In Sophocles’ Antigone, the opposing sides of two moral rights are pitted against each other and are examined. King Creon holds the power of human law and reasoning supreme, while Antigone looks to the divine decrees of the gods to be of greatest truth. They both traverse the play remaining one-sided and blinded in their views and even become cold to the idea of the opposing view. Yet they each maintain certain moral virtues they are mounted in, which are true and righteous in their own respect. Although they are both justified, and there are instances and certain considerations to the facts in which one is more justified than the other, I argue that Antigone is more just in her beliefs simply from her actions and how she carries herself throughout …show more content…
To her, the rights of burial are already defined by divine laws, and without her brother’s body buried, he would be stranded and unable to reach the underworld. She is performing a necessary familial duty to her brother, as well as staying reverent to the decrees of the gods. To her, her fear of the gods coupled with her feeling of duty to her brother puts her in a position where she is willing to die, claiming, “I have to please/ The dead far longer than I need to please/ the living; with them, I have to dwell forever” …show more content…
In this respect, they are both equally at fault. Antigone is wise to adhere to the teaching of the gods, yet her behavior is rebellious and extreme, without first seeking other solutions, and so she suffers the consequence through a refusal to create harmony. By putting herself in the face of certain death and later committing suicide, Antigone is both righteous yet selfish because of her failure to act mindfully, not considering what effects her actions will have on those still living, primarily
From the Greek point of view, both Creon's and Antigone's positions are flawed, because both oversimplify ethical life by recognizing only one kind of good or duty. By oversimplifying, each ignores the fact that a conflict exists at all, or that deliberation is necessary. Moreover, both Creon and Antigone display the dangerous flaw of pride in the way they justify and carry out their decisions. Antigone admits right from the beginning that she wants to carry out the burial because the action is glorious. Antigone has a savage spirit; she has spent most of her life burying her family members.
Creon in the play of Antigone by Sophocles plays a major role within the play. Antigone also plays an important role, as these two character’s conflicting views led to utter disaster, which highlights Creon as a tragic figure. Within the play Creon attempted to establish decisions for the common good; however, his decisions resulted in tragedy.
Ever since the beginning of days, people have pondered the question of whether or not any gods exist and if they do, are they in control? In Sophocles’ Antigone, the reader is introduced to two opposing characters: Antigone and Creon. Creon, the king of Thebes, decrees that Polynices, who led an army against Thebes, is a traitor and therefore may not be buried. Antigone, a strong and persistent woman, disagrees with Creon’s decision to deny Polynices a proper burial and is determined to bury him, disregarding Creon’s ruling. As the monarch, Creon represents human law and the power of kings, while Antigone represents divine law and the belief that the gods are in control and will punish anyone who defies them. At the conclusion of the play, both characters’ futures are doomed, but the original question of is was correct still remains.
Human emotions and beliefs can be some of the most powerful and forceful factors in the world. They can often time cause humans to overlook their moral and civil duties and instead confront the demands of a private passion. Two people that have contrasting views about passion and responsibility can cause a major conflict which could cause a “classic war” in literature. In the play Antigone, the differences in Antigone and Creon’s passions and responsibilities helps Sophocles illustrate their central flaws. By doing so, the playwright implies that one needs to achieve a balance of passion and responsibility in order to maintain a sense if inner peace and political stability.
Summing up, Antigone decides to express her discontent with what she considers to be the unethical new regime of King Creon by burying her brother's body. By taking this bold step, Antigone shows the strength that an individual’s actions hold in a democracy. Creon, with his stubborn attitude, shows how a democracy where peoples’ voices are not heard can be dysfunctional, and that laws should be made by taking other people into confidence and not on an individual basis. In the end, Antigone resolves to sacrifice her own life in the service of a greater justice. It is this kind of formidable resolve that changes the course of history, and that is something that we can respect equally in the 5th century B.C. and the 21st century A.D.
... by vultures because she had a strong belief in family honor and the will of the gods, one which as long as no harm is done should be upheld above other laws. There are two competing forms of justice throughout “Antigone” which inform the argument of whether or not Antigone should have followed Creon’s laws through the tension of the city state and the will of the people as well as the gods. Creon’s argument was flawed in his disregard for public opinion and that he overlooked Antigone’s valid argument because of her gender and his pride. Antigone argues that a mortal man cannot override the will of the gods, a valid argument of the times. It is and was crucially important to fully consider the best interest of the citizens that is being voiced at the time of decision making, if it is not taken into consideration the city, as seen in Thebes will fall into shambles.
In the following paper, I plan to discuss the source of conflict between the title characters of Antigone and Creon in Sophocles’ “Antigone”. I also plan to discuss how each character justifies his or her actions and what arguments they give for their justifications. I will also write about the strengths and weaknesses of these arguments. The final points I try to make are about who Sophocles thinks is right and who I think is right.
Sophocles’ “Antigone” was a Greek tragedy written for entertainment, but it also served as a social commentary for what was happening in ancient Greek city-states during that time it was written. “Antigone” was a prime example of art imitating life in Greek culture. The play was rife with themes relating to individual versus state, women’s roles in the city-state, the significance of elders in society, pride, tyranny, and human law versus moral or divine law. In this essay I’d like to pose and answer the questions: Did the outcome of Antigone lead us to believe that Creon was wrong from the start? Was Creon blasphemous in making the decree denying Polynices the holy rite of burial? Did Creon deserve all the consequences that happed as a result of his decree?
In the awe-inspiring play of Antigone, Sophocles introduces two remarkable characters, Antigone and Creon. A conflict between these two obstinate characters leads to fatal consequences for themselves and their kindred. The firm stances of Creon and Antigone stem from two great imperatives: his loyalty to the state and her dedication to her family, her religion but most of all her conscience. The identity of the tragic hero of this play is still heavily debated. This tragedy could have been prevented if it had not been for Creon's pitiful mistakes.
Sophocles play titled Antigone, embellishes the opposing conflicts between Antigone who stands for the values of family, and Creon who stands for the values of state. Sophocles explores the depths of Antigone’s morality and the duty based on consequence throughout the play, as well as the practical consequences of Creon who is passionate and close-minded. Although Antigone’s moral decisions appear to be more logical and favorable than Creon’s, a personal argument would be that both characters’ decisions in society can be equally justified.
The concept of divine law versus the human law is a prominent theme in the Greek play, Antigone. Sophocles creates the epitome of the inferiority of a king to reinforce the fact that monarchs will always be secondary to the Greek divine powers. Due to Creon’s unhealthy obsession and grip on personal power and his complete disregard of the divine law and fate, he later fails not only as a ruler but as a father and husband. Evidence of the superiority of religion can be encountered when Antigone rebels Creon’s orders in order to bury her brother’s corpse, when Teresias, the Chorus and his own son warns Creon about his decisions and how the Gods will reciprocate and when the people and the chorus unite to defend Antigone since her actions were only to protect and maintain the divine law.
In Sophocles’ Antigone, the most prominent theme is the concept of divine law versus human law. The play opens with the debate between the sisters Antigone and Ismene concerning which law comes first- the devout obligations of citizens, or civic duty. Antigone requests for Ismene to assist her in burying their brother Polyneices, though the new king Creon, has prohibited burial on pain of death. It can be argued that Creon’s edict, which deprived Polyneices of his funeral rites, is understandable. The young man had been killed perpetrating the most atrocious crime of which a citizen could be guilty, and Creon, as the responsible head of state, naturally supposed that exemplary punishment was the culprit’s right...
The play “Antigone” is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the reader parts of the form through different characters.
In Sophocles’s Antigone, Antigone and Creon represent opposing sets of values. Antigone stands for the matriarchal beliefs while Creon stands for the patriarchal beliefs. Antigone’s beliefs are founded upon the sanctity of kinship and the ritual association with the gods of the earth. She places these values of universal humanity above the laws of man and loyalty to the state. Creon, on the other hand, stands for the loyalty to the city and its laws over the loyalty to kinship. He associates loyalty to the state with the unquestioning obedience to the king. Also, he is skeptical of the gods to the point of impiety.
“Do what you believe is right.” This is a phrase common to us all, brought to our attention by parents, reinforced by teachers, and preached by leaders. But how does one define what is right? Is it what we believe in our hearts, or is it what we know is acceptable? This is a predominant dilemma that can be traced throughout society, and is the main focal point of Sophocles’ play Antigone. Written in 441 B.C., Antigone is one of the earliest records of the conflict between Natural law and Positive law. Sophocles deftly exposes these two philosophical standpoints and their respective moral and political aspects by way of the two main characters, Antgone and Kreon. Antigone is a champion of Natural law, while Kreon practices the Positivist approach. Both characters deem their behavior superior towards the other, and both assume religious justification for their actions. Sophocles ultimately proves that with so much support for each philosophical standpoint, a solution to the dilemma is hardly in sight.