A Greek Tragedy Unfolding

Antigone by Sophocles centers around whether a person’s morality is stronger and more important than what rules society sets up for people to follow. Antigone struggles with the lack of burial for her brother, Polyneices, and devises her own plan to bury his body herself. Creon, on the other hand, decreed that if anyone were to bury Polyneices, that person will be sentenced to death. Is Creon right for following his own implemented written law or is his niece, Antigone right by following her own beliefs and doing what she believes is necessary? The readers get to see what happens when Antigone break the rules and Creon decisions, while facing the backlash of them.

Creon, now thrust into being the king of Thebes, creates a law to make sure no one buries his traitor nephew Polyneices. He and his brother, Eteocles, murdered each other trying to gain control of Thebes. The tale states that the men were taking turns in control until Eteocles rejected giving up the throne like he had promised. Polyneices, wanting the throne, declared a war and even brought in an enemy army to battle with. Creon and the other people of Thebes see Polyneices as the bad brother. Although Eteocles got so hungry for power that he went back on his word and didn’t step down like he said. Creon stated while discussing Polyneices, “you shall leave him without burial; you shall watch him chewed up by birds and dogs and violated” (Creon 224-225). This was a very serious offence in Ancient Greece, no body was ever left to rot, especially not someone’s own family member. But Creon thought that since Polyneices risked the lives of the people and declared war that he deserved the worst form of punishment, even if he was already dead.

Antigone struggles with this law, believing her brother is still her blood and deserves a burial just as Eteocles had. She’s willing to lie her life down for what she believed was right, which was what Creon thought was so wrong. Her brother died defending Thebes, both did. Antigone then asks her sister to help bury Polyneices, coming up with a plan and everything. Ismene disagrees saying, “extravagant action is not sensible” (Ismene 78). This quote shows that Ismene believes that Antigone’s being a bit ridiculous for wanting to bury their brother. Ismene also states how Creon forbid the burial but Antigone goes ahead with the plan as she felt she had too. When asked why she did it and knowing she was sentenced to die now, she clearly states, “So for such as me, to face such a fate as this is pain that does not count. But if I dared to leave the dead man, my mother’s son, dead and unburied, that would have been real pain” (Antigone 509-512). This quote means that to her, death is no pain compared to the pain and shame she felt for leaving her brother to rot in the streets unburied.

Ultimately, Antigone believed that to leave someone you care about rotting was completely wrong and needed to be rebelled against. Creon believed a traitor is a traitor and that Polyneices should not have went against the city and his brother. Both characters had strong believes that, when faced against one another, clashed and caused many unwanted consequences. Creon represents those who live by the written law and follow the rules set for them and Antigone represents moral law and following what you think is right.