Similarities Between Creon and Antigone
Similarities between Creon and Antigone
In Sophocles' play Antigone, Creon was engaged in a conflict with Oedipus' daughter Antigone. Creon and Antigone did not see eye-to-eye the entire play due to extreme differences. Creon and Antigone had many similarities despite their enormous discrepancies. Having as many differences as they did, it made them uniquely similar in numerous ways. The similarities that Antigone and Creon shared were independence, loyalty toward their views, cruelty and arrogance ("The Similarities"). The connection shared by Antigone and Creon showed that as hard as Sophocles tried to make them diverse, he made them unintentionally equivalent at the same time. What does it mean to be independent? According to Webster's New World Dictionary, it means "to be free from the influence or control of others" ("Independent"). Antigone and Creon both showed that they would not be influenced or controlled by anyone, regardless of the situation. Antigone showed her independence by refusing to obey Creon's law. His law stated that traitors could not have a proper burial in Thebes, but be left for the birds and dogs to devour. Creon also stated that if anyone was caught giving the body a proper burial then that person would be killed, but Antigone did not care and insisted on burying her dead brother. Ismene, Antigone's sister, wanted no part of burying her brother because she was afraid of the consequences. Antigone did not care if her sister was going to help, but proclaimed to her, "I won't insist,/ no, even if you should have a change of heart,/ I'd never welcome you in the labor, not with me" (Antigone ll 81-83). After her sister refused to assist her with the burial, she acted independently and attempted to put her brother's body to rest. Antigone's actions in the play showed that she was not going to wait for others to help her, but she was going to take initiative and act as an independent person. Whether she was right or wrong, she showed the
In Sophocles' play Antigone, Creon was engaged in a conflict with Oedipus' daughter Antigone. Creon and Antigone did not see eye-to-eye the entire play due to extreme differences. Creon and Antigone had many similarities despite their enormous discrepancies. Having as many differences as they did, it made them uniquely similar in numerous ways. The similarities that Antigone and Creon shared were independence, loyalty toward their views, cruelty and arrogance ("The Similarities"). The connection shared by Antigone and Creon showed that as hard as Sophocles tried to make them diverse, he made them unintentionally equivalent at the same time. What does it mean to be independent? According to Webster's New World Dictionary, it means "to be free from the influence or control of others" ("Independent"). Antigone and Creon both showed that they would not be influenced or controlled by anyone, regardless of the situation. Antigone showed her independence by refusing to obey Creon's law. His law stated that traitors could not have a proper burial in Thebes, but be left for the birds and dogs to devour. Creon also stated that if anyone was caught giving the body a proper burial then that person would be killed, but Antigone did not care and insisted on burying her dead brother. Ismene, Antigone's sister, wanted no part of burying her brother because she was afraid of the consequences. Antigone did not care if her sister was going to help, but proclaimed to her, "I won't insist,/ no, even if you should have a change of heart,/ I'd never welcome you in the labor, not with me" (Antigone ll 81-83). After her sister refused to assist her with the burial, she acted independently and attempted to put her brother's body to rest. Antigone's actions in the play showed that she was not going to wait for others to help her, but she was going to take initiative and act as an independent person. Whether she was right or wrong, she showed the
Cited: Agnes, Michael. Webster 's New World Compact Office Dictionary. 2002. The Similarities between Creon and Antigone. 1996. 03/14/2005 Sophocles. Antigone. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1982.