Essay On Polyneices In Antigone

In the play Antigone, the two brothers Polyneices and Eteocles had the opposite characteristics of each other. Polyneices showed that he was couargeous, and determind, Eteocles displayed that he is arrogant, competitive, and stubborn. In the play when Oedipus died (their father and brother) both agreed that they would take turns of being king of Thebes. When it was Polyneices’ turn Eteocles disagreed to let it be his turn and he was unfair to his brother. Eteocles forbid Polyneices to enter Thebes because he liked to rule it and doesn’t want to give it away. Polyneices went and gathered armies to battle his brother for the throne, this shows that Polyneices doesn’t give up easily and is brave to battle his enemy. At the end The brothers simultaneously stabbed each other and died at the same time. Some people think that Eteocles died how a man should die like his uncle thought. “Eteocles, who died as a man should die, fighting for his country, is to be buried with full military honors, with all the ceremony that is usual when the greatest heroes die.” Creon their uncle also quoted “Polyneices who broke the exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city
Antigone was full of hubris, she was very independent, she stands up on what she believes in. As for Ismene she was timid, follows the rules, she was also intimidated by her uncle Creon. When their two brothers died one was buried with “honor” but Polynecies wasn’t. Antigone fought for her brothers’ buriel and she also declared that she would die for him. Antigone quoted “ But I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy. I shall lie down with him in death.” This displays that she is willing to take a risk for her brother even though if she dies. Ismene is a coward when her uncle questioned her and she follows the