In Sophocles' play Antigone, how does the author create sympathy for the main character?

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English A1 Standard Level

How does Sophocles create sympathy for Antigone?

 Sophocles’ play is named after its main character, Antigone, and for one the first times in Greek Tragedy it is a woman. In this play, Antigone is clearly the protagonist, as she is showed in her grief, seems sympathetic and the reader or spectator sees her from the beginning; it creates more impact and draws attention to the extremity of her feelings and emotions. Antigone also illustrates one of the central themes of this tragedy, which is the position of women; she upsets gender roles and hierarchy, and disturbs the fundamental rules of her culture. She is also heroic and scarifies her life. All these traits of character contribute to create sympathy for her and make her stand out. Sophocles always presents her as a victim and thus she benefits from a special status, which makes us readers, appreciate her more than the other characters.

From the opening of the play Antigone appears in a difficult position, she is outside the gates and shares with her sister Ismene all the suffering she has to go through. Indeed, their family has been cursed for generations and two simultaneous deaths just hit them, their brothers have died in a war against each other. This implies that Antigone’s life is full of misery and provokes in the reader a sentiment of pity for her. This is emphasised by the fact that one of Antigone’s brother cannot be buried and she will try to break the laws to do it. She wants to honour her family, is stubborn and refuses to give in to adversity under any circumstances, which is admirable.

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In the following pages, we are introduced to Creon, Antigone’s uncle, he is portrayed as a strict leader, a manipulative man and this creates a strong contrast between him and Antigone. The king feels she is defying him and he has the power over whether she lives or dies, and the law is only here to benefit him and to control the people. It emphasizes her lack of power and the divergent way in which they deal with laws. Sophocles turns us towards Antigone again since she follows her own conscience and wants to honour her family whereas Creon ...

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