Antigone – Answered Questions

1. Creon, the king of Thebes, refused to allow Polynices to be buried because he was exiled from the city after a dispute with his brother Eteocles. Polynices raged over this decision and gathered an army to destroy the city of Thebes; Polynices and his brother Eteocles died in battle. After their deaths, their uncle Creon took the throne and became the king of Thebes. Creon insisted on denying his nephew’s burial rights because he considered him as a traitor. This decision tells us about Creon that he holds grudge even against his uncle. He is arrogant, probably like any king at that time, and, in his mind, he is doing the right thing for his people. Creon had changed over the course of the play after he met the Sentry. For the first time in the play he is doubting himself and realizes that he is wrong.

3. Antigone in her sorrow of losing two of her beloved brothers had raged after she heard that King Creon has forbidden to allow her brother Polynices to be buried properly. According to the ancient Greek burial traditions, leaving a dead body unburied is a disgrace for the family, for the deceased and for the community. Antagon felt that she must shout it out because in her mind she was doing the right thing. She is a righteous person that will never accept injustices as a matter of course, and, as we can see, she was willing to sacrifice her life for that purpose.

4. Antigone and Creon are indeed very different characters in the play; that being said, we can find more than a few common characteristics that they both share. Both of the characters are very stubborn individuals. They never listened to the advice of others. They were unreasonable in their thoughts. Antigone was suicidal; she didn’t afraid of the fact that she might lose her life deciding to bury her brother. Antigone never listen to her sister Ismene that wanted to keep her alive and to follow the law of Creon. At the same note, Creon stood on his back feet and did not bend to the suggestion of his people to let Antigone bury her brother. He was angry. He was proud. And he didn’t care of what others think. Ultimately, even in our days, when an argument is taking place between two stubborn, angry, and ignorant people the results are usually not ending on a positive note.