Antigone By Sophocles Essay Example

and consummation of happiness; however, for Medea, it also induces violence.

Love comes in different forms depending on the situation. Passionate love is usually experienced between a man and woman, while siblings or a father and daughter often share unconditional love.

Love, an enigmatic and potent force capable of seizing the soul, can prompt actions deemed illogical or unacceptable by society. Despite the potential for pain, individuals have made sacrifices for this sentiment. This trend is apparent in theatrical productions where love defies logic and cannot be easily categorized like other emotions.

Antigone expresses her desire to bury her brother Polyneices, who had rebelled against their country. She tells Ismene, "I am going to bury him" (p. 492), despite knowing that it goes against the law as "Creon has sworn no one shall bury him" (p.).

Regardless of the consequences, Antigone is determined to bury her brother Polyneices out of love for him, as stated on page 492: "I will bury him; and if I must die." Her strong affection for him is the only conceivable reason for taking such a risky action, as expressed on page 493: "I will bury the brother I love." Despite the fact that burying Polyneices is strictly forbidden by law, Antigone is resolute in carrying out her plan, believing that no law can justify denying her brother the proper burial he deserves: "Because to her law can not justify the indecency which her brother does not deserve."

Antigone's burial of Polyneices is done out of love for her brother. Although it is not a true burial, but rather a symbolic one, Antigone views it as acceptable despite it being against the law and putting

her own life at risk. She ultimately faces mortal danger for her actions. Despite Haimon trying to save his bride-to-be, Creon's stubbornness leads to her death in a cave. Later, Creon regrets his decision, but it is too late.

Antigone has died and Haimon loves her deeply. The idea of living without her is unbearable, so he ends his life with his own sword. It is stated that 'Haimon is dead; and the hand that killed him is his own' (p520). This illustrates how love has the power to drive us to act in harmful ways that we would not otherwise. Due to Haimon's intense love for Antigone, he could not imagine living without her, and as he passed away, he embraced her closely (p521).

Upon learning of Haimon's demise, the queen's mother unfortunately decided to end her own life. According to page 523, she stood before the altar and voluntarily received the knife that was guided by her own hand. Her love for her son was overwhelming and impossible to bear without him. Similar to Haimon, she was powerless against the strength of love - loving her son so deeply that it became unbearable. It is important to acknowledge that if her affection for him had not been genuine, she would not have taken such a drastic step. This serves as yet another illustration of how potent love can be in leading us towards tragic and catastrophic situations.

Similar to Antigone, Medea exhibited selflessness driven by love. She fearlessly conquered the serpent guarding the Golden Fleece: "the serpent that kept watch over the Golden Fleece, Coiled round it fold on fold, unsleeping - it was I

who killed it" (p. 31). In spite of the dangerous mission and her apprehension towards the powerful serpent, Medea's commitment to Jason compelled her to obtain the valuable object for him.

Despite being aware of the danger and the fact that it was wrong, Medea acted out of love. She not only committed this act but also went to the extent of murdering her own father for Jason. Medea's actions were fueled by love rather than wisdom, leading to her committing one of the most brutal murders in history, killing Pelias through the hands of his own daughters and causing harm to his entire family (p. 31).

Love's immense potency is demonstrated by a daughter's willingness to murder her own father for someone she adores. Despite being related by blood and having been brought into existence by her father, she deems her love for another to hold a higher value than his life. This sort of behavior is unacceptable and yet it occurs, highlighting the far-reaching and sometimes dangerous effects of love. Media's actions are indefensible and solely inspired by her love for Jason.

The reason behind her action was her love for Jason, which, as depicted in the plays Medea and Antigone, can lead to improper and unacceptable behavior. These plays demonstrate the tragedies that result from a twisted form of love experienced by several characters. Therefore, it can be concluded that love has the power to bring forth disastrous consequences when not properly understood and respected.

Jason's disregard for his wife resulted in her feeling rejected and prompted her to engage in destructive behavior, demonstrating complete savagery. The tragic flaw that led to most of the deaths

in both plays was the characters' inability to let go and accept the never-ending cycle of love. A powerful quote on love from Antigone effectively captures its essence: 'Love, unconquerable Waster of rich men, keeper of warm lights and all-night vigil in soft face of girl: sea-wanderer, forest-visitor even pure immortals cannot escape you, and man mortal man, in his one day dusk, trembles before your glory. Surely you swerve ruin the just man's consenting heart, as here you have made bright anger strike between father and son and none has conquered but love! A girl's glance working the will of heaven: pleasure to her alone who mocks us, merciless Aphrodite.'

The potential for love to be either a source of happiness or sorrow is evident. The vast realm of idealized love can lead to an endless abyss of hatred if the love is insincere. This intense emotion can have detrimental consequences if not handled with proper care and attentiveness.