Essay/Term paper: Antigone

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Philosophy Essays

Antigone


Antigone and Ismene are sisters.  They have two brothers who just killed each
other and both died.  Creon, whos very powerful, honored one and dishonored the
other.  The dishonored brother being left outside, unburied, and prohibited
anyone to cry or sympathetic on the dead body.  Antigone who came from a loyal
family could not stand to see her brother died unburied, so she asked her sister
to go with her to steal and bury  the brother-body. Unwillingly, Ismene
affrighted of the law and did not agree with her sister.  So Antigone steal and
bury the body by herself.  When Creon know this, he was very upset and order the
army to get the one stole the body.  They catch Antigone and take her to Creon. 
Antigone has not affraid of the execution which Creon would give.  Ismene, her
sister came and said that she had a share in this matter. But Antigon claims to
her own motivation.  Haemon is the only son of Creon.  He has not agree with
what his father commands.  They argue about who is right to give commands. 
Because Haemon had fallen in love with Antigone so he ran a way when his father
gave order to kill Antigone.  But then, Creon orders to take Anigone to a
locked-tomb.  A blind prophet named Teiresias go with a boy visit Creon and told
him what he did was wrong.  At first Creon did not agree, but then after
Teiresias gone.  He realized what he did was wrong so he called his servants to
release Antigone.  But it was too late, a messenger came with the bad news that
Creons son had killed himself.  The story did not stop there, another terrible
news came to Creon that the queen is dead.  When Creons wife heard the news of
her own son killed himself, she put violence upon herself and died.  Now Creon
opens his eyes and see who is right to judge. He had learn a lesson of wisdom in
a hard way.

The Antigone has many arguments and it is hard to fingure out which one is the
main one.  In the beginning  is the argument between Antigone and her sister.
And then the argument between Creon and Sentry.  When Antigone was catch, she
argue with Creon.  After that Creon argue with his only son.  After Antigone
gone, the phopphet came and argue with Creon.

In my own opinion, the main argument was about who has the right to judge
people.  Creon said he is the highest and he has the right to tell people what
to do and to executed people as he wishes.  Antigone has an objection that God
is the only has power to forbid, give commands, and penalties.  Haemon said: "A
man who thinks that he alone is right, or what he says, or what he is himself,
unique, such men, when opened up, are seen to be quite empty." "Your face...to a
simple citizen." He thinks his father was really wrong to make a decision to
kill some one. And he beleives that the city should not possessed by only one
man.  When Teiresias came and told him parables and asked what brave is it if he
fight with someone and that person died, there is no benefit after kill each
other.  The prophet gave the warning that he can not command someone to live nor
he shall not command someone to die.  Who is it really have the power to hold
mankind in living or take away humans life? With a unhappy ending the story
teaches us not to judge people.