Antigone begins with a battle just having ended in Thebes. Polynieces has rebelled against his brother Eteocles after he refused to renounce the throne as he had agreed to do so. Thebes then comes under the control of Creon who rules that Eteocles is to have an honorable burial while Polynieces is to remain above ground. Creon saw Polynieces as a traitor of the town and undeserving of an honorable burial. Antigone, sister of Polynieces and Eteocles, decides to defy Creon's orders and bury her brother. As a result, she is sentenced by Creon to live the remainder of her days confined in a cave. Haemon, Creon's son, tries desperately to change his father's opinion but is unable to do so.
Once Antigone is placed in the cave she makes the decision to hang herself. Haemon, going against his father's orders, opens the cave and finds the woman he loves dead. Haemon immediately returns home to confront his father and attempts to kill him. When he realizes this is futile, he decides to kill himself instead. Once Eurydice, the wife of Creon, learns of the death of her son she too commits suicide. In the end, Creon is alone due to the fact that he was unwilling to reconsider his punishment.
This movie raises the question of whether or not the virtues of one are more important than the virtues of others. Antigone was trying to ensure that her brother received an honorable burial so that he could proceed to the afterlife; she had an obligation to do this because he was her brother. Creon, on the other hand, made the edict and felt as though he must adhere to it because if he did not his subjects would think that he was weak and that they could do as they pleased. The movie, in my opinion, shows the need for reason and compassion when dictating laws that others must follow; one must consider the virtues of others while at the same time maintaining the peace and keeping order.
Once Antigone is placed in the cave she makes the decision to hang herself. Haemon, going against his father's orders, opens the cave and finds the woman he loves dead. Haemon immediately returns home to confront his father and attempts to kill him. When he realizes this is futile, he decides to kill himself instead. Once Eurydice, the wife of Creon, learns of the death of her son she too commits suicide. In the end, Creon is alone due to the fact that he was unwilling to reconsider his punishment.
This movie raises the question of whether or not the virtues of one are more important than the virtues of others. Antigone was trying to ensure that her brother received an honorable burial so that he could proceed to the afterlife; she had an obligation to do this because he was her brother. Creon, on the other hand, made the edict and felt as though he must adhere to it because if he did not his subjects would think that he was weak and that they could do as they pleased. The movie, in my opinion, shows the need for reason and compassion when dictating laws that others must follow; one must consider the virtues of others while at the same time maintaining the peace and keeping order.