Preview

Examples Of Hubris In Antigone

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
154 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Examples Of Hubris In Antigone
The quality of Antigone's beliefs and even hubris began to entomb her own self being. Antigone would not allow Creon to leave Polynices’ corpse unburied due to the idea that it would be an offence against their gods, and immoral to the dead when leaving them to roam among the living. Bravely attempting to to give her brother’s “traitorous” branded body a proper burial, against Creon’s directive, Antigone was captured and condemned to death row. Antigone had said to Ismene, “Yes. Save yourself. I shall not envy you. There are those who will praise you; I shall have honor, too.” (445) She had truly prepared to die, accepting her defeat yet prideful victory through refusing direct laws set by Creon and burying Polynices. Even though Antigone’s

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the Greek tragedy Antigone translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald, Antigone responds to Creon’s unjustified decree by honoring her brother Polyneices, after he dies. After Antigone’s father dies, her two brothers fight for the throne. King Creon, the new King of Thebes, sides with the other brother Eteocles and buries him with honor and for him to seek happiness after life. However, Creon leaves Polyneices to decay as a way to tell his people that Polyneices will be going to hell and find no happiness in his afterlife. Not only does Creon leave Polyneices alone to rot, he creates an unjustified decree to forbid anyone to show honor towards him in any way. Antigone opposes Creon’s biased decree. Antigone’s decision to defend Polyneices…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Even though Antigone feels sorry for herself, she still thinks she did nothing wrong. As Antigone is being led to toward the vault, she is talking to the Chorus about her death. She complains that she will die “‘Unwept, friendless, with no marriage hymn, unfortunate, I am taken down the prepared road”’ (4.882-884). She keeps complaining throughout the whole walk with the Chorus. Antigone feels that she will die unlamented, but the Chorus thinks she will be remembered for her bravery. The Chorus thinks that her anger is what led her to her own demise, but thinks she did the right thing. When they approach Creon, he still doesn’t change his mind, but Antigone doesn’t care because Polyneices was the only family left, so she had to bury him. The…

    • 147 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Inner Turmoil in Antigone

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Antigone proves herself to be a very loyal family member when she states, “That must be your excuse, I suppose. But as for me, I will bury the brother I love” (Pro. 64-65). She cares not of the law set forth by Creon when it conflicts with her beliefs concerning loyalty to loved ones. She chose the law of the gods above all other decrees, disregarding that the cost is her life. Even after the body’s guards brush off the thin layer of dust to negate the effect of the prompt burial given by Antigone, the heroine risks life and limb to see that Polynieces receives a proper burial, and she is arrested in the process. Her retort to Creon’s accusations was, “I do. I deny nothing.” Antigone is confident in her choice at this point. She even stands up for Ismene’s fraud confession, and she will “not have [Ismene] help” because Antigone’s loyalty to her family is too great (1. 132).…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone asserts that divine law will always subjugate Creon’s laws. Creon issued a royal edict that declared Polyneices body was to remain unburied and anyone who buried it or performed the burial rites would be stoned to death. Despite the punishment, Antigone asks her…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    First of all, Antigone says to Creon “But if I’d allowed my own mother’s dead son to just lie there, an unburied corpse,then I’d feel distress.” (227-229). This quote shows how Antigone is doing the right thing by burying her brother and what Creon is doing to her brother Polyneices an act of injustice. This also shows how Antigone and Creon are different because she is being driven by the love she has towards Polyneices and Creon is being driven by the hate he has towards him. Second, Antigone says to Creon “But where could I gain greater glory than setting my own brother in his grave?” (570-571). This quote shows how Antigone is willing to disobey the law to give her brother a proper burial because of how much she loves him. This quote also shows how Antigone is determine to do what she thinks is right which is bury her brother Polyneices even though she would be disobeying orders. He doesn’t think women are the same as men because they disobey men’s…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone says the gods want her to bury Polynices, which she does. While burying her beloved brother, she is caught by the guard, taken to the palace where she awaits her fate. When she's is being questioned by Creon for her crime she announces to Creon “take me and kill me-what more do you want?” (Line 266). She accomplished what she needed and buried her brother. She does this bringing out Creon’s determination to kill anyone who buries Polynices, Even if it’s his son's fiancee. So determined to stick to his morals he responded “Me? Nothing. With that I have everything.” (Line 267). When she announced what she did to Creon it brought out his determination to kill anyone who buries Polynices, and nothing would stand in the way of his punishment, even if it meant deeply saddening his son with his Fiance’s…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Creon Tragic Hero Analysis

    • 1800 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Antigone's reasons for burying her brother were strictly to demonstrate love, loyalty, honor, and respect for her family and for her brother to be accepted in the gods' land. However, the main reason that Creon is angered is not the fact that Polynieces fought against his city, and yet the insult and betrayal of his own niece, especially by being a female figure who disobeyed him in public; it is even worse because she is his son's (Haemon) fiancé, and, therefore, his ego is quite damaged. "Go down below and love, if love you must – love the dead! While I'm alive, / no woman is going to lord it over me". The type of punishment given to Antigone was very severe and cowardly, in contrast to the main reason that caused…

    • 1800 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    She knew that Creon is the only man that believes a proper burial for Polynices is a crime. Antigone stands up to the most powerful man in Thebes while knowing the consequences, which is truly heroic because she chooses her own destiny. Although Antigone comes out as exceedingly ruthless by accepting her death, it is because of her heartfelt determination to honor her brother's death. Antigone cares for the dead more than the living.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Not only is the Antigone an incredible work of drama and tragedy, it encompasses a great moral argument that has two sides; Antigone or Creon. It can also be said that the argument being made in either case is larger than the prerogatives of just these two people and more an argument between obeying the will of man or the will of the gods. Creon’s argument is for the former because of his motivation to let Polynices’s body sit in the sun and rot without giving the body a proper burial. The burial would also allow the soul of Polynices pass into the underworld in the eyes of the Greeks. Not only does this act go against the traditions of the Greek…

    • 1598 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Antigone declares to all that she and she alone perform the burial rites for her brother, Polynices. A debate between civil law and natural law ensues between Creon and Antigone and with both sides unable to reach an agreement. Antigone in disbelief of his disposition in his principals will ask, how can Creon not think the gods do not find his law to be “uncorrupted or pure?” Creon acting as if an authoritative deity supplied him with the power to decide the fate of the dead will respond: “Never. Once an enemy, never a friend, not even after death.” The overall consensus: Antigone continues to uphold the law of the gods and Creon continues to defend his own law. However, Creon the arbitrator of Thebes orders the execution of…

    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Burial In Antigone

    • 852 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Continuing on, knowing the consequences of her act, she will bury her brother because it is the will of the gods that a family gives its members a proper burial. And because of this, she will face the punishment of death for disobeying Creon’s order. For fighting against Thebes, but Antigone being an honor sister will give him a proper burial knowing what he did. Creon by doing this will let the city know that by unburied Polynices action will show others to think before thinking in betraying their city if anyone had the intention to do it. Also since he's the king, he needs to gain the respect of the people. When at the same time it was…

    • 852 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Antigone, being Polyneice’s sister wants a proper burial for her brother because he after all no matter what action he may have taken is still her brother. She believes that if Creon orders Eteocles to receive a hero burial, her brother should deserve the same ending. However on the other hand, Creon refutes this idea and decides to bury Polyneice’s body in the field of battle to rot. He also proclaims that anyone who tries to honor the traitor’s death will be sentenced to death.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    King Creon Essay

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages

    King Creon is a cruel, heartless man, who didn’t care about anyone else but himself. In the story, Antigone and her sister Ismene planned to bury their brother Polynieces. However, King Creon ordered that Polynieces’ body must remain un- buried, so it would rot and animals would use it as food. He soon said if anyone disobeyed his orders, they would be sentenced to death. Creon found out that Antigone buried Polynieces, and abandoned Antigone in a secluded area so she could die alone. But, little did he know that was his fate all along. Creon deserves his fate, because he left Polynieces un- buried, he locked Antigone away, and his pride and arrogance was cruel to the people in his kingdom.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If she had been pliant and had conformed to the laws of Creon she would not have died. Antigone had a separate opinion on the matter and “she has never learned to yield” (II, 86). She was completely shameless in burying her brother and denied nothing. Actually, when her sister Ismene offered to keep Antigone’s actions a secret, Antigone thundered, “Oh tell it! Tell everyone” (Pro 76)! She “dared” to defy Creon, and did not fear the consequences of her actions (II, 65). She even put her pride above Creon as she said, “Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way” (Pro,…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Only Crime Is Pride

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Subsequent to the sentry bringing Antigone in for her illegal actions, Creon’s niece does not deny anything saying that she had to do it. The ruler of Thebes was appalled that she would ever commit such a crime. This discovery prompts the Choragos to say, “Like father, like daughter: both headstrong, deaf to reason! She has never learned to yield.” Showing that pride clouds her judgment and directly goes against her uncle and his laws to give Polynecies the honorable burial he deserved. Antigone knew that this crime was punishable by death but her pride would not let her oversee leaving her dead brother unburied like many of the other soldiers and open for the birds and dogs to eat. Oedipus’ daughter was so involved in doing the right thing that she to take her own life in the process. She says, “If I had left my brother lying in death unburied, I should have suffered. Now I do not.” This further exemplifies that she cares more about the pride of her family rather than her own life. Had Antigone obeyed the laws put in place by her uncle, she would not have been forced to die. Instead she could have gone on living a noble life in the city of Thebes.…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays