Antigone- Journal #10

- Oedipus dies
- Etecoles and Polynices agree to share the throne. (Reign in alternate years)
- After being kind for one year, Etecoles decided not to give the throne to Polynices
- Civil War
- Polynices and his six allies were defeated
- Brothers fought outisde city walls
- They kill each other
- Creon becomes king
- Creon decides that Etecoles will be buried with pomp and honours, while Polynices is to be left to rot
- Anyone who tries to give Polynices a religious burial will be put to death.

The previous events seem to be focused all around death. The description that Anouilh uses kind of changes the audience's or reader's mindset towards the play to make them expect death and betrayal. The words that Anouilh uses to describe these events also aid in creating kind a depressing tone that spreads throughout the mind of the reader. I find this kind of confusing because it was my understanding that part of the tragedy is to show some one's downfall, but how is that possible when starting the play off in this depressing tone? Although Anouilh did very clearly show a downfall through the events that occurred before Antigone was caught. Through Anouilh's description, I feel like the reader or audience immediately begins to hate Creon. Creon is seen in this past events who someone who has a major lust for power. I feel like this is shown through his actions when stating that anyone who tries to give Polynices a religious burial will be executed. And the fact that he can makes the decision of who can or can't have a burial shows that he is either showing his dominance or is staying loyal to an ally. This can aid in the plays definition of the tragedy because some people can view both sides as being correct. Because Creon took the side of Etecoles, who was the one who didn't want to give up power, I think that Anouilh is trying to show Creon as a character who is obbsessed with power and is driven by the want to obtain more of it.