Antigone

A detailed Summary of Antigone

In the story Antigone, the King of Thebes, Creon, showed that too much power will corrupt anyone. As Creon became the one with total control, his character, judgment, and his principals deteriorated. Antigone was written by Sophocles. He did an excellent job of showing how absolute power will corrupt absolutely. Using Creon's utmost authority, Sophocles told of how everything he once stood for had crumbled.

Antigone begins by telling of a Theban royal family which is in much turmoil. There are many characters focused upon in Antigone, but only a few are worth mentioning. Antigone starts with Antigone (niece of Creon) and her sister Ismene talking about how their father Oedipus died, and because of his death, the family undertook some very hard times. Their brothers Eteocles and Polynices have just died in a fight against each other; Eteocles, fighting for the city; Polynices, fighting against the city and crowned the supposed 'traitor'. When the two died Eteocles, because he fought for the city, was given full burial rites, while Polynices was given absolutely no burial rites of any kind because he was a traitor. Creon decreed his burial forbidden along with any mourning throughout the city. Because

Her stubborn uncle insisted that she pay the price for her crime, a crime which was to be punishable by death. He took her to a rocky vault and walled her inside where she was to die for her crime. When Creon got back, his son Haemon started to argue about the fate of Antigone. Haemon was going to marry her, but now his own father wanted her dead. Haemon, therefore, vowed never to return unless his love was released. Creon refused to agree to free Antigone, so Haemon storms out, and goes to first bury Polynices, then to find Antigone. Little did he know that his efforts would fall near shy of what was necessary. When Haemon finds Antigone she had already hung herself. Creon arrives a short while after Haemon finds his love dead only to find a thrusting sword to his chest. But Haemon misses, and resorts to killing himself. Creon's wife Eurydice hears from a messenger that her last living son killed himself and blames it on her husband. She then takes it upon herself to take her own life. Creon, being the all-knowing, arrives and acknowledges that everything is his fault and asks to be taken away. He is brought to the palace, and that is where the play ends, with Creon basically gone mad in his own doing.

Creon's leadership was hurt greatly because of his unhonorable character. Creon states that there are other women for his son to love when he states "There are other fields for him to plow". (lines 642-643) Creon also believes that no matter what the circumstances, his son should obey his father's request. He tells of this when he says "That's how you ought to feel within your heart, subordinate to your father's will in every way". (lines 713-714) Creon took his power a step too far by insisting that everyt

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Approximate Word count = 1159
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English