Introduction
When one writes about the heroes and heroines, adventures and tragedies, godlike creatures and human beings, it is necessary to mention the play Antigone. An ancient Greek writer Sophocles is the author of this magnificent and, at the same time, disputable tragedy. It tells the story of the king Oedipus’ daughter and her uncle Creon, the new king of the city of Thebes. Antigone can be considered a play, which has neither hero nor heroine.
It is obvious that a literary work has to be centered on a character. As the play does not have a single character, can it be considered a full-fledged one? The current essay represents the discussion of the characters of the famous play Antigone with a view to their conflict.
Conflicts of Antigone and Creon
Antigone and Creon can be considered main characters of the play as well as the play can be considered to have no hero or heroine. One should remember that a protagonist and an antagonist are names for main characters with a view to their actions and intentions. Consequently, I can represent Antigone as a protagonist and her uncle Creon as an antagonist. It is possible to have two opinions and discuss both of them.
The play presents a story about the conflict of Antigone and Creon. They both are independent people who want to prove that their claim is right. It is obvious that any problem should be solved in a specific way. Thereby, the conflict can be decided in favor of one of the parties; it can be settled taking into consideration the possibility of the compromise; it can be determined in favor on neither party. I am going to reflect my personal opinion about the conflicts in the play. I want to prove that Antigone can be considered a play without a hero because none of the characters is right in this conflict.
Human nature is one of the basic principles of the human activities. To err is human as well as to live, to breathe, to eat, and to have a personal opinion. Every person has to be protected by the legal issues from lawlessness and outrageous rulers. Creon, the king of Thebes, is a cruel person with a view to his relations with his relatives.
Antigone wanted to bury her brother Polyneices with honors and to break the order of the king. It is necessary to mention that Antigone had two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, and a sister, Ismene. The brothers fought with each other for throne; they both died.
Creon made a decision to honor one brother and to disgrace the other; we cannot blame him for being biased, but we can understand Antigone who loved both brothers and wanted to honor both of them. Consequently, she had to break the king’s order because he prohibited burying Polyneices. Human nature and consciousness of Antigone did not allow her to leave her brother’s body in the street.
Familial traditions are created to be observed; this rule concerns all countries and people regardless of their social status and religious position. Family is a cell of the society, which should be protected from invasions and conflicts. However, some conflicts appear between members of one family; it is considered one of the most disputable issues of the human nature.
Creon did not consider Antigone and Polyneices a part of his familial traditions. He wanted to rule the city without any reservations. His desires were aimed at making people aware of his power and strength. Whatever you do in this world, the first thing that should be remembered is the family and familial traditions. Antigone was hoping that her uncle would change his decision and would let her bury Polyneices. The miracle did not happen; the cruel ruler did not change his mind.
People can be healthy when they are not involved into conflicts and disputes; health can be physical and mental. The characters of the play Antigone are considered healthy. If the person is not ill, he/she is healthy. However, dead body in the street of the city cannot be regarded as a sign of the citizens’ healthiness.
The king did not want to let Antigone bury the dead body of her brother; he thought it impossible to change his decision and make people believe him to be a weak ruler. However, the dead body in the street of the city can provoke different diseases and malfunctions. I think it is not appropriate to discuss the smell and look of the dead body. Moreover, the European countries of the middle ages witnessed the consequences of leaving dead bodies in the streets of the cities.
Creon, the king of Thebes, was not aware of these consequences until a prophet told him. The prophet foresaw the illnesses in the city of Thebes and neighboring cities. He told Creon to bury the dead body of Polyneices, but the king was too proud and too confident in his claim that did not react properly. The result of his ignorance was the death of all members of his family.
The Gods are an integral part of the Ancient Greece and the literary sources concerning that period of the human history. It is necessary to mention that Creon was not an unbelieving king; he observed the rules and did not want to provoke gods’ wrath. It was strange that he did not react to the prophet’s words immediately; he should have changed his decision when his family was alive.
Gods are easy to be enraged and are difficult to be cajoled. Every godlike creature, which can be encountered in the mythological sources and sources of literature that are related to mythology, can be good or bad. Gods play a key role in this play because the king was acting in accordance with foresights of the prophet; the gods made him see the future. The king did not listen to the previsions.
The conflict of the play appears when the cruel king prohibits burying the dead body of his nephew. Antigone wants to bury the body at any cost; Creon cannot let her doing this. The tragedy causes numerous suicides of the members of the king’s family.
Antigone is buried alive; Antigone’s fiancé (Creon’s son) commits suicide when he gets to know about his father’s decision concerning Antigone. T he king’s wife commits suicide when she gets to know about the death of her son. Everyone dies in this play. Irony is unsuitable here. What can bring more sorrow than the death of the child? I think that the most miserable parents are those who outlived their children.
The play teaches us to appreciate what we have instead of fighting for irrelevant values. However, familial traditions cannot be considered inappropriate or unnecessary. Antigone wanted to observe traditions and to honor her brother; Creon wanted people to fulfill his orders properly. They both failed because wanted to reach success at any cost.
Compromise is the best salvation to any problem; any disputable issue can be determined if the participants are ready to cooperate. Both characters of the play are wrong; they thought about a single problem, whereas consequences of the conflict affected their families. It is necessary to think about the others when you know it can affect them. Any decision, which is made in order to prove someone’s strength, can influence innocent people.
The play Antigone is written by Sophocles; it raises a number of disputable issues. Every issue can be determined in favor of both characters or in favor of none. The nature of gods can be considered important, whereas the nature of allegiance and familial traditions is more obvious in the play.
I think that neither Antigone nor Creon can be regarded as main characters of the story. She is a stubborn girl who wanted to observe familial traditions and human values; he is a stubborn king who wanted to prove his case and remain a wise ruler. The right decisions are not the easiest ones. The characters of the play wanted to reach the goal at any cost.
Conclusion
Was not the cost to high? Lives of ordinary people cannot and should not be put at stake. It is natural for people to persist in their opinion. The cost must not be too high. The most appropriate decision can be made by compromising. The play Antigone teaches us to appreciate what we have and not to contradict customs and traditions.
The most precious gift is a human life, which cannot be neglected and disregarded. It is obvious that people want to honor their family and friends, but human nature is a contradictory matter, which should be analyzed and discussed. Antigone is a play containing a story about the conflict between relatives caused by provisions and stereotypes.
Reference List
Sophocles, and Donaldson J. W. (2006). The Antigone of Sophocles in Greek and English. London: John W. Parker, West Strand.