Compare and Contrast Antigone Final Draft

The play is called Antigone, and is written by Sophocles. The two main characters of the story are Antigone and Creon. The conficts between Antigone and Creon are a result of both their similarities and differences. Antigone believes that her brother Polyneices deserves a proper burial, but creon thinks otherwise.

Both Antigone and Creon are very different people when it comes to their loyalty. Antigone, is very loyal to her family throughout the story. For example, Antigone says “ I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down in with him in death,  and I shal be as dear to him as he to me,” (prologue, 58-60). In this quote Antigone is telling Ismene, her sister, that her crime is holy and that she shall be dear to her brother as he to her. Antigone is also loyal to the gods. In scene four Antigone tells creon how the gods know she did a good deeed. She also explains to him how she will not go against the laws of the heaven. The only thing creon is loyal to is to the State. Like in this quote Creon says “ the State is the king!” (3,110). This means he wiil only go by the laws of the State and will only listen to the State. The people Creon is definitely not loyal to is his family. In scene one he makes a law not allowing anyone to bury his nephew Polyneices. In scene two he puts Antigone to death for burying Polyneices, her brother. As you can see Antigone is very loyal to her family and the gods, while Creon is only loyal to the State and is disloyal to his family.

Even though Antigone and Creon have many differences, they do have a similarity. Antigone and Creon both have a lot of pride. In the play, Antigone states, “ I shall have honor, too” (2,63). This quote shows Antigone’s pride because she is saying that people will honor her for the good deed that she did. In scene two Antigone acts very prideful. Antigone tells Creon how she denies nothing, which means she know she broke the rules and she is proud she broke them. In this scene Antigone takes pride in in confessing that she buried her brother. Creon shows his pride to when he says, “ If we must lose, lets’ lose to a man at least! Is a woman stronger tham we?” (3,50-51). Creon has so much pride,  that losing to a woman is impossible to him. He says that if he loses let it be to a man, rather than a woman. In scene three Creon acts very prideful. Creon talks to his son Haimon about how he won’t free Antigone.  The only reason he won’t free Antigone is because he has too much pride. So as you can see in a similar way Antigone and Creon are both prideful people.

Throughout the play each character is to blame for their own out come. This is true for good reasons. Antigone is locked away in a vault for her crime, and in the vault she kills herself. Creon is punished by the god for not burying Polyneices and for not freeing Antigone. In the end its their own faults for why they had a tragic end.