Antigone - Inflicting on Others

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Sophocles, Antigone, is a play that demonstrates tragedy to its fullest. Antigone’s image as a tragic character sets up many elements for the play. Her love for her brother drives her to go against laws and stand up for the morals she believes in. She is so strong headed and perhaps this is why she releases her tragedy on other characters and the story itself. The first thing we experience as an audience is the burial controversy. Although the proper burial of her brothers body was forbidden, Antigone’s moral standards would not allow or such a thing. Her sister, Ismene warned her it is not her responsibility as a woman to “aim too high, too far.” Antigone admitted to her guilt with honesty which might just have been her tragic flaw. And she did not allow her sister to take blame neither, sparing one life. Perhaps, because she saved one life, the rest would have to fall. Her actions led to terrible suffering for Creon and his family; almost like a curse. Haemon, her fiancé, was so in love with her that he actually fought with his father, the King, for her rights. When he could not do anything about Antigone being buried alive, he stabbed himself out of grief for his love with Antigone and anger towards his father. Because of the son’s death, Creon’s wife, too, killed herself out of grief. For once, Creon felt terrible about a situation he thought that he had created, but in turn, it was actually Antigone who had made his family fall. Her personal actions led Creon to killing her and therefore killing his family. Antigone’s actions brought suffering to everyone around her, including herself. She was to be buried alive, but in turn, hung herself. The suffering of everyone around her emphasizes the tragedy of the play, by enlarging the entire outcome. If it were not for Antigone, for which the play is named, all of the deaths might not have occurred. Her sudden

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