Antigone: The Conflict Between Moral And Civil Law

People always argue the importance between moral and civil law. There are many opinions about which people should follow, but there is no definite rule to tell which one is more important. Moral is what is right and what is wrong in human behavior. Civil law is the law that government make for private rights of individual. For example, once I saw someone I know is stealing in the grocery store, I upheld my moral over the law: I pretended I did not see him because he is my friend. In the play Antigone, written by the ancient Greek author Sophocles, the play is about the conflict between moral and civil law. Antigone follows the law made by god to bury Polyneices, her brother, but her uncle, the king, Creon, is against it, and he thinks that

In the play, Creon puts out an unfair law and people also against it. In scene one, after king Creon has succeed the throne, he claims that Polyneices is a traitor to Thebes and does not allow a burial, and left Polyneices’ . In his speech, Creon says, “ Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial; no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain; unburied; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like” (197). From Creon’s speech, Creon has very strong personality, he is not willing to change his mind, and he believes all men should be loyal to him, if someone did the wrong thing then they must get punishment whether they are dead or not. But in moral law, when people died, whatever they did when they were alive is going to be forgotten by people. Polyneices, even though he brings battle and fire to his native country and bring many brave soldier to death, he still is the royal prince of Thebes,and he deserves the respect of citizens. His body, should not be left on the ground to fill up birds and dogs’ starving. This action is greatly against the citizens’ moral belief, so when Creon tells Haimon Antigone is a criminal, but Haimon answers, “the city will deny it, to a man” (220). In ancient Greece, people believed everyone should have burial. All people will make fault. When make a mistake, as long as they corrected, no more stubborn, they should be

Creon post a law that no one should bury Polyneices and punish Antigone that who follows the god’s law, so he gets punishment by god takes away his wife and son’s life. But before that, there is a prophecy from chorus, “the straying dreams of men may bring them ghost of joy: but as they drowse, the waking embers burn them; or they walk with fixed eyes, as blind men walk. But the ancient wisdom speaks for our own time: fate works most for woe with folly’s fairest show.” (216). Chorus already warned, Creon’s mind has covered by the throne, he needs the full loyalty, and post some law that against the citizens’ belief, when the waking embers burns them, they just realize. This happens same to Creon, after his son and wife died, Creon crys, “lead me away, I have been rash and foolish I have killed my son and wife. I look for comfort; my comfort lies here dead. Whatever my hands have touched has come to nothing” (245). What Creon gets is lose his family, he deeply regret that he should held belief so tightly, it lead to the death of his most valued family member. Because of Creon’s wrong civil law and his strong belief, led to the three death and regret and sorrow for rest of his life. If Creon has be a more fair and softly king about the law he has created, nothing will