Right Against Right in Antigone by Sophocles

The German philosopher Hegel stated that the play Antigone written by Sophocles represents the tragic collision of right against right, with both sides equally justified. The play begins with tragedy and ends the same way. Polyneices and Eteocles were brothers whom killed each other in combat over the power of the throne. Creon, the brothers’ uncle, was the following family member to occupy the throne. But he did not desire the same pattern to repeat itself. Therefore he created a decree which punished all those who committed a crime before dying. These people would, in turn, be neglected of a burial ceremony. Eteocles was recognized as the defender of the city and with much dignity he was given all his death rights in his burial. On the contrary, his brother Polyneices was neglected of his death ceremony because he was accused of attacking the city of Thebes. It was Creon’s perspective that if he betrayed his own decree there would once again be anarchy and chaos in Thebes. Then there was Antigone, a wise young woman who was engaged to Creon’s son and was the sister of Polyneices and Eteocles. Antigone had a deeper understanding of the higher unchanging morality of behavior versus misbehavior. Antigone would rather be civilly disobedient than suffer over the unburied dead. Two completely different points of view seem to exist in the same environment. In the play Antigone, the clash of dialectal ideas of justice is seen in the different lens of Antigone and Creon.
Naturally, Creon’s decisions were based on combinations of many turn of events. When his decree was first established he refused to give ground. Consequently, he disregards the Gods’ logical ritual for burying the dead. In Creon’s state of mind, lived the unchanging ...

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In the play Antigone, the law of man attempts to compete with the ancient law of the gods. In America’s modern society, a bill must be introduced, sent to a committee, reported to the house floor, debated, voted, referred to the senate, sent to the president, and then it becomes a law. Obviously, the process of passing a law is extensive for the reason that there are always many aspects to a situation. And this doesn’t mean that society is always right. For instance, smoking marijuana recreationally is illegal in the United States despite breaking the law, many of Americans have indulged. To this end, normal is seen through the eyes of the beholder but it is filtered through society. Creon’s impulsive decree begins with good intentions, to establish justice, but brings him misery. Antigone upheld her actions due to loyalty to family ties and divine laws.