Setting - The drama begins at dawn, after a night in which there has been a war in Thebes between armies led by the two sons of Oedipus. Keep in mind that the Greek theater was in the open air, and that the first performances of the day would begin at daybreak. Thu s, imagine that the time of day of the setting would be identical to the performance time.
As you read the first scene, consider the gravity of the city's condition and how aware Antigone seems of it.Throughout the play, Antigone and Creon will talk much about friends and enemies. Think about what each means by these terms. In general, Antigone and Creon tend to use the same words but mean different things by them. For example, consider Antigone's reference to being a "traitor" . This is a political term; does Antigone mean a traitor to the city, or to something else? Why does Antigone assume that Creon's order is directed against her and Ismene?
Read others responses before you write your own. You may reference each others' ideas, but give credit where credit is due!
Corey
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In the play Antigone by Sophocles, I believe that when Antigone says “no one will ever convict me of being a traitor”, she means a traitor to the Gods. When Creon says Antigone is a traitor, he is referring to her as a traitor to the city of Thebes. When Creon declared that Polyneices cannot be buried, and Antigone went against his word, he also viewed her as directly going against Thebes. She broke the law, and must be punished for her actions, according to Creon. However, Antigone believes that Creon’s word means nothing compared to the Gods. At the time Antigone was written, the people believed that in order to proceed on to the afterlife, they must first receive a proper burial. If Polyneices was not buried, he would aimlessly wander the Earths for eternity. Antigone knows that the Gods will not punish her for this, so she buries him anyway, fully aware that she will be caught and be sentenced to the same fate that Polyneices originally was. Antigone assumes Creon’s order is directed against her and Isemene because it is clear that Creon does not like Polyneices, due to the battle between them. Creon knows that they love their brothers, and would not want to see one of them suffer for eternity. He wants to prove Antigone to be a traitor, and this is the way to do it.
The play Antigone by Sophocles contains many references to being a traitor and dispersing what it legally right from what it morally right. Creon says that no one will be allowed to bury Polyneices, however Antigone does not adhere to this rule. She feels that it is her moral duty to bury her brother because during those times if one was not buried then they would eternally walk the earth suffering. This is shown when Antigone says “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” (208.) Antigone may legally be a traitor to the city by going against the law but she is not a traitor to herself or the gods because she has put her bother to rest at last. Antigone references the unwritten laws of the gods and these are the rules which she abides to. On the other hand Creon is very set to the laws of the city so when he calls Antigone a traitor he means that she has broken the law. Also when he calls Polyneices a traitor that is because he broke the law but morally it was Eteocles who was wrong. It seems that Creon only cares about the rules and laws of the city. He does not see what it morally right or wrong. Antigone assumes that Creon’s order is directed against her and Ismene because Polyneices was their brother. They would be the only two in the city willing to risk their lives to help their bother. No of the other people would risk eternal suffering for someone who they have been told is a traitor. This rule was made for Antigone and Ismene. Antigone and Creon have different views on what is right and what is wrong.
ReplyDeleteCreon and Antigone both have very different views on laws and ethics. Creon makes the law forbidding anyone from burying Polyneices because he finds his actions legally wrong, while they were ethically correct because of the agreement made between him and Eteocles. Antigone and her sister, Ismene do not share their opinion of their brothers' fighting, but do find Creon's proclaimation wrong because he is denying someone the right to a peaceful afterlife. As Ariana mentioned, it did not matter to Antigone that she was risking her life to bury Polneices, because she did not see it as wrong. It may have been illegal, but she knew the Gods would forgive her because burying her brother would be morally right. Ismene was scared of the death she would face for supporting her sister, so chose not to participate in the burying. The concept of being called a "traitor" did not frighten Antigone; politically nothing mattered to her, as she tells Creon, "Your edict, King, was strong. But all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God."(208)Creon during this time was becoming frustrated by Antigone, because she confessed to the crime, but would not allow herself to be judged for her moral values. Creon does not understand Antigone's moral values due to his black-and-white legal laws he lives by, providing no empathy to Antigone and Ismene during their current situation.
ReplyDeleteIn the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone is faced with the very difficult choice between what is morally right by burying her brother, Polyneices, or what is lawfully right by letting her brother suffer by walking the Earth for eternity. Polyneices is faced with this severe punishment because he fought with his brother, Eteocles, over who gets the throne. After they both killed each other, Creon became king and since Eteocles was the current king at the time of his death, he was given a proper burial and given military honors. Polyneices on the other hand, was considered a traitor because he went against the king, even though he was supposed to be the ruler. Antigone does not care what happens to her, even if she is faced with the harsh punishment her brother currently has, and the reader knows this when she says to her sister, Ismene, "Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way" (191). By this she is saying that not matter what the consequences are, she is willing to stand up for what is morally the right thing to do and bury her brother, so he does not have to suffer on Earth. It is clear that Antigone and Creon have very differnt opinions on what should happen about Polyneices' death.
ReplyDeleteIn Sophocles' play, Antigone, there is an obvious battle between the law and ethics but the term traitor also plays a large part in the prologue and scene 1 and scene 2. King Creon creates a law that forbids anyone in the city from burying Polyneices after he fought his brother Eteocles in war. Creon gave Eteocles an honorary military burial but left Polynecies' body out on the plain and made his feelings about Polyneices clear when he says " the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like." (197) Antigone does not hesitate to break that law because her ethics tell her that the law is wrong. This is where the term traitor first ties into the story. Antigone confronts her sister Ismene asking if she too will go bury Polyneices despite what the law says stating, "Creon burried our brother Eteocles with military honors, gave him a soldiers funeral, but Polyneices, who fought as bravely and died as miserably- they say that Creon has sworn no one shall bury him." she then states to Ismene " There it is, and now you can prove what you are: a true sister, or a traitor to your family." (190) Antigone uses the term traitor in the form of an ultimatum by stating the choice with both a positive or negative side. Ismene however, feels that going against the law and becoming a traitor to Creon and her city is not worth the risk though she loves her brother dearly. She expresses her fears greatly throughout the conversation. For example, when Antigone declares that she is going to bury Polyneices, Ismene says " Bury him! ... But think of the danger, think of what Creon will do!" (191) In scene 1 Creon is told by the sentry that someone has disobeyed his law and has buried Polyneices. In scene 2, he is then told that it was Antigone and plans to punish her as a traitor to the city but Antigone has no regrets or fear because to herself, she is not a traitor to her brother or the gods.
ReplyDeleteIn the play Antigone by Sophocles, it is clear that Antigone and King Creon have different views between what is lawfully right and what is ethically right. In the prologue, we find out that Creon has banned anyone from burrying Polyneices and that his body must be left in the fields for the birds to eat him. During this time era people strongly believed that if a person was not buried than they would wander the earth, suffering forever. Being his sister, Antigone believed that it was morally wrong for her to leave her brother like that and she decided to go against the law to "save" him. From this decision, we can get that Antigone believes in putting ethics before the law. After telling her sister Ismene about her plan she says, "There it is, and now you can prove what you are: a true sister or a traitor to your family"(190). It is clear that Antigone believes that if Ismene does not help her that she will think of her as a "traitor". However she is not using the word traitor in the sense of the city, she is using it in the sense of the Gods. If Ismene does not want to help, Antigone believes that she is being a traitor to the gods, in an ethical way. However, Creon uses this term in a different way. He accuses Antigone of being a traitor to the city of Thebes because she went against his law as king. While Antigone and Creon are talking in scene 2, Antigone says how it was not wrong for her to go against his law because "it was not God's proclamation"(208). She is willing to face the consequences of what she did because in her mind it is right to die with honor.
ReplyDeleteAntigone and Creon have different views on whom their friends and enemies are. Antigone considers both of her brothers as her "friends" even though they were on opposing sides. Creon treats Eteocles, his king, as his friend, and Polyneices as his enemy for going against his king. After both die, Creon continues to favor the side of Eteocles, and forbids the burial of the body of Polyneices. He is considered a traitor by Creon because he goes against his exile and attacks the city of Thebes. Antigone also considers him to be a traitor, but she does not believe that he should not be buried because of this. When Creon makes his ruling on the burial of Polyneices, Antigone knows it is directed right to her and Ismene because they are the only ones who would think of his burial. Antigone goes against Creon, knowing she will probably be killed because of it.
ReplyDeleteAntigone and Creon have very different opinions on what is "right" concerning the burial of Polyneices. Creon is more concerned with what is right in terms of the law. He is most angry at Antigone for breaking the law that he had made. Antigone, on the other hand, is concerned with ethics. She believes that burying her brother was morally good and the right thing to do, even though it went against Creon's law. Another example of their differing views on law versus ethics is the use of the word "traitor" in their conversation. Creon believes that by defying the law that had been set, Antigone is a traitor to her city. Antigone thinks that a traitor is someone who goes against their ethics, and the act of burying her brother did not do this.
ReplyDeleteIn the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone and Creon have very different opinion on what is "right" and "wrong". Creon orders for Polyneices not to be buried so he can wander the earth in despair for all eternity. However, with this law, Creon is going against what the gods say. This poses the question, does Creon believe that he is better than the gods? Antigone is not afraid to go against Creon's law because of what she feels is morally right, and what the gods believe to be right. Antigone is a very stubborn person because whatever she believes is right, she will risk her life for, like how she is risking her life to bury Polyneices. She feels that if she does not bury her brother she will feel guilty for what she has not done, and she believes that no one should have to walk around the earth, suffering for all of eternity. Antigone and Creon have very different views of judicial laws, and the laws of the gods.
ReplyDeleteIn the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone and Creon use the term “traitor”, but when they use this term Creon and Antigone use it in different ways. In Scene II on page 209, Creon tells the servants to arrest Ismene that she is equally guilty as Antigone for breaking the law and that even though she did not act as a traitor her mind is still considered one. After the battle between the brothers, Creon advocated a law that Polynieces was not to be buried, due to him leaving Thebes and returning; he was no longer a citizen of Thebes. Creon knows that Antigone will do what she can to bury her brother and to show she has honor, and to prove this Creon will show how Antigone is a traitor to the city of Thebes and to her people.
ReplyDeleteOften, Antigone references being a "traitor." As Corey mentions, I agree that when Antigone says, "No one will ever convict me of being a traitor," she is referring to the gods. During this time and setting, many people shared a stern belief of the gods. Also looking at Antigone's family in the past, it is evident that she should feel the need to bring forth honor to the gods in order to maintain her fate. As we can tell, Antigone is willing to risk her life to bury her brother, and her greatest will is to die with honor. By completing this, she will also be fulfilling her ethical duties, or “laws of the gods,” even as she is going against the law. Antigone also mentions, “His own brother, traitor or not, and equal in blood.” (211) Here I believe she is referring to Polyneceis being a traitor to his brother, as they have fought and betrayed each other. Throughout the story there is a struggle between both of these references to being a “traitor.”
ReplyDeleteIn the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone and Ismene argue about what is right after her their brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles kill eachother. Their father in law, Creon has become king, and he is a man that lives by the law, and in no way will he disobey it not even for his family. Therefore he refuses to bury Polyneices because Eteocles was the king and by law you cannot go against the king. Creon gives Eteocles a military burial but as for Polyneices, Creon leaves him out in a field saying, "the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like." (197) Antigone lives by morals and she believes it is her duty to bury her brother Polyneices, even though it goes against the law and Creon. Ismene questions if this would make Ismene a traitor and Antigone replys, "No one will ever convict me of being a traitor." (191) Both Antigone and Creon have different ways of veiwing things, Creon lives by the law and Antigone by morals.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of traitors versus friends and ethics versus laws are huge controversies that cause conflict between the characters in Antigone. Antigone believes in what is ethically right and truly thinks it is her duty to honor her brother with a burial. Creon, however, placed the law forbidding the burial of Polyneices who was considered a traitor to Thebes. To Creon, the law outweighs what is morally right in any case, even if the case involves his family. Polyneices is a traitor to Creon regardless of family relations and since Creon believes the law triumphs all, Antigone knows she will be killed if she carries out the duty of burying her brother. Of course Antigone and Ismene feel this law is directed towards them because as women of this time, they were expected to honor their family members with the proper burial and this law is completely forbidding them from doing this. Despite the risks, Antigone's idea of a traitor differs much from Creon's so she follows through with the task of honoring her brother regardless if he is considered a traitor to Thebes. Antigone actually believes that a traitor is someone who goes against what is morally right and she demonstrates this when she accuses her own sister of being a traitor. The quote Ella used on page 190 that says "Now you can prove what you are : a true sister or a traitor" shows Antigone's feelings towards Ismene and her decision of not helping with the burial. Antigone is a strong believer that ethics and morals triumphs all while Creon believes the law is everything, and with these two opposing ideas, conflict has and will come from it.
ReplyDeleteIn the play Antigone, by Sophocles, both Antigone and Creon have very different meanings for the word “traitor”. When Antigone states, “no one will ever convict me of being a traitor” she is referring to being a traitor to the gods and moral laws. Creon decided not to bury her brother, Polyneices with honor, which at this time people believed to be the worst way to die, as their soul will not go to the gods. Antigone, believing that her brother deserves honor, decides it is only morally right to bury him, thus going against Creon's word. In doing so, Antigone is not a traitor to the gods and is not disobeying moral law, but is a traitor to Creon's law, which is the law of Thebes. Antigone further assumes that Creon's order is against her and Ismene because, they being the last remaining children of Oedipus, would more than likely be the ones to give Polyneices honor. On the other hand, when Creon uses the word traitor he means someone who is going against him and in that sense against Thebes, being that he is the King of Thebes and makes the state laws. Creon decided to not bury Polyneices because he felt it was what is right for the state of Thebes, being that Polyneices went against Thebes in the fight. So by disobeying the honor of Thebes and Creon, Antigone is a “traitor”. Basically, what Antigone had to decide between was the honor of her brother or the honor of her state, so she, feeling that moral law is more important, decided to go against the state and Creon and bury Polyneices.
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