Themes and Images + Tragic Hero (Review) Flashcards
Divine Law vs. Human law
Ex: Antigone believes the God’s demand her brother be buried, Creon enforces a law forbidding it.
Image: unburied body of Polynices represents the clash between divine and human laws.
Family Loyalty vs. Civic Duty
Ex: Antigone’s loyalty to Polynices drives her to defy Creon’s law, prioritizing family over state.
Image: Antigone’s defiant burial act symbolizes family loyalty, even against state power
Fate and Free will
Ex: both Antigone and Creon face unavoidable consequences due to their decisions, which are linked to the curse of Oedipus’ family.
Images: Tiresias’ prophecy foreshadows the inevitable tragic outcome.
Creon as a T.H
Tragic flaw: Hubris (excessive pride), his stubbornness and belief in the superiority of human law cause his downfall.
Connection to Play: refusal to bend leads to the deaths of Antigone, haemon, wife (eurydice). Realizes too late and experiences profound suffering and reversals of fortune.
Pride (Hubris)
Ex: Creon’s pride prevents him from listening to reason or divine warnings, leading to his downfall.
Image: Creon’s refusal to yield symbolizes the dangers of excessive pride.
Antigone as T.H
She is too stubborn and this leads to her punishment as she goes through with with the act refusing to stand down.
