“ I will bury him and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down With him in death, and I shall be as dear To him as he to me. Antigone is determined to carry out the will of the gods, regardless of consequences to herself: She says that if she dies, it will not be death without honor. Her love for Polynices is greater than any fear of death. And I think it is dangerous business To be always meddling.”Īntigone responds that Ismene’s refusal makes her a traitor to her family and that she does not fear the death Creon has promised.
I beg the Dead To forgive me, but I am helpless: I must yield To those in authority.
“ We are only women, We cannot fight with men, Antigone! The law is strong, we must give in to the law In this thing, and in worse. Ismene refuses to join her sister in her daring plot, fearing the king’s wrath and the promised death sentence for any caught trying to bury the body: She plans to bury her brother against her uncle’s will. To punish Polynices for his treason, Creon is refusing to allow his body to be buried.Īntigone considers Creon’s actions rash and against the will of the gods. Now, the brother of Jocasta, Creon, has taken the crown. The two brothers were both killed in the conflict. Polynices, in response, joined forces with Crete and led an unsuccessful army against Thebes. Eteocles, having gained the role of the king after the death of Oedipus, refused to share power with his brother Polynices. She plans to defy her uncle, Creon, the king, and bury their brother Polynices.Īs the conversation unfolds, it comes out that the brothers fought one another for control of the kingdom. Antigone has called for Ismene to ask for her help. The play opens with a conversation between the sisters, Antigone and Ismene, two of Oedipus’ children. Although in Oedipus Rex, Tiresias was portrayed as an ally to Creon in his efforts to assist Oedipus, history seems to repeat itself in Antigone. He is called upon in Oedipus Rex and ends up being threatened and driven from the castle as an enemy of the king. He refuses to back down, knowing that he is the spokesperson of the gods. Although the kings in both plays revile him, Tiresias maintains his role. Who is Tiresias in Antigone? Tiresias is a prophet with a history of being reviled and ignored by those most in need of his advice and support. How Does Sophocles Use of Tiresias Differ From Homer’s?.
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