Introduction
Antigone is a mythological play by Sophocles where Creon and Antigone play the leading roles. Creon is the nation’s king and Antigone’s uncle. Antigone comes from a royal lineage which Creon takes over after the death of all male heirs who could ascend the throne. Thus, Creon gets more power than Antigone because of his position as king and a male in ancient times. People often compare and contrast the characters of Creon and Antigone because they form the conflicting values of the plot while seeming alike. Although both characters come from a royal family, Creon has more power than Antigone. Antigone is defiant and follows her rules, which irked the king’s authority. Both characters act on what they believe in, leading to a series of unexpected events which end tragically. This essay discusses the two characters’ conflicting yet similar values and ideologies, which lead to their tragic ends.
Main Body
It is essential to understand the conflicting issue of the play, which presents the contradicting yet similar views of the two characters. The play revolves around conflicting values between Antigone and King Creon. The play begins when Antigone and her sister Imene lose their two brothers in a duel. Their uncle Creon becomes king and orders the burial of only one brother. The king’s decree dictates that the brother receiving decent burial died an honorable death while the other must be left unburied according to the laws of the land since his death was not worthy. However, Antigone protests against the decree and states that everyone is entitled to a proper burial. She buries her brother against the king’s command and faces Creon’s wrath and judgment. Despite being family, Creon sentences Antigone to death by stoning. The play ends tragically when Antigone commits suicide in her cell because she considers death more freeing than living in an unfair society.
Antigone portrays the image of a selfless being ready to sacrifice anything for her family and beliefs. She is sensitive to others’ plight, which leads her to defy the land laws to ensure the comfortability of those she loves. When the play begins, Antigone persuades her sister Ismene to help her bury their brother to his justice in life and death. When the sister refuses, Antigone does not convince the matter future but insists on burying him alone. The tragic heroine further asks her sister not to help her to avoid the punishment of defying the royal decree. Although the brother is dead, Antigone still feels his pain of being remembered as a traitor undeserving of a decent burial. She would rather defy the king and gods to ensure her brother’s name remains pure and heroic throughout history. The character is known heroically for her sacrifice in providing a proper burial for her brother.
Unlike Antigone, Creon is individualistic and unempathetic to sensitive issues. According to the king, his law is final regardless of kin. As a king, Creon has all power and authority to nullify the decree, but he refuses. The king believes that conceding to others’ plea for penance or showing regard to the family on matters concerning the state makes him a weak leader. Hence, despite the kinship he held for Antigone and her late brother, he does not agree to a proper burial and punishes Antigone for her defiance. He runs the country strictly and opposes any ideas that may challenge his power regardless of the consequences. The king does not empathize with his son’s grief over losing Antigone since they were betrothed. While Antigone’s love and commitment to her family flow naturally, the king is opposed to ideas of love, humanity and compromising his power for fear of losing respect from the population.
Both characters are proud and stubborn to the extent of ruining their lives. Antigone proudly stands for what she believes is right and fair even when her stand defies the laws of the land. As a woman, refusing the king’s decree shows her extent of defiance and stubbornness, which causes her captivity. Despite the lack of power and inferior gender, Antigone faces the king with pride and tells him of his weakness as a leader. Although she advocates for fairness, she does so without regard to authority and believes her actions are justifiable. When the king discovers her actions, Antigone fearlessly owns up to burying her brother against the royal decree and accepts the formidable punishment. Historically, Antigone is among the women who defied gender inferiority and stood for their beliefs regardless of the consequences.
Similarly, Creon is proud and unrelenting in his seat of power. Nothing moves the king’s resolve to lift the decree and allow a proper burial to his nephew. His family’s pleas make him more stubborn because he believes in his decisions as a leader. He even goes against the community’s tradition and rituals of burying the dead, which defy the laws of the gods. He believes that being relentless and unmerciful can gain him respect from his people. After sentencing Antigone to captivity, Creon dismisses the prophet warning because he thinks no one has more knowledge and understanding of the law than the king. Creon’s pride makes him an authoritarian leader who refuses to listen to his people’s pleas and the gods. Despite the similarity, Antigone uses her pride and stubbornness for a more significant and more reasonable cause, whereas the king uses his pride for immoral and selfish gains.
Both characters are quick to judge and anger situations and make hasty decisions that cause severe consequences in the play. Creon does not think twice when he orders for the decent burial of one brother over the other. His family’s plea does not change his mind or attitude towards the unfair treatment since he is the ultimate power. When the kings’ watchmen inform him of Antigone’s actions of giving the brother a decent burial, Creon quickly dismisses their allegations as lies to cover their greed for bribes. Additionally, the king receives almost all news with outbursts of rage regardless of the person giving the information. It angers him that his peel could disobey his decree and when he discovers the truth, the king sentences Antigone to the death penalty although they have a close kinship. He dismisses prophet Teiresias’s warning angrily and accuses him of being bribed and manipulated to cause him harm. His hasty and poor judgment causes his and his family’s tragic end, including Antigone.
Although Antigone does not have fits of anger, her actions show hasty decisions out of anger. When she discovers the unfairness regarding her brother’s burial, she is angry and quickly tells Ismene to help her with the proper burial ritual for Polyneices. Although she approaches the king calmly about the matter, she is seething inside and irks the king more by standing her ground and pointing out Creon’s weaknesses. Antigone buries her brother alone without waiting for others’ help or the king’s relent on the issue. Her quick decision-making shows Antigone’s passion, strength, and independence when facing challenges. Finally, the tragic heroine makes a hasty decision to kill herself before the mob stones her to death without thinking of possible pardon or an escape. Although it is heroic, the decision is poorly made since committing suicide is still against the laws of God and man. Despite the similarity, Antigone’s decisions come from the need to find justice, while Creon’s results from power and mistrust in his people.
Both characters have a deep commitment to their duties and responsibilities. Antigone shows her dedication and passion towards the gods and her family in all her actions. She believes in the ways of the gids more than those of man. Her sense of responsibility lies solely in her family’s wellness and being right before the gods regardless of the consequences. According to the communities’ traditions, the gods demand that all dead bodies be appropriately buried with the necessary ritual. Thus, Antigone’s duty and commitment to doing right push her to give Polyneices a proper burial. When Ismene refuses to help her, she takes it upon herself to find justice and become a traitor if it means saving their family’s reputation. Antigone’s commitment and belief in the gods lead to her death, where she believes the next life will be better. Her ideologies conflict with man’s, but due to her love and sense of duty, she defies everything to be on rights with the gods. Likewise, Creon also has a profound commitment to duty and his responsibilities as a ruler. The king denies proper burial for his nephew because he has been an outsider since banishment. According to the king, the state’s laws come before kinship, and he stands firm in what he believes to be right by his people. Antigone’s punishment also shows Creon’s commitment to his duty of ensuring fairness and equality among all citizens. Contrary to Antigone’s sense of responsibility, Creon’s adherence to the laws of man defies the gods, which leads to his tragic end. His view on the gods is vague, making him reluctant to reason and listen to prophecies that dictate the community’s lifestyle and future. Despite their different ideologies and commitments, they both suffer tragically due to their individual beliefs.
Conclusion
Antigone and Creon hold similar attributes despite the different approaches to beliefs and ideologies. They both make hasty decisions and are quick to anger when solving situations. The kings’ decisions lead to his family’s suffering while Antigone hastily takes her life to avoid further torture. The two characters show an outstanding commitment to their values and beliefs, where they act diligently in satisfying their goals. While Antigone’s loyalty and duty lie with the gods, Creon has more concerned with his image, fairness to all, and the laws of man. The two characters are also possessed prideful and stubborn personalities. Antigone’s pride leads her to defy the kings’ orders and bury the brother. On the other hand, Creon’s pride and stubbornness make him a tyrannical ruler without a sense of selflessness and regard for the gods and elders. The most distinct difference between Creon and Antigone is their regard for family. While Antigone shows empathy and willingness to sacrifice for family, Creon is cruel and lacks remorse for the suffering of others. All in all, the conflicting values of these two characters cause tragic ends at the end of the play.