Comparing Medea And Antigone

Medea and Antigone are two stories of passion drove women. Together the women of these stories break the law of man and go against the laws of gods both characters are controlled by their emotion. Medea and Antigone are both strong, sometimes- manipulative, Medea more than Antigone. The themes of both stories; in my mind, are women, passion, and spiritual beliefs. They also are drove by the actions of men in their lives. Both are very morally different and their actions are on completely different reasons.

Medea maybe the most conflicted of the two characters. She seems to have the most going on in this story. Medea is often very demanding in getting what it is that she wants. She will do what she needs to do in order to get what she wants.
She tries her hand at manipulation but is not as successful as Medea. Antigone tries, with no purpose, to persuade her sister, Ismene, to help her give their brother Polyneices a proper burial. This decision, to bury her brother, was very heroic in that even though she knew death was at stake, she knew where her loyalties lied. (560-575 Antigone)Antigone stands up to her uncle and tells him to his face that he has disobeyed the Gods decrees. "I did not intend to pay, before the gods, /for breaking these laws/because of my fear of one man and his principles." (562-4 Antigone)She accuses Creon of overstepping the laws of the gods, by relying on his own thinking. As is brought out later, Creon never listened to other people 's advice until it was too late. Antigone boldly faces up to the most powerful man, the King, knowing he could kill her in an instance, but still she tells him he is wrong. Antigone is unselfish, respectful, and virtuous; therefore, she makes the finest decision in the play. Also Antigone 's decision is wise because it shows her unselfishness through her action. Although her deed is wrong in the eyes of the law, it is true in her heart. When she says, "But I will bury him; and if I must die…I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as him to Me." (Antigone 168). she shows that she is prepared to sacrifice herself for her brother, which is very unselfish. Antigone tells Creon that it is up to the gods to judge her actions. Creon is made aware by his son Harmon that "there is no city possessed by one man only ' (Antigone 189). Creon then asks "is not the city thought to be the ruler 's?" (Antigone 189) Just because he is the ruler, he thinks he can control everything and the thoughts to the