Antigone Character Analysis
| Subject: | 📚 Literature |
| Type: | Analytical Essay |
| Pages: | 4 |
| Word count: | 834 |
| Topics: | Antigone, Greek Mythology, 📗 Book |
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Table of Contents
The role of fate in Antigone character development
Destiny represents the belief that all events are predetermined to transpire or unfold in a certain course, and it is an integral element of many tragedies. The fate of the characters obtains a drawn end to their lives, and some of them are able to realize their destination and provide an answer to it. In the play, based on the analysis of Antigone’s character, she is a victim of fate because she embraces her fate and dies fighting for her brother Polynices to be buried with dignity. The act of Antigone, who buries her brother Polynices, a betrayer of the country, against the command of Creon, results in her becoming a victim of fate herself. Antigone experiences all the negative consequences, because burying her brother is more valuable to her than following the laws of the state, and she is ready to sacrifice her life for this. Creon is likewise a victim of fortune. Because of his obstinacy and harsh rule, he is destined to remain lonely. Initially, he disregards the implications of his actions and attempts to rectify the situation. When he decides to come to terms with the fact that it is his fate (to be lonely), he tries to escape it by acknowledging all his mistakes. He claims that he could not influence the death of Eteocles and Polynices; he did it for the sake of his kingdom.
Antigone’s consciousness of her destiny
The leading character of the play Antigone is highly dedicated to her family and is prepared to complete anything for them. When Eteocles resigns power, she makes Polynices abandon Thebes. Later Polynices returns to Thebes with an army to take part in the battle for the crown of Thebes. Both brothers are slain in the fight, and Creon seizes power. Creon announces that Eteocles will be buried appropriately, but Polynices will not, as he was a betrayer of Thebes. Antigone cannot tolerate this because of her intense devotion to her family and demands that they must bury her brother because it is an insult to the gods to allow a family member to remain unburied. She is desperate to ensure a decent burial for Polynices and believes it is her personal obligation. Antigone chooses to bury her brother Polynices in full view, in spite of Creon’s instructions. She later comes to realize her destiny, that she will need to die for her brother.
Ismene has a discussion with Antigone because she reasons that it is not worth defying Creon’s command and warns Antigone of the possible outcome of this crime. Antigone evaluates the potential implications of burying her brother and still resists Creon’s order, which leads to her death. Antigone embraces her destiny and is not scared of what is about to take place. She follows the path of her family and is not frightened to perform what she considers to be right. Antigone completely ascertains her fate and takes it. She feels that pursuing her destiny is more valuable than obeying the laws of Creon. Antigone has to fulfill the most significant task — to bury her brother and die after him, which is determined by the gods, and she is not going to deal with it. One can observe that Antigone totally embraces her fate, because she does not indeed expect to be murdered, but commits suicide in a cave, which brings about her depicted end. She is a tragic hero because she never attempts to alter her fate, but rather submits to it. Antigone believes that the gods have decided, and she must comply.
Creon’s influence on the development of Antigone’s character
Creon is another victim of destiny because, being exceedingly arrogant and harsh to his rules, he is the reason for numerous deaths around him, which makes him doomed to loneliness. He does not consider the effects of his actions and seeks to rectify his errors, but it is extremely late. At the moment when he chooses to face his fate of loneliness, he tries to escape it by admitting what he has completed by giving in. Regrettably, it is too late, Antigone and Haemon have already committed suicide, and it is because of his harshness and unwillingness to reconsider. Creon is a victim of destiny because he was unable to supervise the sudden deaths of Eteocles and Polynices, and as the legitimate heir he claims to be concluding the appropriate thing for his kingdom. Over the course of the play, he is reluctant to hear others about the reservations of his fate, which for much of the play leads to it becoming a reality for him.
Conclusion
After all, for a number of the unique characters in Antigone, especially Antigone herself, their ultimate destinies appear to be inescapable, either because they have embraced that destination, like the woman in the preceding analysis of Antigone’s complex character, and have enabled it come to pass, or because they have denied it until it is too late, like Creon.
Offered for reference purposes only.