Lessons in Following the Heart

Lessons in following the Heart

An essay on the tragedy of Antigone

Love by definition means a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or sense of under lying oneness. The play Antigone allows a reader to view how love can cause fear, despair, and death. Love is a strong feeling and the strong feelings changed many lives in the play Antigone. In Antigone the contempt of death enables Antigone to conquer Creon, a ruler who is proud of his wisdom. With Creon's pride he learns too late, and fate destroyed his life.

Eteocles and Polyneices (Antigone's brothers) have fallen due to fighting to gain the throne of Thebes. Creon allows Eteocles to be buried at once, but he orders that no funeral or burial will be held in honor of Polyneices. "Polyneices, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and the shrines of his fathers' gods, whose one idea was to spill the blood of his blood and sell his people into slavery--Polyneices, I say is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, un buried; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like." (Timeless Vices, Timeless Themes, p.77 line38-47) Although under the rule of Creon Antigone wanted her brother to have an honorable burial. Creon showed his stubbornness and Antigone as well. After many arguments Antigone took her life so she could show honor for her brother through death. Within making this decision Antigone did not realize that her soon to be husband would also join her in death. In the end Antigone, and Haimon were both dead and Creon lived in despair because his son was dead and his kingdom was ruined. Their stubbornness leads them to tragic consequences.

Haimon (Creon's son) loved Antigone; he dreamt of marrying her as soon as possible. There was only one problem Antigone had a situation that she needed to handle. Antigone loved her family and wanted to make sure hey were shown honor. In Antigone's selfiousness she took her own life; devastated Haimon decided that he was going to be with her in life or death. Antigone followed her heart and did what she had to but she forgot that her decisions affected other people. "Creon's son then took