Final Paper Topic (Brainstorming)

Antigone is a very driven and determined character to pursue her goals. In this case, her goal is to give her brother Polyneices a proper burial. Despite the fact that she knows she would possibly be punished or killed by Creon if she goes against his law.

1. What is driving Antigone's determination of risking her own life for the burial of her brother? Is it because he is family? Or is it because pride?

• “At least he is my brother and yours, too, through you deny him. I will not prove false to him” (line 45-46).
• “So for such as me, to face such a fate as this is pain that does not count. But if I dared to leave the dead man, my mother’s son, dead and unburied, that would have been real pain” (line 465-468).
• “If my husband were dead, I might have had another and child from another man, if I lost the first. But when father and mother both were hidden in death, no brother’s life would bloom for me again” (line 909-912).

2. Is Antigone's determination causing her to be very stubborn and disregarding everyone's opinion on the situation?

• “I would not urge you now; nor if you wanted to act would I be glad to have you with me. Be as you choose to be; but for myself I myself will bury him. It will be good to die, so doing. I shall lie by his side living him as he loved me; I shall be a criminal but a religious one” (line 69-75).
• “Why do you wait, then? Nothing that you say pleases me; God forbid it ever should” (line 499-500).