Compare Antigone And Much Madness

SSociety has a set view of who is mad and who is sane, but are these people really mad? Sophocles’ play, The Oedipus Cycle, and Emily Dickinson’s poem, Much madness is divinest sense show their readers who the true madman is. Both of these literary works illustrate the phenomenon of a discerning eye in a society. In the Oedipus Cycle, Oedipus’ daughter Antigone stayed true to herself and did what was right, even if she was perceived to be a madman.

Antigone is a woman who is not easily deterred, her compassion is what drives her to see the truth. In the first play of the Oedipus Cycle, Oedipus Rex, while in the midst of finding former King Laius ' assassin, Oedipus discovers that he was the one to slay the king. Oedipus unearths yet another disturbing revelation about himself, his

In her poem, Much madness is divinest sense, she addresses how the discerning eye in society is treated, “Demur, you’re straightaway dangerous / And handled with a chain.” ( Lines 7-8) she speaks about if an individual is seen as dangerous for going outside of the norm, this person will serve punishment; Much like how Antigone is imprisoned for disobeying the law and following her heart. Dickinson conveys her ideas of a discerning eye as things that society believes to be wrong can be right to a discerning eye. But the majority will deem you a lunatic for not thinking like they do. In Sophocles’ play, Antigone is the discerning eye, she refuses to follow Creon’s proclamation to let Polyneices body remain unburied. Consequently, Antigone 's actions are chastised simply because it did not agree with the masses. Although, her conduct is justified by her heart, her immense love for Polyneices powered her to do the right thing, even if her own life was on the line. People will do anything just for their loved ones, this doesn 't make them crazy or a traitor, it just proves that love can and will conquer