Government Analysis: Antigone and The Adjustment Bureau
Antigone and The Adjustment Bureau are very comparable works; both touch on ideas with government and corruption. Although there are several differences such as the location, the time period in which they were written and set, et cetera, there are also many similar concepts within the pieces. The controlling forces in each are laced with dishonesty and a thirst for power and domination. Therefore, they are both ineffective in their methods.
First, the governments within Antigone and The Adjustment Bureau are filled with corruption, each in different ways. In The Adjustment Bureau, large amounts of wrongdoing come from the secret society, as opposed to the government displayed before the
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Creon doesn’t believe in the family ties that Antigone is deeply connected to. He is loyal to the idea of his city, rather than the people of Thebes and their needs. Creon, although not villainous, is the antagonist of the story. An antagonist in power is a recipe for corruption and misconduct within a government. By forbidding the burial of Polynices, Creon is proving that he recognizes his attempt to overthrow the king. This shows a certain weakness and fear within Creon, and shows that he wants to keep his position. Creon’s thirst for power and control is a clear example of the corruption within the government. Overall, it can be pretty easy to find corruption within a absolute monarchy, but Creon takes it to a new level by putting his followers in complex moral situations. Antigone must choose between her loyalty to her family and lost brothers, and her loyalty to her city and Creon. Evidently, she sided with her family, going against Creon’s rule. The fact that she was put into this situation by Creon proves that he is not only the antagonist, but the source of corruption within the government.
In addition, free will and control are concepts that are prevalent in both pieces. They are brought to attention multiple times, especially in The Adjustment Bureau. One example of this is when Thompson
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In The Adjustment Bureau, David and Elise go against the bureau even after they become aware of their power. They choose to resist power, rather than give in. The effectiveness of the Adjustment Bureau is slim to none. No matter the threats and the forces used against the people, David acts out and goes against them. He loves Elise, and his love is what drives him to act out against the Bureau. This further decreases the effectiveness and proves that a controlling government has negative outcomes. In Antigone, Creon is clearly an ineffective ruler. Antigone acts out against him repeatedly, and even his own son disobeys him in the end. Even though Creon threatened Antigone, and claimed that he who murdered Polynices would be murdered, she claims that if she dies, “That death will be a glory. [She] will lie with the one [she] love[s] and loved by him- an outrage sacred to the gods!” (Sophocles 4) Creon believes that if he maintains absolute power and holds his followers on a tight leash that they will abide by his law and respect him. Instead, his constant need to control every aspect of his follower’s lives ends up resulting in his
The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to the state because he attacked his brother. Creon's first speech, which is dominated by words such as "authority” and "law”, shows the extent to which Creon fixates on government and law as the supreme authority. Between Antigone and Creon there can be no compromise—they both find absolute validity in the respective loyalties they uphold.
Creon highlighted as the tragic figure, initially created decisions he thought was for the welfare and well-being of Thebes; however, Antigone, who rebelled against Creon’s decisions, caused Creon’s rage to cloud his rational way of thinking. When Creon decided to forbid the burial of Polynices, as he believed Polynices was a traitor to Thebes, Antigone was outraged. This decision, viewed through the eyes of Creon, was just and fair; on the other hand, Antigone viewed his decision as cruel and selfish, which resulted into a major conflict between these two characters. When Antigone disobeyed his proclamation, Creon became infuriated towards this rebellious act. Those small events within the play expressed Creon as a ruler doing what he believes is right; on the other hand, Antigone’s rebellion expressed otherwise. Antigone was soon shown to cause an evil spark within Creon. This “spark” caused Creon to intensify his punishments towards Antigone, which in turn caused a chain reaction of events and eventually led to his tragic decline. Being portrayed as a menacing villain throughout the play, Creon began as an honorable man; however, overwhelming events and confrontations caused Creon to evolve in to this monstrous figure.
Authoritarian rule forms the underlying theme of the novel. It should also be noted that human conflict as a major theme that helps to upstage the former authoritarian rule theme. One experiences the satirical self-glorified human thirst for control, often driven by greed and corrupt ideologies, to build and gain total control over the populace under them. This thought is held to the effect that the Big Brother party is an epitome of authoritarian and dictatorial governance in the modern world founded on deception and lies. Deception and a blatant contradiction of facts in the spirit of impunity form the foundation of the construct of modern dictatorship and draconian governance.
The character Antigone has been in conflict against Creon ever since he became the king of Thebes. Antigone would never let Creon's law about burying the body of Polyneices override her moral beliefs and her beliefs in the gods. “Zeus did not announce those laws to me, And justice
Antigone is a powerful character, strong-willed, determined and at times self-righteous. She is contrasted by her sister Ismene, who is weak and powerless. Though Antigone is a powerful character, she has no real political power and is dominated by one man, Creon. Creon is both the ruler of the state as well as the patriarch of her family. Antigone was raised by Creon’s house after her own father went in to exile. Antigone is betrothed to Creon’s son, Haemon, further cementing Creon’s power over her. There is one aspect of life that Antigone does have legitimate power in and that is her family, especially her blood line. In ancient-Greek culture the women’s place was in the home, she was responsible for household things and often wasn’t even allowed to leave the house. It is because of this responsibility that Antigone needed to bury her brother Polynices even though it went against the decree of Creon. Antigone also had the gods on her side. It was an unwritten rule of ancient Greek society that the dead must be buried, otherwise bad things may happen. This rule, because it was unwritten and therefore innate, was protected by the gods, specifically Hades, the god of the underworld and family.
Of the tragic figures in Antigone, Creon is the most obviously evil because his motives are self-serving and his fate the worst. As the play begins, we learn that Antigone has defied Creon's royal decree by performing sacred burial rites for her exiled brother, Polyneices. Polyneices has been declared an enemy of the state by Creon. The sentence for anyone attempting to bury him is death by stoning.
Antigone, as a character, is extremely strong-willed and loyal to her faith. Creon is similarly loyal, but rather to his homeland, the city of Thebes, instead of the gods. Both characters are dedicated to a fault, a certain stubbornness that effectively blinds them from the repercussions of their actions. Preceding the story, Antigone has been left to deal with the burden of her parents’ and both her brothers’ deaths. Merely a young child, intense grief is to be expected; however, Antigone’s emotional state is portrayed as frivolous when it leads her to directly disobey Creon’s orders. She buries her brother Polynices because of her obedience to family and to the gods, claiming to follow “the gods’ unfailing, unwritten laws” (Sophocles 456-457). CONTINUE
Antigone holds her love of family, and respect to the dead, elevated beyond the laws of Creon, whom she believes, has no righteous justification to close his eyes to the honor of the deceased. In her determination to fulfill Polynices' rights, she runs directly into Creon's attempts to re-establish order. This leads to encounters of severe conflict between the dissimilarities of the two, creating a situation whereby both Creon and Antigone expose their stubbornness and self will.
Antigone’s strength allows her to defend her brother’s honor against Creon, who wants to make a statement about traitors. However, both Antigone and King Creon commit faults while trying to protect the things they love. Antigone should not have died for her beliefs as it puts her loved ones and community in danger, and Creon should not have forbidden the burial of Polyneices as it angers the Gods and causes him great suffering in the end.
This play is ultimately concerned with one person defying another person and paying the price. Antigone went against the law of the land, set by the newly crowned King Creon. Antigone was passionate about doing right by her brother and burying him according to her religious beliefs even though Creon deemed him a traitor and ordered him to be left for the animals to devour. Creon was passionate about being king and making his mark from his new throne. Although they differed in their views, the passion Creon and Antigone shared for those opinions was the same, they were equally passionate about their opposing views. Creon would have found it very difficult to see that he had anything in common with Antigone however as he appears to be in conflict with everyone, in his mind he has to stand alone in his views in order to set himself apart as king. Before he took to the throne Creon took advice from the prophet Tiresias who had so often had been his spiritual and moral compass, and yet in this matter concerning Antigone he will take advice from no one, not from the elders of Thebes, or even his own son Haemon.
Both come in the dark. Both will have their suspects either “disappear” or “black bagged”. With these fear strategies citizens wouldn't rebel. As of 1984, Oceania’s citizens are obedient and loyal to the party. They are spied upon by the use of telescreens where the statement “Big Brother Is Watching You” comes into play.
Antigone remains a static character at stage five throughout the story. Faced with people who do not agree with her decision, Antigone stands tall with what is morally right to her. Kohlberg’s Theory is not only universal but also helps readers understand a character morally. Choosing whether or not to bury her brother, Polyneices, or to follow the law given by Creon, does not derail her moral
When conversing with Antigone about her punishment, Ismene suddenly confesses she was involved despite her being innocent. In response to this, Creon charges her guilty despite having no proof. “You viper, slinking undetected, the two of you rising up against my throne.” This shows that despite having no proof that Ismene was involved, Creon’s impulsiveness caused him to accuse Ismene of treason even though Antigone told Creon Ismene actually disagreed with Antigone’s idea to bury Polynices. When Tiresias informed Creon that the gods are angry of his ruling to the people and that he made a mistake in his ruling, Creon pushed this matter aside, insisted he was wrong, and deemed him a traitor despite giving him praise for his talents just moments before. “Our state is sick—your policies have done this. The gods no longer will accept our sacrifice, our prayers, our thigh bones burned in fire.” Despite the knowledge and proof that Tiresias’ provided, this matter extends from Creon disagreeing with other people’s views towards the matter, to completely omitting the proof that he is wrong. This shows that although Creon is the King, his egotistical behavior shows that he isn’t upholding the law for the well-being of the city, but rather to preserve his
What Antigone did goes against Creon and this is where his difficult decision comes in. “Creon represents the regal point of view, while Antigone is just the opposite. The primary conflict arises when Creon declares that no one be allowed to bury the body of Polynices, one of Antigone's brothers who was slain in battle. Antigone, who cares for her brother very much, wants to see him properly laid to rest, so that his spirit can find peace. Unf...
The government can be the root of all evil. In the novel “1984” by George Orwell, the government was indeed the root of all evil for the nation of Oceania. The government led a Revolution that ultimately took over humankind. Taking over humankind was easy for them to do. First, the government realized the weaknesses and strengths within the nation, such as, the hierarchy of social classes. Then, the government realized that society could be controlled by using fear to manipulate the nation into giving up control. Finally, the government realized that if they were to rewrite the past they could dehumanize humankind and make them not think for themselves. Therefore, the governing body in 1984 uses the separation of classes, fear, and the rewriting of the past to control and dehumanize humankind.