Antigone- Theme of Family Loyalty - 1484 Words

Betrayal of Family Loyalty In the play Antigone, written by Greek playwright Sophocles, loyalty to family seems to be a recurring theme. We first see it when Antigone defies King Creons order to keep her brother, Polynices, unburied as a punishment for his betrayal of their country Thebes. We also see how Antigones sister, Ismene, accepts partial blame for the burial (even though she refused to actually do it) in an affectionate, loyal act. Creon is also family (their fathers brother), but he, however, betrays this family trust and loyalty when he sentences Antigone to death for disobeying his law. There are, however, repercussions for this death sentence, that prove that there are two central tragic heroes in this play. She is†¦show more content†¦That is backed up by Antigone saying, Never, I tell you, if I had been the mother of children or if my husband died, exposed and rottingÂâ€"Id never have taken this ordeal upon myself, never defied our peoples will. What l aw, you ask, do I satisfy with what I say? A husband dead, there might have been another. A child by another too, if I had lost the first. But mother and father both lost in the halls of Death, no brother could ever spring to light again(Fagles1471). This statement proves the real reason Antigone chose to go through with this act, and that is that she could never have another brother. This adds a more human-like quality to Antigone, who before seemed almost godly, because she was unafraid of everything. We can now sympathize more with her. Her fear of death is even more apparent when she says, I go to them now, [her dead family] cursed, unwed, to share their homeÂâ€"I am a stranger! O dear brother, doomed in your marriageÂâ€"your marriage murders mine, your dying drags me down to death alive!(Fagles1469-70). We can see that she is scared, now that death is approaching her more closely, and that remark almost seems as if she is resentful that she had to carry out this duty. Earlier, when her sister Ismene, admitted to helping with the burial, Antigone became furious, saying, Never share my dying, dont layShow MoreRelatedMain Theme Of Antigone942 Words   |  4 PagesThemes are important to any story; they give the reader a sense of background and understanding when it comes to the events unfolding in the story. Many literary works include multiple themes, all of which convey  important ideas about humanity and the way that society functions. In  Antigone  by Sophocles, themes exist such as determination, the conflict between conscience and law, the conflict between divine and human law, and familial loyalty.  One key and central theme of Antigone is the importanceRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Sophocles Antigone and Shakespeares Othello964 Words   |  4 Pagestragedies of Antigone and Othello were written with great depth and are structured in such a way that both characters are victims, in spite of their crimes. 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Antigone and King Creon both have very intense beliefs and roles in this play that oppose each other, and although there is a family tie, will lead to an imminent tragedy. Antigone is a young women who believes in the loyalty of her family and fears no one and nothing. She is willing to give up her bright future and her life and disobey the edict of her uncle and bury her deceased brother. Antigone displays