HAPPINESS

I don’t believe that Antigone is a tragedy. I think that Creon is. A tragedy is what leads to a tragic hero which Creon is wanting to become a hero. He takes on the role of being king and wants to fix the city-state. But he fails to do so because everyone is against him. What led to his downfall was his way to ruling. He drove everyone away from himself and he was left all alone. Everyone despised him because of the law he made that no one can bury Polyneices. The people of the city-state no longer saw him as someone with morals, but a cruel man going against God’s wills. Since Antigone broke the law, Creon sentenced her to death. Haemon, his son and Antigone’s fiancé, stuck by Antigone’s side and when she died, he died as well. He lost his son because he was being hard-headed and can not back out of his words or else, the people would not see him as their leader. Creon killed his own son. When Haemon died, Creon’s wife committed suicide. Creon has driven his family to death and was left with no one. Because he wanted to prove worthy of being king, he sacrificed his family. He lost everything due to his pride. A real hero has people looking up to them and has a good sense of morality. Creon lacked both because he was blinded by his wants and pride. He wanted to be the city’s hero so bad, that he ended up becoming a nobody.

A tragedy is an event that causes a great loss due to a tragic flaw of a tragic hero.  Antigone is a tragedy but it is a play where not one, but many characters’ actions have an impact on the ending of the story. Sometimes a tragedy is not only caused by one person and in this case the tragic hero is both Antigone and Creon. In the first reading, many would assume that Antigone is the hero or heroine. She is brave, daring and unafraid to stand up for what she believes in. On the other hand, Creon seemed like the typical villain. He is a sticker to the rules, angry and capable of convicting his own family member. But reading more into the story, it is shown that Creon had a softer side and that as king, he could not choose his own family member over the law. It may seem obvious to many that Creon is the tragic hero but Antigone’s actions also prove that she is also the perfect candidate to be a tragic hero. In many ways, Antigone and Creon are very alike. They are both prideful and stubborn and refused to look the other way. Both believed that they are the right one and that is their tragic flaw. Creon is narrow-minded because he is unable to think outside the box or in this case the law. The law of the land is supreme and nobody can change his will, not even Antigone. Antigone is headstrong and full of pride which not only did not get her brother buried but caused her own death. Both refused to consider the other’s situation so in the end, their actions caused their own tragedy. In the end Creon realized his own faults and regrets and grieves. Antigone may have died with her beliefs unchanged but what good is a dead person? Did she really die for a good reason? Could Antigone have proven her point to Creon without dying for her beliefs?

A tragedy is supposed to be a drama where the main character has a tragic flaw which causes him or her to suffer from certain consequences.  Antigone is a real tragedy because the characters portrayed in it have tragic flaws. Antigone for one is too outspoken for the time period. She would be better off living in today’s society.  However, as a woman during this time, they have no say in the society; to purposely go against the laws of “man” would be asking for death. Although the title says Antigone which should imply that the drama is about Antigone who is the tragic hero, it seems that it is in fact Creon who best fits this role.

Creon tries to demonstrate his newly found power over Thebes by eliminating the rights to bury Polyneices even though he is his own nephew. Because it is Antigone who buries him, he has no other choice but to follow through on his words by giving her death. His tragic flaw is that he is too hasty in his decision making which causes him to be rash. However, he has to think about the kingdom and the people, whose population surpasses the family by perhaps thousands. What is more important, one person who just happens to be related to you, or the people in the city in which you have to protect? Maybe being a ruler is too much of a responsibility for him. Another problem is that people who have power must cater and listen to the needs of others. Nobody believes that it is wrong to bury Polynieces. They are just living in fear and therefore do not say anything to go against Creon. Those who have no fear, for example Antigone and his son Haemon, both tell him he is wrong. As a ruler, who is suppose to be unselfish and all giving, should have at least taken into consideration what his fellow subjects say.

Do you think that Creon was too caught up in his own ego?

He could have done something different to ascertain his power, what would be your solution?

            I agree with you that at the end of the play I pity him because he sacrificed his family in the name of his kingdom. You also ask terrific questions which I would like to address.

            I think Creon was stubborn in his decisions/actions because he was an inexperienced and lacked wisdom. He was attempting to be seen as a king as soon as he was given the title but put good sense aside to gain the respect of the people. Perhaps in seeing himself different from his brother, he thought he should do the opposite.

            I totally believe he was wrong in holding his position because he did not take into consideration traditional values and the law of the gods. Though Antigone was rebellious, he did not take the time to actually listen and understand where she was coming from. Who doesn’t want to give their family member a decent burial? Antigone had her beliefs and traditions that were hard to ignore because it was her brother she was thinking about. I believe that even in present times, when a family member does something against the law, the feelings are still present though you do not agree with their actions.

            Creon went wrong when he thought of the kingdom first before his family. Though one can understand that in order to be a leader he needed to exude authority; he disregarded the ties that bind (family). After all was said and done, he kept his kingdom but lost his family. What good or what did the kingdom matter if he was all alone? I think his wife was the one who gave him his last punishment – loneliness.

            As a king he should have had the good sense (wisdom) to listen to the people around him but he chose instead to listen to his pride. He could have given both brothers a decent burial just because it was the right thing to do. He took the title of being a king more to heart that being human. His son pleaded with him but he ignored him and as a result, he lost what really mattered; his family.

In a classroom the law is the teacher; on a team the law is the captain. In Thebes the law is Creon. The new king makes decisions on his own and can choose not to accept any advice. It seems as if kings used to be dictators. I wouldn’t expect a dictatorship to ever be successful. A dictatorship is based on an individuals personal beliefs and desires. I have different needs and desires than anyone I know because I am a unique individual. Everyone has their own needs and wants and will do anything to make them a reality in order to be happy. Submitting to one persons wants and needs would therefore make anyone uncomfortable and unhappy. This is the position Antigone was put in. I don’t think she should be considered a rebel. She was only standing up for what she thought was right. A few decades ago, the law said women were inferior to men. These issues of equality were solved by people who were “rebels” like Antigone. Her brother, even though he fought on an opposing army, was equal to any other human being. She believed he deserved a fitting burial. I think this is why Hegel called Antigone “the instinctive powers of feelings, love, and kinship.” She made a decision to bury her brother even though there were consequences. She felt it was right because he was her family member and she had love for him. Creon on the other hand was focused on his own ruler ship. If he let Antigone free, people would not take him seriously. He said he would kill anyone who buried Antigones’ brother and he would have to prove he is a man of his word by doing just that. I would most likely avoid confrontation with a dictator. What would you do if the government locked a family member of yours in a room? Would you try to break them out; risking your life in the process?

The word tragedy is often misused in modern times. In the media and news it is often used to describe any unfortunate occurrence. In it’s original definition, tragedy is actually much more specific than this. The tragic hero of the play “Antigone” is not Antigone. Contrary to initial intuitions it is actually Creon. At first glance we may think of Antigone as the hero of the play. However, a tragic hero is much different than a “hero”. A tragic hero is a character who comes to his or her downfall through their own faulty actions. A tragic hero has a tragic flaw that causes deep loss, and in the end they see that their actions are the cause for this. A tragic hero must begin in a place of power.

With this definition we can see that Creon is indeed the tragic hero of the play. He is the king of Thebes. By the end of the play he loses both his wife and his son. His tragic flaw? Pride. He is too proud to think more deeply about his decision to punish Antigone and listen more intently to what other people had to say about it. He thought that he was right and did not need to listen to others’ wisdom. He was too stubborn, too arrogant to take a few moments to reflect. Throughout the play, countless people attempt to have him acknowledge his thickheaded ways. At one point, the prophet Tiresias, who is never wrong in his prophecies, tells him that he is making an enormous mistake and that the gods are angry. Creon once again pushes the idea aside. By the end of the play both his son and wife commit suicide as a result of the numerous effects of his actions. He realizes his own faults, but has lost his family.

By the end of the story we look past his arrogance and may even pity him. This is where we may see things better from his point of view.

So, why was Creon so stubborn in his decisions and actions? What do you think he was attempting to accomplish?

Do you think he was wrong in holding his position?

Where did he go wrong?

Do you think he could have accomplished what he was attempting in another way?

If so, what could he have done differently to achieve his aspirations?

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So, the nucleus of our English 2150 class is “happiness”. What it is, why it is, how it is, etcetera. Its hard to say what can make everybody in the world happy. All I can do, is share what  makes me happy.
  This weekend I went to a Lupe Fiasco concert with my boyfriend, and let me tell you, never in my life have I seen so many happy faces. Never had I seen a crowd of people so ecstatic, every face was lit up with joy. I can safely say, nobody in that crowd was worried about their pains, their hardships, nor their problems. I never knew how much happiness a concert could stimulate. My boyfriend and I had an amazing time, and that’s definitely an under statement.
  In addition to the energy of the diverse crowd, I just love Lupe Fiasco. He’s not a typical rapper who talks about sex, drugs, and money. He’s educated and has many philosophies that he shares through his lyrics. I know what your probably thinking, “yeah … that’s what everybody says about the rappers they like”, but Lupe Fiasco is known for just that. He has never smoked weed in his life, has never done drugs, and gives motivational speeches in between his songs in his concerts.
His fans at the concert were extremely diverse,  all ages, ethnicities, and lifestyles. It came to a surprise to me that the majority of the crowd was white. Perhaps its because of Lupe’s versatility; he reaches out to more than just his people. Infact, the shirt he wore to the concert was an anti-Nazi T-shirt which my boyfriend and almost very boy in the crowd now wants to buy.
  Anyway, I definitely recommend for everybody to go to a concert of an artist they love. Its definitely worth the money. It’s a breath taking experience you will  never regret. And most importantly, it can aid in your pursuit of hapiness.
[Maria Londono]

As the plot of the play continues to develop, we gain a better understanding of each of the main characters. At the start of the play, it seems as though all of the character have a clean slate. Then they develop their own personalities and, depending on the situation, their own tragic flaws.

Personally, I felt that Creon’s actions and justifications in the second reading reveals a deeper feeling of insecurity that drove him to insist on punishing Antigone. In general, Creon’s character is rather important because he serves as the only negative consequence to Antigone’s desire to bury her brother. However, beyond this obvious understanding of Creon’s character, there is an underlying sense of the boundaries and inequality between men and women. Creon implies this while he is speaking to Antigone. It is when Antigone tries to justify her actions as an act of love that Creon is provoked to call out the place of a woman. “Go down below and love,/ if love you must—love the dead! While I’m alive./ no woman is going to lord it over me.” (592-594) There are two analyses that can be made from this statement. First, by mention woman along with the subject of love, Creon implies that to love is a woman’s emotion. He almost seems to be mocking Antigone’s nature to love. Secondly, he states clearly that no woman shall overstep her place. Women are apparently seen as below men for Creon. Therefore, Antigone’s boldness is like a slap in the face to Creon. He is angered that she is even willing to argue her defense.

Another indication of Creon’s insecurities of gender status comes after he decides that both Antigone and Ismene will be punished. “Stop wasting time. Take them in./ From now on they’ll act like women.” (651-652) Although Creon does not explicitly state what it means for them to act as women, he implies that however Antigone might have acted in the past was clearly out of line for a woman. Also, Creon continues by ordering that the two women are tied up. This image that is created links us to the idea of suppression.

As a leader, Creon still seems to be insecure about his own power and status if he cannot bare the thought of a woman disobeying him. I feel that Creon’s title, as King is a complete misrepresentation of who he truly is. A king is one who embodies all of his civilians, not one who belittles them because of their gender.

Antigone symbolizes the modern woman who knows how and when to fight for her and her family’s rights. Unlike Ismene, she was not afraid to disobey Creon in order to give her brother a proper burial. She strongly believes that no law surpasses that of the Gods and that Creon’s mind has been corrupted by his desire for more power. Antigone knows her place as a woman but she did not let this stop her from doing what she thought was right. Antigone speaks with confidence; you can feel the strength of her words and how strongly she believes in what actions must be done. She seems like a woman with such pride (as seen in her confrontation with Ismene); its either you choose to do what’s right immediately or be shut from her life forever…It makes you think that she sees life as a two way road – its either this way or that. If you believe that you should take route A, then take it now. Don’t go halfway down route B and choose to go back because you will almost always have only one chance to make things right in life. Antigone felt that Ismene would rather follow a ruler whose clearly insane than stand up for what her brother deserves. Antigone is a brave woman because she’s willing to risk it all – her life, her fiancé, her sister, and her future in order to give Polyneices the burial she promised him.

In Sophocles’s Antigone Oedipus’s two daughters, Ismene and Antigone are portrayed to have completely different personalities.  While Ismene is one who seems to be easily frightened and sympathetic, Antigone possesses the traits of persistence, courage and fearlessness.  These qualities are particularly evident in the scene where Antigone asks Ismene if she will assist her in burying their brother, Polynices, despite Creon’s law that whoever buries him will be killed since he considered Polynices to be a traitor.  Ismene’s response to Antigone’s inquiry is that she cannot help her because she prefers to obey the rules of the living, Creon, than the dead.  Even though Ismene refuses to go, Antigone still goes to bury her brother, because unlike her sister she fears the gods more than she fears Creon.  In fact, it seems as though Antigone is not at all scared of the king, because after being caught burying her brother, she tells Creon that not only did she commit the crime, but she is right for doing so.

Despite these many differences in personalities, the two sisters have one thing in common- both of them would go to great lengths to protect their family.  This is apparent in the facts that Antigone is willing to die for Polynices.  In addition, While Ismene is not willing to die for her brother, due to her fear of Creon, she is very willing to die for Antigone.  Ismene confesses to a crime she didn’t commit.  In order to justify why she should be killed as well, Ismene claims that she has no reason to live if her sister will cease to exist.