Antigone Interpretive Essay Essay

The coquet, Antigone, pen around 422 B.C. by the author Sophocles, is the freshman of the three Theban plays written by this author. Although it was the counterbalance written, Antigone is the leash in the series coming after the plays Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. This play follows the story of a girl, Antigone and the king of the urban center of Thebes, Creon, who both have different legal opinions intimately Antigones dead brother Polyneices. Creon makes a rule that no one preserve bury Polyneices because he was a double-crosser to the urban center and attacked it with an enemy army. So as an insult to him, he will non permit his burial. Antigone, on the other slip away, believes that raze though what he did is wrong, that family is family and she has a compensate to bury him. She does so, defying Creons law, simply gets caught in the act and Creon sentences her to death. With this decision, he refuses to let go of, we see Creons contradictory opinions on l oyalty, by wanting what is exceed for the city yet he kills their princess, he kills his declare sons bride to be he pays more attention to himself and what he says is topper for the city, rather than his cause family, especially his wife.The first example of Creons contradictory opinions is his belief that e reallything he does is for the best of the city. As this repeat from Creon states, I say to you at the very outset that I have zilch but contempt for the kind of governor that is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that is best for the state and as for the man who sets private friendship above the public welfare- I have no use for him, either. (1/20-24/1027) he states his belief in the safety of the city and its the great unwashed, no matter what the cost is. So once Creon becomes aware of what Antigone has make, he stands by his word and orders her killed, thinking that if he lets her go the people will see him as weak and breaking his word, saying the p ractised of the people comes first, above all else. What he doesnt realize is that the opposite is true. The people become outraged with him because they feel that Antigone had a right to bury her brother as family, and because she is their princess. Nevertheless, Creon doesnt beware to anyone, and has his guards lock her in a stone vault, with some food, so as to say he did non kill her but she died of starvation.From this act, this is the beginning of his whirl d knowledgeward, and loss of respect from his own family. in advance long after hearing what his take has through with(predicate) with(p) to his bride to be, Haemon, Creons son, rushes to the castle, to try to persuade his founding fatherto spare her life. He feels she has really done no wrong. As usual, though, Creon does not listen to reason, charge by his own son, as seen in this quote, I will exact her far out-of-door, out there in the wilderness, and lock her living in a vault of stone. She shall have food, as the tailor-made is, to absolver the state of her death. And there let her require to the gods of hell they are her further gods (3/142-146/1045). by and by the argument with his father, Haemon flees the castle and isnt seen until frequently later. Close to the end of the play, Creon finally realizes his wrongs only to finger out it was too late. He goes to the tomb of Antigone to free her, only to find she hanged herself and Haemon at her feet crying. When Creon tries to apologize for his wrongs, now that he knows what he has done, Haemon, in a rage, ignores his fathers plea and takes his sword and strikes his father.Creon manages to narrowly escape the blade, which causes Haemon to become so enraged, he takes his sword and ends his own life in front of his father, and he dies there with Antigone. The third and final thing to happen to Creon, because of his opinions on loyalty, is that he neglects his own wife. While Creon is away stressful to right his wrongs, his wife re turns sign to the castle, where she is informed by the courier of what Creon has done. The messenger tells her how he sentenced Antigone to death, how Haemon tried to reason him but he didnt listen. And worst of all, how their own child swung at Creon and then took his own life. All of this news is too a great deal of a shock for her, so she leaves to her living quarters without a word, which the messenger finds a pip suspicious, so he follows to make confident(predicate) she is ok. At this time, Creon returns with the body of his son in arms, and talks with the choragus about all the affliction he has gone through in this day. Then, suddenly the messenger returns with even worse news, which Creon doesnt believe could be worse than what has already happened.The messengers tells him that his own wife took her life, She stood before the altar, and her heart welcomed the knife her own hand guided, and a great cry weaken from her lips for Megareus dead, and for Haemon dead, her sons and her last breath was a agony for their father, the murderer of her sons. And she fell, and the dark flowed in through her closing eyes. (Exodus/112-117/1060). From this, Creon cannot bear it any long-term and asks if everyone else is dead, where his death is, but he is fated to live with all he has done, remedy as king of the city. From all that Creon has wise to(p) in this play, from losing respect from thepeople, to being damned by his closet family, we can show that sometime what we think is best, may not be right, or may not be the best for everyone, or even yourself. I believe the message Sophocles was trying to convey to us, is that we must all regulate to care for the well-being of everyone by auditory sense to advice offered, and listening to the opinions of those you are trying so hard to protect.