Antigone Is A Play - Free Essay Example

Antigone is a play that demonstrates a variety of emotions throughout the play. The story starts off with the protagonist, Antigone, battling to give her brother, Polyneices a proper burial. The antagonist, Creon, who can also be referred to as Antigoners uncle, and the ruler of Thebes, issued a royal edict banning for the burial of Polyneices. Antigone is baffled by this ban and fights for justice for her brother throughout the excerpt. The author, Sophocles, portrays the three rhetorical appeals in Antigone as a way to interest the reader. These appeals are identified as Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Ethos is a pillar of rhetoric that is sometimes known as the ethical appeal. Ethos is used to persuade circumstance to get something one desires and convince an audience of the users credibility. One example of Ethos would be when Creon said But Look who comes, the lucky son of Menoeceus: The man the gods have made our king. This exemplifies ethos because Creon is the king of Thebes, so he has great power and credibility over everyone therefore, whatever he says must be obeyed because he is the king. Evidence from the story that also shows how Ethos is being used in the play would be As your son, you see, I find myself marking every word and act and comment of the crowd, to gauge. The temperature of the simple citizen Haemon uses Ethos as Creonrs son and Thebes as well in order to convince Creon and the audience that Antigone should not be punished for her actions. Ethos plays a significant role in the play due to Antigone and Creon sharing such different views on the conflict in the story. It lets the reader decide who they trust and want to support throughout the play. The second appeal of rhetoric is called Pathos. Pathos appeals to the emotions of the audience and elicits feelings that already reside in them. This rhetoric is used quite often throughout Antigone. One way Pathos is used in the story would be when Antigone said but I from the shadows hear them: here is cityrs sympathy for this girl, because no woman ever faced so unreasonable, so cruel a death, for such a generous cause. This quote portrays the essence of Pathos by showing other characters feelings and emotion towards Antigone actions and punishment to evoke pity. Another quote from the text exemplifying Pathos would be dogs in crows all bloodied carrying desecrated carrion to the hearths and alters†carrion from the poor unburied son of Oedipus. Burnt offerings go up in stench. The gods are dumb. To stimulate feelings of guilt, fear and pity in order to persuade Creon and the audience of the gods opinion and law considering on Polyneices burial. Pathos plays a major role in the play because this play is filled with different emotions. The last pillar of rhetoric shown in Antigone is Logos. Logos is the logic used to persuade an audience using logical arguments. Logos is used in the play a various amount of times as well. For instance Haemon says, A one-man stay is no stay at all The state that you should rule would be a desert. Haemon uses logic to counter claim Creonrs ethos that claimed that his actions were approved because he was the king. By saying that no state can exist with only single person and comparing it to a desert. Another quote that shows Pathos being used in the play would be The gods, provoked, never wait to mow men down. By using basic reasoning of the guides personalities, the leader of the chorus was able to convince Creon to go free Antigone from her tomb. Logos also played an important factor in the play because it helped the readers understand the logic of the characters. Antigone is a famous play that focuses on the tension individual action and fate. The story consists of the protagonist, Antigone and Creon having a big disagreement. This is exactly why the pillars of rhetoric play a important role in the play. Throughout the play the main characters portrayed Pathos by developing many emotions. The characters also used reasoning to keep the readers engaged which is an example of Lothos. However, the readers demonstrated Ethos nicely by showing ethical ways of thinking.