Antigone Essay, Research Paper

Would you ever dare to disobey the law and risk your life for it just so you could do what you thought was right? In the play Antigone, the main character Antigone, had her actions rewarded by death. She had disobeyed the law made by Creon (the king) and therefore had to be punished. It seems as if she made her actions just so people would think of her as a heroine. What kind of evidence would make people think of her as a heroine or a good role model? The fact that she purposely disobeyed the law because she felt it was the right thing to do. And also because she did not deny her actions or go against her punishment. People might say that she should be admired because she stood up for herself and did what she thought was right.

I believe Antigone should be admired and worthy to be honored because she did not deny her actions of burying her brother when she knew that the law said not to.

Sentry.

We ran and took her at once. She was not afraid,

Not even when we charged her with what she had done.

She denied nothing.

Creon. And you, Antigone,

You with your head hanging- do you confess this thing?

Antigone. I do. I deny nothing. -pg. 502, lines 43-52

She didn’t lie to get her out of trouble nor blame her accused actions on someone else. I think that this would show and tell people not to be afraid to say or do what you think is right. Antigone would be a good role model for many people. She wanted to do the right thing for her dead brother. Yet her idea of the right thing to do didn’t agree with some people such as Creon. She didn’t care about anything else except to do the proper thing, giving her brother a proper burial. She wanted to do the unthinkable- to go and disobey a law that had just been recently made. People should know and learn that they too can change things that seem to be unchangeable if they believe that is the right thing to do, even if the results are death. She even knew the consequences of her actions and yet ignored them. Antigone even accepted her death when Creon found her guilty.

Antigone.

I knew I must die, even without your decree;

Living, as I live, with evil all about me,

Think death less than a friend? This death of mine

Is of no importance; but if I had left my brother

Lying in death unburied, I should have suffered.

Now I do not. -pg. 502, lines 64-72

Another reason on why I think she should be admired was in the beginning of the play when Antigone decided to disobey the law and bury her brother.

Antigone. Ismene, I am going to bury him. Will you come?

Ismene. Bury him! You have just said the new law forbids it.

Antigone. He is my brother. And he is your brother, too.

Ismene. But think of the danger! Think what Creon will do!

Antigone. Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way.

-pg. 492, lines 31-35

I admire her determination to bury her brother and that no one would stand in her way. Not even the person who created the law. She had a lot of confidence in her that made it kind of obvious that she was going to do what she intended to do. I think that people should look up to her for that characteristic; her determination and self confidence. People can learn from her that with self determination and self confidence, anyone can achieve anything. Antigone did what she wanted to do, give her brother a proper burial, but lost her life for doing it. That should teach people that doing something may risk your life but if you rather die with pride than live and suffer, then the decision is yours. But then sometimes, death is never always the answer.

In the play, the Chorus accuse Antigone of pride when they have a conversation with each other before Antigone is locked away in a vault of stone.

Chorus. Yet not unpraised, not without a kind of honor,

You walk at last into the underworld;

Untouched by sickness, broken by no sword.

What woman has ever found your way to death?

Antigone. How often I have heard the story of Niobe,

Tantalos’ wretched daughter, how the stone

Clung fast about her, ivy-close; and they say

The rain falls endlessly

And sifting soft snow; her tears are never done.

I feel the loneliness of her death in mine.

Antigone. Then let me go, since all your words are bitter,

And the very light of the sun is cold to me.

Lead me to my vigil, where I must have

Neither love nor lamentation; no song, but silence.

-pg. 512-513, lines 11-20 and 49-52

What I believe the chorus is saying is that they say that Antigone is going to die without praise or honor. No one killed her in a battle and she is not sick. Instead she chose to die and was probably the only woman ever known to do that. Antigone answers back as if she were looking forward to die so that she could reunite with her family who had already died. And so the Chorus is accusing her of pride because of this. I also have to agree because I don’t think no one would be looking forward to die unless it would be a lot better than living. Also in the play, she begs Creon to kill her, saying that she should have praise and honor for what she has done.

Antigone. Then I beg you: kill I should have praise

and honor for what I have done.

- pg. 503, lines 94-98

I agree with that but does she think that once she dies that people would go and protest to Creon saying what he did was wrong? And that then they will praise and honor her for what she has done?

So basically, Antigone should be considered an admirable person and worthy to be honored. She lost her life in disobeying the law just because of her determination of doing something right. She had a lot of guts to stand up to the law and the king, Creon. And when the king found her guilty, she didn’t deny it and faced the fact that she was going to die. Many people may think Antigone was a heroine, a role model or just some crazy woman who deserved to die. But for Antigone herself, she was considered as a tragic heroine.