Change Within Characters in Sophocles Antigone Essay examples -- Soph

Change Within Characters in Sophocles' Antigone Antigone is about how King Creon rules that Polynices the traitor is not to be buried, but his sister Antigone defies the order. She is caught, and sentenced by Creon to be buried alive - even though she is betrothed to his son Haemon. After the blind prophet Tiresias proves that the gods are on Antigone's side, Creon changes his mind - but too late. He goes first to bury Polynices, but Antigone has already hanged herself. When Creon arrives at the tomb, Haemon attacks him and then kills himself. When the news of their death is reported, Creon's wife Eurydice takes her own life. Creon is alone in his life, full of guilt. The major characters in Antigone in my opinion are Antigone and Creon. Both undergo very major dramatic changes in their life. Antigone’s changes are mainly linked to the themes of the position of women as a Greek and the theme of the individual versus the state and divine law versus human law. Creon’s changes are mainly linked to the themes Conscience versus Law and the threat of tyranny. Both of their changes to themselves also inflict a change on the other. Both also undergo changes because of their pride and what actions it causes them to do. Pride and its effects are a central part of Antigone. It is a trait despised by the gods, who bring suffering to the proud, but to the Greek mind pride is also a part of greatness. Both Antigone and Creon are incredibly proud, making it impossible for either one of them to back down once they have taken a stand. Pride is part of what makes Antigone heroic. Creon realizes that in the end when he is completely alone in his life because everyone is dead. His pride had caused him to lose everyth... ... despicable if the order of the state demands it. Antigone's insistence on her desire in face of state power brings ruin into Thebes and to Creon specifically. With the death of his family, Creon is left utterly alone in the palace. His throne even robs him of his mourning, the king and his pace sadly shuttling off to a cabinet meeting after the announcement of the family's deaths. Antigone and Creon both undergo many changes to their personality, their beliefs, and their ways of living. But in the end it is only Creon who has the ability to change his life and keep on living it in a more respectable and more understanding way. But Creon has to live with the deaths and his fatal mistakes that he has made. Antigone has a very short time to adapt to the changes in her life but she does not see much point because she has been sentenced to a very slow death.