Righteous Judgement in Antigone

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At the beginning of the play, Antigone brought Ismene outside the city gates at night for a top secret meeting. Antigone wanted to bury her brother Polyneices' body because even though he died in dishonor he was her brother. Ismene refused to disobey the king which is also their Uncle Creon, and she failed to talk Antigone out of doing the act herself. "Consider, sister, how our father died,/hated and infamous; how he brought to light/his own offenses..Then, mother...did shame/violently on her life, with twisted cords. Third, our two brothers, on a single day...Each killed the other, hand against brother's hand." (Antigone, Lines 59-65) In this quote, Antigone justified her reasons for going against the law describing how her parents went through so much, how their father was banished and due to this their mother had committed suicide because her reputation went down to the drain, even after all that their two brothers went into battle against one another and died in the process. Ismene was sympathetic, but still she was noble and afraid of Creon so she did not offer her help to Antigone.

Creon required the support of the Chorus of Theban elders, and for his verdict considering what to do with Polyneices' body. When Creon came to know of Antigone’s plan he called for her and when she did not deny of the fact that she buried her dishonorable brother’s body he grew angry and assumed Ismene her younger sister had helped her. Ismene being the good sister that she is lied and said she had helped Antigone, after that Creon ordered for them to be locked up. Haemon, Creon's son and Antigone's fiancé, promised to be loyal to his father and not talk to Antigone but he tried his best to persuade his father to spare her life, but they end...

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...ad noble intentions and was completely loyal to the state, but in the end he is only human and his main weakness was his poor judgment.

This play makes one reconsider what make people righteous and what make them temporarily lose judgment. I find it very interesting because no matter how old this play is, the concept is real and initially got through to the audience. It taught me that sometimes one must break the rules to do the right thing. Antigone does this by challenging Creon’s orders and organizing a proper burial for her brother Polyneices. Sometimes one must follow the rules to do what is right. Creon allowed his pride to get ahead of his priorities. He did not follow the wishes of the gods and was therefore penalized. Just like in this play, life is confusing and full of choices. We must find the light of truth and justice amongst the chaos in life.

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