Burial at Thebes

Sophocles’ Antigone brings to the stage tragic expressions of human conflict. In the 2004 adaptation The Burial at Thebes, Seamus Heaney relates to contemporary conflicts. This essay will argue that the strongest case is given by Creon within the context of Ancient Greece. Creon’s stance would have been approved in Thebes; but, with the passage of time, perceptions change, and it could be argued that Antigone’s stance is nowadays favourably accepted. With a plethora of conflicting human relationships between Antigone and Creon, Creon’s argument is strong from the outset.

In the first choral song, the Theban elders introduce Creon as the defender of Thebes and a principled citizen, intoning ‘Glory be to the brightness, to the gleaming sun, shining guardian of our seven gates'(p.8). – The interchange of sibyllant ‘s’ and ‘g’ sounds stresses the glory and elevation of Creon. The parodos goes on to use imagery of shining metal in the battle against the enemies of Thebes to reach a frenzied climax (Hardwick, 2008, p.196) in ‘Let Bacchus lead us and burn away the dark! … King Creon. All hail to Creon.’ (Heaney, 2004, p.9).

What Citation Formats Do You Support?

We hear “Can you write in APA or MLA?” all the time—and the answer’s a big yes, plus way more! Our writers are wizards with every style—APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Turabian, you name it—delivering flawless formatting tailored to your assignment. Whether it’s a tricky in-text citation or a perfectly styled reference list, they’ve got the skills to make your paper academically spot-on.

King Oedipus and his sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, are dead. Supporting Eteocles over the rule of Thebes, Creon’s army defeated Polyneices and his alliance. Addressing the elders in his inaugural speech, the King uses the metaphor of a ship, a faithful crew and calmer seas, in an iambic beat (Hardwick, p.196). He adds: ‘So friends, well done.’ Importantly, with no male heirs in the Oedipus blood-line, Creon assumes power. ‘I’m next in line. The throne has come to me'(p.9). Greeks would have known the Oedipus story and the line of succession. Almost immediately Creon pronounces the pivotal statement which forms the basis of the argument in his favour,

Until a man has passed this test of office and proved himself in the exercise of power, He can’t be truly known – for what he is, I mean, In his heart and mind and capabilities. Worst is the man who has the good advice And, then because his nerve fails, fails to act In accordance with it, as a leader should. (pp.9-10)

This chiasmus of ideas on advice and failure enhances the King’s merit as a leader.

On Creon’s first day in government, he may expect civil unrest after the war; therefore, he accepts that no man’s true character can be known. He proceeds with a second cardinal point that loyalty to the city takes precedence over any family or private loyalty or obligation, an equally to blame is anyone who puts the personal above the overall thing, puts friend or family first. (p.10)

Are Paper Services Legal?

Yes, completely! They’re a valid tool for getting sample papers to boost your own writing skills, and there’s nothing shady about that. Use them right—like a study guide or a model to learn from—and they’re a smart, ethical way to level up your grades without breaking any rules.

Creon then asserts that, … For the patriot personal loyalty always must give way to patriotic duty.(p.10)

The cognates of ‘patriot’ are repeated to emphasize the importance of the law, reinforcing Creon’s argument.

Thebans would have welcomed the idea of patriotism to safeguard the interests of the city after a blighted war. ‘A patriot is he whose publick conduct is regulated by one single motive, the love of his country; who,…, has, for himself, neither hope nor fear, neither kindness nor resentment, but refers everything to the common interest'(Johnson, 1774). As the ‘common interest’ is paramount, the King has engaged with his male audience. Moreover, Creon has a let-out clause for he has to pass the test of office and this makes his argument so compelling. Whether his actions will, at the end, vindicate him or not, whether he will rise or fall, is irrelevant as, only time will tell.

How Much for a Paper?

Prices start at $10 per page for undergrad work and go up to $21 for advanced levels, depending on urgency and any extras you toss in. Deadlines range from a lightning-fast 3 hours to a chill 14 days—plenty of wiggle room there! Plus, if you’re ordering big, you’ll snag 5-10% off, making it easier on your wallet while still getting top-notch quality.

As King his first law is to deny the burial of his nephew Polyneices; this edict puts him in a collision course with Antigone. There are two conflicting aspects to the refusal of the burial: contravention of the unwritten law which would have protected the rights of the dead to be buried, and the role of women in the rituals of death. Furthermore, funerals may cause insurrection and unrest (Hall, 2008, p.xviii). In Ancient Greece, lament over the dead were the privilege of women. The first law would appear to target Antigone and Ismene as Oedipus’ female survivors; Antigone tells Ismene, and right you are to be scared.

Creon has made a law. Eteocles has been buried as a soldier, with full honours; So he’s gone home to the dead. But not Polyneices. Polyneices is denied any burial at all. (p.2)

The clash between the antagonists relates to family relationships. In the Prologue, Antigone asks Ismene what has come to them and why they are always ‘the ones’. ‘Because of what we are – daughters of Oedipus’ (p.1) and alluding to Polyneices ‘the ones we love are enemies of the state’ (p.1) She implies conspiracy in the personification of the walls, ‘the walls in there have ears’ (p.2) and in an act of defiance, Antigone declares,

I will bury him myself.

Will Anyone Find Out I Used You?

Nope—your secret’s locked down tight. We encrypt all your data with top-tier security, and every paper’s crafted fresh just for you, run through originality checks to prove it’s one-of-a-kind. No one—professors, classmates, or anyone—will ever know you teamed up with us, guaranteed.

And if death comes, so be it.

There will be glory in it.

I’ll go down to the underworld. (pp.5-6)

Understanding of the consequences, Antigone proclaims,

Do You Rely on AI?

Not even a little—our writers are real-deal experts with degrees, crafting every paper by hand with care and know-how. No AI shortcuts here; it’s all human skill, backed by thorough research and double-checked for uniqueness. You’re getting authentic work that stands out for all the right reasons.

If Creon has me killed,

Where’s the disgrace in that?

The disgrace would be to avoid it. (p.7)

On discovering that the body has been buried, the Chorus questions such action against the King in ‘who would choose to be dead?’ (p.12). Two points arise: disobedience which will lead to a death sentence and implied fear. Creon is attempting to establish law and order and the elders would prefer a path to normality, but fear is another matter -perhaps, it is not fear for themselves but for the society’s future. However, Creon’s firm hand is defensible because war has caused family and other social fractures (Hall, p.xvii).

Why Are You Top for Research Papers?

Our writers are Ph.D.-level pros who live for nailing the details—think deep research and razor-sharp arguments. We pair that with top plagiarism tools, free revisions to tweak anything you need, and fast turnarounds that don’t skimp on quality. Your research paper won’t just shine—it’ll set the bar.

When Antigone is reported by the Guard in ‘And now, sir, she is yours. It is up to you to judge her and convict her’ (p.18), in the agon that follows between Antigone and Creon, she does not deny her actions and stands accused. Creon’s argument is further strengthened when Antigone is questioned and admits that she knew the proclamation, and therefore the law,

Creon You then. Tell me

And be quick about it: did you or did you not know that the proclamation forbade all this?

Antigone I did know. How could I not? Didn’t everybody?

Who’s Behind My Essays?

You’re in good hands with degree-holding pros—many rocking Master’s or higher—who’ve crushed our tough vetting tests in writing and their fields. They’re your partners in this, hitting tight deadlines and academic standards with ease, all while tailoring every essay to your exact needs. No matter the topic, they’ve got the chops to make it stellar.

Creon And still you dared to disobey the law?

Antigone I disobeyed because the law was not

The law of Zeus nor the law ordained

By Justice, Justice dwelling deep

Is My Paper Original?

100%—we promise! Every paper’s written fresh from scratch—no AI, no copying—just solid research and proper citations from our expert writers. You can even request a plagiarism report to see it’s 95%+ unique, giving you total confidence it’s submission-ready and one-of-a-kind.

Among the gods of the dead. What they decree

Is immemorial and binding for us all.

I chose to disregard it. I abide

By statutes utter and immutable-

Can You Do Any Citation Style?

Yep—APA, Turabian, IEEE, Chicago, MLA, whatever you throw at us! Our writers nail every detail of your chosen style, matching your guidelines down to the last comma and period. It’s all about making sure your paper fits academic expectations perfectly, no sweat.

Unwritten, original, god-given laws. (p.20-21)

The Chorus interjects saying that the wildness in her comes from Oedipus and that she won’t relent (p.21). In the immediate stichomythia, Creon sentences Antigone, to which she retorts that she has never done a nobler thing than to bury her brother and seals her destiny adding ‘I have long gone over to the dead’ (p.23). This weakens her argument because she has given up on life. Today, her intransigency may seem heroic. In Ancient Greece however, she would have been seen as a disobedient citizen and worse, a disobedient woman. Ismene had tried to reason with Antigone in stating ‘Women defying Creon? I’ll be ruled by Creon’s word. Anything else is madness'(p.5). The Chorus adds with terminal undertones that ‘the family is going to feel the blow generation after generation … Hope for the house of Oedipus has died.’ (p.28).

Crucially, Antigone chose to disobey the (man-made) law but the reason she gave was religious abidance and tending to the dead, which was a role entrusted to women who were otherwise excluded from civic and political life. Alluding to Creon’s proclamation Antigone had said ‘this I cannot take’ (p.1) and ‘this death penalty is almost a relief’ (p.21) to which Creon retorted ‘Go and love your fill in the underworld.’ (p.24). Poignantly he declares ‘No woman will dictate the law to me’ (p.24) which corroborates the social structure of Thebes.

Antigone’s position is further diminished in ‘will it be enough to see me executed?’ (p.22), as she does not attempt to redeem her family by living but makes a choice by dying. As the young bride of Creon’s son, her inflexible actions have blinded her judgement and her future. Antigone has chosen the dead, and accepted her sentence in ‘You are the king and won’t be contradicted’ (p.23).

Can I Adjust Instructions Later?

Absolutely—life happens, and we’re flexible! Chat with your writer anytime through our system to update details, tweak the focus, or add new requirements, and they’ll pivot fast to keep your paper on point. It’s all about making sure the final draft is exactly what you need, no stress involved.

Haemon tells his father that ‘nobody can be sure they are right all the time’ (p.31) and blind prophet Tiresias foresees Creon’s downfall in ‘All men make mistakes … Pull back'(p.44). By the time Creon resolves to change, a cascade of inevitable events has unfolded: Antigone and Haemon have committed suicide and Eurydice, realising the loss of her son, kills herself and curses her husband, who is too late to save his family’s descent into the underworld. His wishes to hurry his own death in ‘all I pray for now is the dawn of my last day’ (p.55). Similarly, Dr Faustus is too late to escape his descent into hell. (Marlowe, 2008, p.111)

Creon and Dr Faustus possessed a hamartia or inherent character flaw such as pride or stubborness that had tragic consequences; Creon could have saved Antigone but instead became the catalyst to family catastrophe. For Dr Faustus, his erudition brought him academic acclaim but, tragically, also caused his downfall.

Creon made a strong case in defense of state law and proved himself in the exercise of power but fate had the upperhand.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• Hardwick, L. (2008) ‘Seamus Heaney The Burial at Thebes’ in Danson Brown (ed.) Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book 3), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 191-235
• Heaney, S. (2004) The Burial at Thebes – Sophocles Antigone London, WC1B 3DA, Faber and Faber
• Marlowe, C.(2008) Dr Faustus – A-text (1604) in O’Connor (ed.), Harlow, Essex, Pearson-Longman pp. 111/112
• Sophocles (2008) Antigone, Oedipus the King and Electra in Hall (ed.) trans. HDF Kitto Oxford OX2 6DP, Oxford University Press

ON LINE RESOURCES

• Samuel Johnson’s quotes on patriotism available from http://www.samueljohnson.com/patrioti.html (accessed 2nd April, 2010)

RECORDED RESOURCES:

• The Burial at Thebes (2008) “Cultural Encounters” (AA100-Book3 Audio CDs CDA5936 and CDA5937), Milton Keynes, The Open University, Part 1, Part 2 and Interviews