In Sophocles’ Antigone, love and marriage are somehow interrelated because one is the

outcome of the other, there’s an interplay between both of them. The protagonist
Antigone is the result of Oedipus and Jocasta's incestuous marriage which plays a
significant role in the development of Antigone’s character.
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The incest marriage between Antigone’s father Oedipus and his mother Jocasta is the
product of Antigone’s
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In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone, war functions to emphasize the strength of love.
Scenes that allude to the power of love only occur because Sophocles has set the play to
be after a war. Sophocles depicts a war in which brothers spill each other’s blood on the
battlefield. Though filial love is broken between the Eteocles and Polyneices, Antigone’s
love still remains for her two brothers. War highlights the shortcomings and tenacity of
love through the deaths of Eteocles and Polyneices, Antigone’s perseverance and civil
disobedience in the name of love, and the suicides of Haimon and his mother Eurydice.
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Unconditional or divine love is shown in many instances throughout "Antigone" by
Sophocles. Agape love is shown when Antigone feels the urge to bury Polyneices. She
couldn't let her brother be dishonored how he was, and she didn't let the law stop her
from doing what she thought was right.
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Also, the bond that Antigone and her sister Ismene have. They both show true loyalty for
each other. Ismene shows her true loyalty by trying to lie that she had helped bury
Polynices to hopefully help take some of the blame off Antigone. However, Antigone
showed her loyalty by telling Creon that Ismene had not helped and that she was lying so
she wouldn't be punished.
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Antigone shows love for her family by wanting to bury her brother, Polyneices. Along
with having love for him, Ismene (a sister of Antigone) showed love and trust for her as
she denied the quest to bury Polyneices but agreed to not tell anyone in the kingdom her
plan. These two characters, Antigone and Ismene both are the greek love, Storge because
they both show true love affection for their family.
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Haemon also displays agape love in the beginning of the play where he portrays his dad,
Creon, as a great father figure who holds the highest of Haemon's respects until Haeman
feels the need to turn his back on his dad in order to stand up for Antigone, his new love.
Antigone is engaged to Haeman and he kills himself for Antigone. He did this for her
because of her father punishing her for buring Polyneices. This shows that he truly loved
her as a wife (even though they were only engaged). Haemon’s love for Antigone is so
strong that he commits suicide as a way to defy his father to for punishing Antigone.

The unaccomplished love between Haemon and Antigone

Love for brother,

Ismene love – Antigone love for brother

There is an interplay between love and marriage in Sophocles’ Antigone,

One of the biggest displays of the benefits of marriage occurs when Haimon appeals to
Creon to let Antigone go: “Then she must die- but her death will cause another.” (III,
119) Epitomizing love, Haimon is ready to sacrifice his own life to save the one that to
whom he is betrothed.
Haimon shows a lot of respect towards his father and his kingly powers and decisions.
Haimon's love is shown for Creon in the play when he says “I am your son, Father. You
are my guide. You make things clear for me, and I obey you” (716). Haimon's hate
towards his father is later shown whenever he suggests that his father not punish
Antigone and tells him that all of Thebes is in Antigone's favor.

Antigone’s deep love and passion sets the pieces of her life together. She loves her
brother Polynices infinitely and refuses to abide by the law, believing he deserves the
proper burial despite his actions. “I’ll lie there with him, with a man I love, pure and
innocent, for all my crime. My honours for the dead must last much longer than for those
up here,” (90-93). At this point during the tragedy, Antigone recognizes that such a deed,
in Creon’s eyes, will forever seal her fate. She would rather sacrifice her own life in order
to show respect for her deceased brother. Love predetermines the alignment of her
actions and the consequences that follow. Driven by the heart instead of the mind,
Antigone openly accepts death and denies nothing.
In spite of this, Haemon is in love with Antigone and is therefore
opposed to the idea that she has to be punished for her actions. “Not
here, she will not die here, King. And you will never see my face again.
Go on raving as long as you’ve a friend to endure you”. Creon’s son
ends up committing suicide, and this is reflected both as an act of love
towards her fiancée, when he discovers her dead body, as well as a sign
of his divergent ideals contrasting the city ones. Furthermore, throughout
the play there are other important forces that act as an influence to the
characters and the implementation of their actions.

Creon was completely blinded by his pride and power that he lost those
closest to him. Starting with his son,“Then she’ll die-- and in her death
kill someone else.”(Haemon; line 859). Creon thinks that his son is
threatening him, and doesn’t pay attention to what his son is feeling
towards Antigone. He doesn’t see the signs and advice his son gives. He
lost his whole family his sons and wife. “ I killed you, my son, without
intending to, and you, as well, my wife. How useless I am now.”(Creon;
lines 188) Creon realizes it’s too late his mistakes, and now that he lost
his family, he realizes he should of listened. All his family dead, he is
now alone because he was blinded by his pride that he didn't listen.He
realized too late of all the consequences that his ignorance brought upon
him.

The power of love sets a dark overtone on the city of Thebes, as every character, except
for Creon, is deeply affected by Antigone’s decision to bury her disloyal brother.
After hearing that Antigone had hanged herself, Haemon and Eurydice decide to take
their own lives in the acceptance of fate and utter grief.
In the end, Creon’s fate led him to walk in this world alone, knowing that he influenced
the fate of his family members. “I don’t know where to look or find support. Everything I
touch goes wrong, and on my head fate climbs up with its overwhelming load,” (1487-
1490). Creon is the only one without love and left alone in his own misery when the
tragedy comes to an end. His fate is marked by the wrongdoings and decisions of his
family. It is not until the very end that he recognizes and accepts his own destiny with a
wounded heart.
The power of love sets a dark overtone on the city of Thebes, as every character, except
for Creon, is deeply affected by Antigone’s decision to bury her disloyal brother.
After hearing that Antigone had hanged herself, Haemon and Eurydice decide to take
their own lives in the acceptance of fate and utter grief. In the end, Creon’s fate led him
to walk in this world alone, knowing that he influenced the fate of his family members. “I
don’t know where to look or find support. Everything I touch goes wrong, and on my
head fate climbs up with its overwhelming load,” (1487-1490). Creon is the only one
without love and left alone in his own misery when the tragedy comes to an end. His fate
is marked by the wrongdoings and decisions of his family. It is not until the very end that
he recognizes and accepts his own destiny with a wounded heart.