Creon And Achilles Essays - 1515 Words

Both Creon of Sophocles’ Antigone and Achilles of Homer’s The Iliad 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. The difference between the two men is only subtly discernible until the telling moment when each man is faced with pressure to change his stance on the fate of the fallen warrior. Each man’s initial reaction is quite telling of his character, and the motives behind each man’s decision (although the motives are debatable) also help to expose his true nature. In the end, there seems to be a quality within each man which lies above†¦show more content†¦This ardent anger is left unparalleled by the actions of Achilles. Achilles shows only one additional spark of anger during the his conversation with Priam. Impatient for the return of his sonâ⠂¬â„¢s body Priam says to Achilles â€Å"Give him back to me, now, no more delay--/ I must see my son with my own eyes† (XXIV-650). To this Achilles responds angrily â€Å"No more, old man, don’t tempt my wrath, not now!† (XXIV-656), â€Å"So don’t anger me now. Don’t stir my raging heart still more./ Or under my own roof I may not spare your life, old man--† (XXIV-667). Although the initial threats are similar in nature, the actions that each man takes after making the threat is a truer measure of the rage within each man. Creon sends Antigone to her tomb, while Achilles regains his composure allowing for Priam’s safe return to Troy and peaceful burial of his son Hector. Creon’s rage is more powerful than Achilles’ in this situation. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The importance of the Gods and the way mortals regard them in Greek literature can never be underestimated. Antigone and The Iliad are obviously not exceptions. It is a fair to assume that both Achilles and Creon were defying the Gods by their refusal to bury the fallen warriors. In The Iliad, there is actually a scene where we hear the God’s dissatisfaction with the state of Hector’s corpse. Apollo calls on the other God’s to pity Hector and his family. He asks whether Hector has reverently made rich sacrifices to the God’s and criticizesShow MoreRelatedOedipus as King of Thebes: Antigone by Sophocles1380 Words   |  6 Pagesdestruction. This is illustrated by various characters’ such as Creon in Antigone by Sophocles, Oedipus in Oedipus the King by Sophocles and the Trojans in the Aeneid by Virgil. In the Antigone we see the consequence of one’s pride and desire for power take hold, when Creon decides to punish A ntigone for disobeying the law off the land and proving Polynices with a burial. 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