Antigone with the aid of using Sophocles: Summary, Characters & Analysis

Introduction to Antigone

In the 1960s, Rosa Parks refused to offer her seat as much as a white individual and began out certainly considered one among the most important felony fights of the era. Granted, at the same time as that changed into a premeditated act of civil disobedience, in Antigone, a tragedy written with the aid of using Sophocles round 441 BCE, the heroine has a comparable choice. She chooses to disobey the regulation and bury her brother now no longer due to the fact she desires to make any large political declaration however due to the fact he has each proper to it. 

Antigone Summary
Antigone Summary

Summary of Antigone

Antigone starts off evolved with The sons of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polyneices, who’re preventing for the kingship of Thebes. Both guys die within side the battle. Their successor, Creon, comes to a decision that King Eteocles may be buried, however Polyneices, due to the fact he changed into main a overseas military, may be left on the sector of battle. Antigone, his sister, buries him anyway.

Antigone is stuck burying Polyneices and is condemned to loss of life. Her fiance and Creon’s son, Haemon, learns approximately this and attempts to persuade Creon to alternate his mind. It’s best then that the seer Tiresias seems. After a protracted discussion, he ultimately persuades Creon that the gods need Polyneices buried. By then it is too late — Antigone has hung herself, Haemon kills himself while he unearths her, and Creon’s spouse kills herself while she learns approximately her son.

Theme of Civil Disobedience

Greek custom dictated that a town changed into liable for burying its personal citizens. But Creon believes Polyneices forfeited that proper while he led a overseas military in opposition to its rightful king. Antigone would not care approximately that; she believes it would not be counted what her brother did, he nonetheless died a citizen of Thebes.

It is dawn, and the residence continues to be asleep. Antigone sneaks in and the Nurse seems and asks in which she has been. Suddenly Simeone enters, additionally asking in which Antigone has been. Antigone sends the Nurse away for coffee. Is mane publicizes that they can’t bury Polynices and that she need to recognize Creon’s intentions. Antigone refuses and bids Simeone to head again to bed. Suddenly Haemon enters and Antigone asks Haemon to maintain her with all his strength. She tells him that she can be able to in no way be capable of marry him. Stupefied, Haemon departs. Simeone returns, terrified that Antigone will try and bury Polynices no matter the daylight. Antigone famous that she has already accomplished so.

Later that day, the frightened First Guard enters and informs Creon that a person included Polynices’s frame with a bit dust ultimate night. He orders the guards to find the frame and maintain the problem secret. The Chorus seems and proclaims that the tragedy is on. Its spring is wound, and it’s going to uncoil with the aid of using itself. Unlike melodrama, tragedy is clean, restful, and flawless. In tragedy, the whole lot is inevitable, hopeless, and recognized. All are certain to their parts.

The Guards input with the suffering Antigone. The First proposes that they throw a party. Creon seems, and the First explains that Antigone changed into discovered digging Polynices’ grave with the aid of using hand in extensive daylight. Creon sends the guards out. Once he’s positive no person noticed Antigone arrested, he orders her to bed, telling her to mention that she has been ill. Antigone replies that she can be able to best exit once more tonight. Creon asks if she thinks her being Oedipus’s daughter places her above the regulation. Like Oedipus, her loss of life need to appear the “herbal climax” to her existence. Creon, on the alternative hand, devotes himself best to the order of the kingdom. Antigone’s marriage is really well worth extra to Thebes than her loss of life.

Antigone insists that he can’t store her. Enraged, Creon seizes her arm and twists her to his side. Antigone comments that Creon is squeezing her arm too tightly, however his draw close not hurts. Creon releases her. He is aware of his reign makes him loathsome however he has no choice. Antigone rejoins that he must have stated no; she will be able to say no to something she thinks vile. While ruined, she is a queen. Because Creon stated yes, he can best sentence her to loss of life. Creon asks her to pity him then and live. Antigone replies that she isn’t right here to recognize, best to mention no and die.

Creon makes a very last appeal, pronouncing that Antigone desires to recognize what is going on within side the wings of her drama. As a child, she need to have recognized her brothers made her dad and mom unhappy. Polynices changed into a cruel, vicious voluptuary. Being too cowardly to imprison him, Oedipus allow him be part of the Argive military. As quickly as Polynices reached Argos, the tries on Oedipus’ existence began. But Eteocles, Thebes’ martyr, too plotted to overthrow his father. Both had been gangsters. When Creon despatched for his or her bodies, they had been discovered mashed collectively in a bloody pulp. He had the prettier one delivered in.

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