Hester Prynne And Oedipus At Colonus And Antigone - 856 Words

Antigone Essay Taking into account her perseverance, stubbornness, and strength, Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter is very similar to Antigone. Both protagonists have to face moral dilemmas along with adversity from others around them. This leads to consequences either from the law, the community, or both. In Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone is essentially the guardian of her now blind father, Oedipus. She is shown to care for him deeply and be very selfless in the sense that she puts his needs before hers. Antigone tells her father â€Å"Rest your limbs here on the rough rock. For you have been sent forth on a road that is long for an old man.† By saying this, she clearly is showing compassion for her father and wants the best for him.†¦show more content†¦Both Antigone and Hester were shown to make sacrifices for their loved ones. Antigone did this by putting aside everything in her life to take care of her father, and also by disregarding the rules set in place by Creon regarding the burial of her brother. Hester did the same by attempting to live a good life for her daughter Pearl in hopes she would never have to worry about what Hester is worrying about. Both Antigone and Hester stayed strong with their will even in the face of adversity. Antigone was understandably angered when she heard the news of the treatment of her brother’s body by Creon. Antigone was so appalled by this, she decided she was going to go against Creon and the authorities and bury Creon out of her respect for him. Antigone’s sister, Ismeme, was shocked when she heard of Antigone’s plans and turned down the offer when Antigone asked her to join her. Ismeme also begged Antigone to not go through with the action because she valued her sister and did not want her to get in trouble with Creon. Despite the criticism from Ismeme and the obvious rule of the law, Antigone stood firm in her faith that her brother deserved a respectful burial. Even when Creon found out about Antigone’s actions and threatened to punish her and questioned if she knew the law, she replied â€Å"Of course I knew. Was it not publicly proclaimed?† Moreover, this shows how Antigone decided her brother was more important than the law and that she was