Question

How do Creon and Antigone ultimately see themselves and their roles in this scene? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

Answer 1

Antigone sees herself as someone who is willing to die for obeying the gods. She asks the city of Thebes to see her as a martyr when she says "see what I have to undergo ... for paying reverence to true piety."

Creon sees himself as a ruler who must uphold the law. He tells Antigone, "I won't encourage you or cheer you up, by saying the sentence won't be carried out." Antigone disobeyed him, so he believes he is just in punishing her by death.