Antigone Blog Post

Anigone and Odysseus were both heros in their stories. Antigone was deemed a hero by the people of Thebes because, she exhibits bravery in breaking the law, burying her brother Polyneices, confronting her uncle King Creon and suffering her punishment. Odysseus on the other hand was a hero because he was the warrior that conquered the battle of Troy. Antigone and Odysseus both express devotion in loving their families and respecting the gods. Although they both share similar attributes as heros, the main contrast between them is that Odysseus was the king and ruler of Ithaca whilst Antigone was a mere princess, the niece to King Creon, the ruler of Thebes. 

Both Antigone and Odysseus demonstrated Bravery in their story according to Pericles in the funeral speech which says “But the man who can most truly be accounted brave is he who best knows the meaning of what is sweet in life and of what is terrible, and then goes out undeterred to meet what is to come”. Antigone’s action to bury her beloved brother Polynices despite knowing the repercussions in this case would be an act of bravery.  Pericles shows how the Athenians considered both “the works of” and “reason” to be equally important in action, consistent with the views of Odysseus and Antigone. 

Creon just like Achilles and Odysseus was a king, the ruler of Thebes. Both Creon and Achilles end up allowing the body of their enemy a proper burial. During the time following the death of Hector, Achilles is in a position very similar to that which Creon deals with in Antigone. Both men show similar flaws, and face similar struggles. However unlike Odysseus, Creon was a complete dictator, a leader who identifies the power and dignity of the state entirely with himself. Instead of accepting kingship as his duty, Creon retains the throne as his unquestioned right and rules Thebes by his own will, rather than for the good of the people. 

To conclude, Heroism falls down to leadership. Both Odysseus and Antigone were leaders in their own right. Odysseus was a king that won many battles for the people of Ithaca and was also famous for winning the battle of Troy. Antigone on the other hand was a leader because she stood up for what she believed in regardless of the consequences.