Antigone

In the Greek play Antigone, the play ends with a great tragedy by the death of Antigone. The name Antigone means, “anti,” opposed to or in place of a mother, which is based from the root of “gone.” She is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta; and Ismene is the sister of Antigone. Throughout the play I see Antigone as a grand hero. Surely people wouldn’t agree with her actions and personality during that period of time since everyone else follows the law, therefore they cannot understand Antigones actions. My opinion is that because of Antigone's mother’s death, Antigone starts acting like her own mother. She starts taking actions which her mother would make; she starts replacing her own mother. One of the actions that Antigone takes is that she decides to cover the body of her brother with dirt, even though she knows the consequences that will follow in the future. In the beginning, the king of Thebes Creon ordered that because Polynices was a traitor, he cannot be buried, “No, he must be left unburied, his corpse carrion for the birds and dogs to tear, an obscenity for the citizens to behold!" (664).

Any mother would cover her son, even if he had committed the worst crimes in the world. Her son’s wounds are her own, therefore it's her duty to give him a proper burial because it's the right and moral thing to do. That's exactly how Antigone reacted to the situation and just followed the actions that her mother would have taken. Antigone is described as a very low tempered and angry person, but wouldn't anyone feel the same way when their own brother dies and no one dares to give him his burial but instead they let him rotten on the dirt and let the bugs finish of rest of the flesh leaving nothing but bones? Antigone is fearless, "Die I must, I've known it all my life, how could I keep from knowing? Even without your death sentence rings in my ears" (670). I define a hero as a person who tries to do the right thing in a society, even if the person fails to do so. They have their goal set and even if they don't accomplish their goal, they will still be a hero for trying.