irony in antigone king creon essay
In the tragedy Antigone, Sophocles pens a tale of a stalwart and distrustful king, Creon, and his misuse of the power this individual possesses. In the play he disregards legislation of the gods to fit his whims, something that the heroine of the play, Antigone, wholeheartedly disagrees with; she disobeys his order to leave her dead brother, Polynices, unburied and sentences very little to fatality in the process. Antigone is interested to Creon’s son, Haemon, who does not agree with his father’s actions in regard to the burial of Antigone’s traitorous brother.
The disagreement between daddy and boy leads to Haemon’s suicide; actually, Creon feels it is his life that is taken and not his son’s. Creon and Haemon argue about Antigone’s impending fate; their difference on the subject requires a danger from Haemon: “No. Avoid ever wish for that. She’ll not expire with me just standing generally there. And as pertaining to you” your eyes will not ever see my encounter again.
So let your rage fee on amongst your friends Who want to stand by you in this (870-875)Haemon declares that Antigone is not going to die with no reaction from himself; Creon will never observe Haemon again because if perhaps Antigone is definitely killed Haemon plans to participate her in death: simply by his own hand. Haemon then says that Creon’s rage is going to force Haemon’s own hand to do something which Creon is going to regret. Creon does not understand that Haemon is threatening his own your life; instead, he believes that his very own life is staying threatened, wonderful reactions to Haemon’s terms are padded with fear, ignorance, and irony.
The irony of the condition is that Creon is so blinded by his own ego that this individual thinks his own life is in danger, when it is actually his son’s that may be. Creon just realizes the error of his assumptions and actions after Haemon commits committing suicide. More paradox arises while using death of Haemon; this individual has signed up with Antigone in death to have what Creon denied all of them while living: each other. At the close with the play Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice, Creon’s wife, have all committed suicide because of Creon’s actions.
Creon is dubious through the entire enjoy; in the beginning he accuses Antigone and Ismene of plotting to steal his throne, saying: “You there”you snake stalking in my house, sucking away my life’s blood and so secretly. I’d personally no idea I used to be nurturing two pests, who aimed to go up against my own throne. Come here. (607-610) These types of words will be directed towards Ismene more so than Antigone because Creon already potential foods her of wrongdoing. He could be surprised to see Ismene stalking in the dark areas as your woman eavesdrops within the judgment of Antigone; upon seeing Ismene, Creon is definitely convinced that she has conspired with Antigone to steal his life and throne.
In other words, he is aware about one infestation, Antigone, but does not consider Ismene as being a pest until she is uncovered eavesdropping. After Ismene can be discovered Creon calls her over to become judged along with Antigone. This is actually the first signal of Creon’s extreme suspicion that the visitor sees; besides he hang something on Antigone and Ismene of conspiring of stealing his kingship, but he accuses all of them of planning to take his life too. Creon’s mistrust of his impending fatality is ironic because at the end of the play both Antigone and Haemon take their particular lives instead of Creon’s.
Creon does not know the damage this individual has brought on until it is too late to solve; the time pertaining to rectification of the situation is long gone and he feels profound anguish at the loss of his son. This individual never imagines that Haemon spoke of killing him self when they experienced their exchange of phrases earlier in the play; when ever next to Haemon’s cadaver Creon says: Aaiii”mistakes of a foolish mind, terrible mistakes that bring on fatality. You see all of us here, all-in-one family” the killer as well as the killed. Wow the profanity of the things i planned. Alas, my boy, you passed away so young”a death prior to your time. Aaiii… aaiii… ou’re dead… gone”not your individual foolishness nevertheless mine. (1406-1414)
Creon explains with suffering that this individual now understands his actions caused the death of Haemon; his mistakes happen to be cruel and Haemon is gone not of his own foolishness, nevertheless of Creon’s. Further paradox shows after Creon finds that his wife, Eurydice, is also useless; he requests death by simply double-edged sword, when earlier he was really fearful about his individual death and vehement about not perishing. He says, inches Aaaii… My personal fear at this point makes me personally tremble. So why won’t someone now strike out by me, pierce my heart with a twice bladed blade? How gloomy I i am… aaiii… just how full of misery and pain… (1453-1457).
Creon begs for the death that he is maniacally obsessed with before in the enjoy; it takes the fulfillment of Haemon’s dangers to make Creon seek loss of life, and is most definitely ironic when compared to his attitude towards fatality earlier inside the play. As luck would have it, Creon right now feels the misery of Antigone and Haemon, which he brought on; he pierces each of their hearts correspondingly when he forbids Antigone appropriate burial of her close friend, Polynices, so when he forbids Haemon his bride, Antigone.
Creon’s last words happen to be: Then take this foolish person away from below. I murdered you, my son, devoid of intending to, and you simply, as well, my spouse. How pointless I am, I can’t say for sure where to look or get support. Every thing I contact goes wrong, and on my head destiny climbs plan its overpowering load. (1485-1490) Once filled up with immense self confidence and selfishness, Creon now feels weak and worthless; ironically, he feels impossible and distraught not because of anyone looking to steal his power or take his life, although because of his own distrustful actions and ignorant thoughts that cause his globe to unravel before his very eye.
You may also want to consider the following: situational irony in antigone
1
