: Antigone, a girl who chooses to illegally bury her brother, and Creon, a king who decrees the burial of the brother to be illegal. Upon the first encounter of the text, it appears that Antigone is the â€Å"hero† of the play, but on further analysis, one realizes that the tra gic hero, as defined by Aristotle, is actually Creon. The idea