Antigone Paper

Yang Thao
Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB
11/23/08
Antigone Paper
King Creon is guilty of many deaths within the house of Athens. His stubbornness as king, his unjust laws and his lack of understanding that no one has been blinded by money caused many lives to be lost today. His sin is worst then the one who have went against the laws and buried her brother as the laws of tradition have told her to.
Ever since king Creon’s reign, he has tried to be proficient with his stubbornness to try to avoid any more traitors. His stubbornness caused Creon to only depend on himself. He ignores Haemon’s words of wisdom that could have stopped this tragedy, but Creon only says “Men of my age are we indeed to be schooled, then, by men of his?”(Sophocles). That was not very wise of him as king, but something worst was ignoring Teiresias’ prophecy of the house of Athens grieving for the lost of many.
“ere one begotten of thine own loins shall have been given by thee, a corpse for corpses; because thou hast thrust children of the sunlight to the shades, and ruthlessly lodged a living soul in the grave” (Sophocles).
Creon’s unjust laws caused Antigone to revolt and bury her brother out of her kindness. Creon on the other hand didn’t see it that way; he saw it as a sign of betrayal and bribery that causes human to be corrupted. From here on out he started to think any bad news was due to bribery. “Well, the prophet-tribe was ever fond of money” (Sophocles).
Therefore Creon is guilty of causing the domino effect, by killing Atigone, Haemon suicides and then his wife suicides, leaving Creon to weep at his own downfall.
Creon could have prevented this tragedy.

Sophocles. “Antigone.” The Internet Classics Archive. Trans, R.C.Jebb. 04 oct 2000. classics. Mit.edu.23 Nov. 2008.
Sophocles.”Antigone.”

LRJ #2

Yang Thao

Ms. Peifer

English 10 IB

11/23/08

LRJ #2

Images that are used throughout the play of Antigone, was the picture of Antigone burying his brother not caring about the law of Thebes. “Nay, be what thou wilt; but I will bury him: well for me to die in doing that. I shall rest, a loved one with him whom I have loved, sinless in my crime” (Sophocles par.15). The imagery of Antigone’s generous action is constantly used as a sign to show others the right thing to do even if it’s defying the law of the king.

In this story, Creon’s fatal flaw was defying the prophecy of his downfall if he killed Antigone. He still killed Antigone and it caused others to suicide one by one. Not only was losing his family a fatal flaw, cut he also lost respect of his citizens. They would no longer view him as a good king but as a tyrant who murdered his family.

“Woe for the sins of a darkened soul, stubborn sins, fraught with death! Ah, ye behold us, the sire who hath slain, the son who hath perished! Woe is me, for the wretched blindness of my counsels! Alas, my son, thou hast died in thy youth, by a timeless doom, woe is me!-thy spirit hath fled,-not by thy folly, but by mine own!” (Sophocles par.334)

Creon completes anagnorisis at the end of the play when it was too late to do anything about it. He then realizes his stubbornness, and his cruelty done to Antigone. “Ah me, this guilt can never be fixed on any other of mortal kind, for my acquittal! I,even I, was thy slayer, wretched that I am-I own the truth” (Sophocles par.345).

The peripeteia happens when Creon meets with Teresias and Teresias tells Creon of his bad fortune. That’s when all things come into play, leaving Creon to witness his downfall.

“Then know thou-aye, know it well-that thou shalt not live through many more courses of the sun's swift chariot, ere one begotten of thine own loins shall have been given by thee, a corpse for corpses; because thou hast thrust children of the sunlight to the shades, and ruthlessly lodged a living soul in the grave; but keepest in this world one who belongs to the gods infernal, a corpse unburied, unhonoured, all unhallowed” (Sophocles par. 306)

The catharsis happens after Creon hears of his son and wife committing suicide. Creon wails and begs to be put to death fast and easily because he knows it’s his decision and fault that caused all this mess.

Women in this story were described as weak, and they couldn’t do anything about laws and decisions that were be made by men. “Nay, we must remember, first, that we were born women, as who should not strive with men; next, that we are ruled of the stronger, so that we must obey in these things, and in things yet sorer” (Sophocles par.17)

Their voices were also ignored greatly by Creon and he refuses to listen to Antigone because she was a women. “While I live, no woman shall rule me” (Sophocles par.138).

From this and many quotes, it was clear that during this period of time women couldn’t give out there thoughts or they had no power and it was a male dominated society.

Sophocles. “Antigone.” The Internet Classics Archive. Trans, R.C.Jebb. 04 oct 2000. classics. Mit.edu.23 Nov. 2008.

Sophocles.”Antigone.”

Traitors Within the House of Athen!

Like brother like sister, traitors of Athens! Yesterday there was a report that the traitor Polyneices had dust covering him which is clearly forbidden. Any sign of burial is a sign of rebels against the great king Creon and trying to free the soul of this very man who tried to bring the down fall of Athens. King Creon has made himself very clearly about the punishment of burying the traitor, yet another traitor of the family has raised and tried to bury this sinful person.
Late, yesterday night, the traitor Antigone was found trying to bury his disgraceful brother. She even sprinkled wine on this man! This was not only disgraceful to Athens it self but very disgraceful to his brother Eteocles and all who died defending Athens. Antigone has not decline against any criminal actions she was charged with. Not only that, Ismene was also dragged into the crime and admits that she was part of this criminal act.
We'll see how king Creon deal with these two traitors of Athens. Death surely awaits for these sinful traitors. What a sad day for Athens to discover so many traitors within the royal family, blinded by wealth as the king has feared. But now citizens of Athens can rest in peace knowing that these traitors won't be roaming around anymore!

Horrible Experience with this Blog!

Hey, I'm having a really hard time fixing my blog and even creating a gmail account. What a rotten first day experience. Anyways due to this I probably won't be touching my blog as much as others. I don't know about other people, but if my first experience with things go bad, then I try to avoid it.
Things have just gotten from bad to worse, now my blog is suspected of being a spam blog. I knew I was going to have a hard time with blogging but this is just crazy. I really have to catch up with technology nowadays.