Fregoso 1
Roberto Fregoso
Mr. Epstein/Miss Swanson
English 2 Honors
5 December 2018
Embedded Assessment 2: Antigone
Martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art of aikido Morihei Ueshiba once
quoted,” Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The
spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love.” Antigone is a tragedy by the ancient
Greek playwright Sophocles, written around 442 BCE. The action of Antigone” follows on from
the Theban civil war, in which the two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, died fighting each other
for the throne of Thebes. Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, has declared that Eteocles is to be
honored with a full funeral and Polynices is to be disgraced by leaving his body unburied on the
battlefield. As the play begins, Antigone vows to bury her brother Polynices' body in defiance of
Creon's edict, although her sister Ismene refuses to help her, fearing the death penalty. Creon,
furious at this willful disobedience, questions Antigone over her actions, but she does not deny
what she has done. Creon decides that Antigone should be buried alive in a cave as punishment
for her transgressions. Later on, a messenger enters to report that both Haemon and Antigone
have taken their own lives. I believe that Antigone is a very courageous woman because she
defies her king, doesn't deny what she has done, and shows her loyalty with her family.
In the tragedy play Antigone, by Sophocles, Creon’s regard for the laws of the city
causes him to abandon all other beliefs. He feels that all should obey the laws set forth by him,
even if other beliefs, moral or religious, state otherwise. Antigone believes that Creon is being
Fregoso 2
unjust. In Antigone's eyes, Creon betrayed that ideal by not allowing her to properly bury her
brother, Polynices. She believed that the burial was a religious ceremony and Creon did not have
the power to deny Polynices that right. Antigone is so determined to bury Polyneices because it
is an offense against the gods, against morality, to leave any corpse unburied. She also said that
if she let her brother, Polyneices, unburied that would be a dishonor to her family and her
mother. Antigone refuses to obey Creon’s edict but everyone else in Thebe is afraid of Creon.
Although Antigone bla...
