Antigone by Sophocles: Themes of Importance of Family

What does family mean to you? How far would you go to help your family members? Would you go against your ruler and face repercussions for your family? In the theatrical work, Antigone, by Sophocles, Antigone daughter and sister of Odysseus has an inner debate with herself on whether or not she is going to go against her ruler and uncle Creon who forbids the burial of Antigone’s brother Polynices. Creon had forbidden the burial of his nephew because Polyneices killed his brother Eteocles and started a war within Thebes. Both brothers were killed during the battle. But Creon gave Eteocles an honorable burial while Polyneices was to be left unburied and to be left out with the dogs. In Greek literature, the Gods play a big role in each of the characters' lives. The gods would have been angry if Polynices was not buried. The gods also would not let Polyneices go to the afterlife. All things considered, Antigone was right in burying her brother. Out of respect of her brother and because of the god's rules Antigone made the right decision to bury Polyneices.

Religion had a different role in people's lives during Sophocles' time than it does nowadays. At the time of the setting of this play, Gods played a role in every part of people's days. Gods decided everything in the civilians' everyday lives. Without the burial of a person, They would not be put to full rest. ¨I have been wondering King: Could it be the gods have done this?¨. The choragus thought that the gods could have buried Polyneices. Since Polyneices was a previous ruler it would not be strange for the gods to have done this because it was such an important ritual and it seemed like something the gods would do when in fact Antigone had sacrificed herself to bury her brother. This shows that it was right for Antigone to bury her brother. Especially since Polyneices was a previous ruler it would not be strange for the gods to have done this.

Antigone was also right to bury Polyneices because of the importance of family and the love she had for her brother. In the beginning of the play, Antigone asked her sister to help her bury Polyneices, she tells her everything she's planning on doing hoping her sister would feel the same obligation she had felt. When Ismene refuses to help her sister bury her brother. Antigone replies with “Since apparently, the laws of the gods mean nothing to you.” Antigone then went and buried her brother in secret by herself. When confronted by the ruler, Creon. Antigone says to him “'Nevertheless, there are honors due all the dead'. Antigone is not afraid of Creon and would rather die knowing her brother is well buried and respected by the gods than have her brother unburied and anger the gods. This shows the amount of respect Antigone had for her brother and her family.

Towards the end of the play, Creon begins to question his decision. He even begins to realize how important it was to have buried Polyneices. Once he realizes his mistake he goes straight to the chamber they were keeping Antigone in and demanded it to be open. When he gets there he sees his son Haemon was there. Haemon happened to be Antigone's fiance. Haemon threatens his father and then commits suicide because of the grief of losing his fiance because of his father's stubbornness. Creon admits in the end that he was wrong and Antigone was right to bury her brother and he shouldn't have forbidden the burial of Polyneices in the first place.

Antigone buried her brother to honor him. Even though no one supported her in her decision she still did so because she loved him and family was important to her. She was right to do so because not only did she believe it was the right thing to do by the end of the play even Creon, the one who banned the burial because of traitory, even believed it was the right thing to do and regretted it. Also, it was God's law to make sure everyone was buried after death to insure a good afterlife.