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Antigone


             Antigone is the sequel to Oedipus and is the story of what happened in Thebes after Oedipus exiled himself. Creon, who is Iocaste's brother, is now the king after the deaths of Oedipus's two sons. He has a burial for one brother, but denies a burial for the other. Antigone wanted to bury him to justify his death to the gods. The Greeks believed strongly in the burial of the dead, even if they were your enemy, so for Creon to defy the burial of Polynices, he was defying the gods, in a similar manner to Oedipus.
             The deaths of Eteocles and Polynices were the result of a recent war, and The Chorus is there to represent the people who were effected by the war, and what they think should happen. Antigone only wants to show respect to her brother and the gods, but when Creon denies here the chance to burry him, she goes ahead and buries him anyways. Antigone only follows the rules of the gods, and similar to Oedipus, Creon is defying the gods by putting mans power over gods power. Creon then sentences Antigone to her death for defying the law. This is the main conflict of the story.
             After speaking with Teiresias Creon comes to his senses and has a burial for Polynices. When he goes to find Antigone he finds she has hanged herself in a cave. Creon's tragic flaw was that of not realizing what has to be done. He realizes also that you cannot put mans rule over gods rule. Creon was also ignorant towards the gods similar to Oedipus. He thought that by not allowing the burial of Polynices he would show strong and firm leadership. At the trial where he orders the death of Antigone he again is defying the gods. Creon is even warned by Teiresias about what he is doing, but Creon does not listen. Haemon, who is Creon's son, does not believe in the recent decision to have Antigone killed, and when he finds Antigone hanged in the cave she was condemned to, he goes to kill Creon. Missing, he turns the sword on himself.


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