Divine Authority In Antigone
analytical Essay
798 words
In every story there is a main lesson to learn a kind of "Big idea" your supposed to get called the theme. A stories theme can be anything from a will to survive to a quest for power.In Sophocles' "Antigone" he revealed through conflict, characters, and setting that the central theme is that divine authority is more powerful than human authority.
The main conflict in the story Antigone is between the king of Thebes, also the antagonist, Creon and Antigone the Protagonist. When Antigone's brother dies in war Creon does not want to bury him, But Antigone feels its her brothers rights bestowed on him buy the gods to be able to be buried and that it would be disrespectful not to. For example in scene one page two Creon says "He’ll be left unburied, his body there for birds and dogs to eat, a clear reminder of his shameful fate.That’s my decision." As you can see here Creon thinks he has the authority and makes the laws about what is going to happen but really that is divine authority. Another example is in scene two page three when Creon is interrogating Antigone, Antigone says "Yes. Zeus did not announce those laws to me. And Justice living with the gods below sent no
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how sophocles' "antigone" revealed that divine authority is more powerful than human authority.
- Analyzes how the main conflict in the story antigone is between the king of thebes, creon, and the protagonist.
- Analyzes how creon's opinion changes as the story progresses. he believes his laws are the most powerful and that the people should follow them.
- Analyzes how sophocles revealed many themes in 'antigone', such as divine authority being more powerful than human authority.
During this argument they get on the subject of divine authority and they say "ANTIGONE: That may be, but Hades still desires equal rites for both. CREON: A good man does not wish what we give him to be the same an evil man receives. ANTIGONE: Who knows? In the world below perhaps such actions are no crime." What Antigone is saying is that she believes that to the gods her burying her brother is no crime and that she will follow the gods laws because they are more important and powerful than human
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how both antigone and oedipus, written by sophocles, use character's opinions and approach to leadership to show sophales' ideal leadership style for a king
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- Analyzes the conflict between the city state, family and religion in "antigone".
- Analyzes how creon's argument against allowing antigone to give her brother a proper burial despite the requests of his family and his citizens is highly flawed.
- Analyzes how antigone, like creon, holds the values of family honor and the will of the gods above all else and is willing to accept punishments for this idea of divine justice.
- Analyzes how antigone had an obligation to disobey creon's order to leave one of her brothers to decompose above earth and be eaten by vultures because she believed in family honor and the will of the gods.
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In this essay, the author
- Compares sophocles' play antigone to dr. martin luther king jr.'s "a letter from the birmingham jail."
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- Analyzes how antigone pursues the physical action of attempting a proper burial for her brother, which goes against creon’s wish. king is known for being non-violent and civil with issues.
- Analyzes how antigone is faced with death as her punishment for going against the head of state. king is in jail writing his letter for peacefully protesting.
- Concludes that dr. king's "letter from the birmingham jail" is more impactful because it did affect the country and the lives of many people.
613 wordsRead More - The Deaths of Antigone and Creonanalytical essayAntigone is a powerful character, strong-willed, determined and at times self-righteous. She is contrasted by her sister Ismene, who is weak and powerless. Though Antigone is a powerful character, she has no real political power and is dominated by one man, Creon. Creon is both the ruler of the state as well as the patriarch of her family. Antigone was raised by Creon’s house after her own father went in to exile. Antigone is betrothed to Creon’s son, Haemon, further cementing Creon’s power over her. There is one aspect of life that Antigone does have legitimate power in and that is her family, especially her blood line. In ancient-Greek culture the women’s place was in the home, she was responsible for household things and often wasn’t even allowed to leave the house. It is because of this responsibility that Antigone needed to bury her brother Polynices even though it went against the decree of Creon. Antigone also had the gods on her side. It was an unwritten rule of ancient Greek society that the dead must be buried, otherwise bad things may happen. This rule, because it was unwritten and therefore innate, was protected by the gods, specifically Hades, the god of the underworld and family.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how antigone is a powerful character, strong-willed, determined, and at times self-righteous, but she has no real political power, dominated by one man, creon.
- Analyzes how creon is a powerful character because he rules the mortal world. he uses his political power so excessively that it cancels itself out.
- Analyzes how antigone and creon, through their own devices, end up killing each other and themselves.
- Analyzes how antigone is the daughter of oedipus, who accidentally killed his father and married his mother. after his death, his sons inherited his kingdom and in a power struggle ended up killing each other.
1064 wordsRead More - The Death of Antigoneanalytical essayIn Sophocles’ Antigone, Antigone saw her action of burying her brother as a just one. It may not have been just in the eyes of Creon and the people of Thebes, but she was not concerned with the laws that mortals had made. Antigone saw the divine laws of the gods to be much more important than those of mortals. She felt that if she died while upholding the laws of the gods, that her afterlife would be better than if she had not. Our lives on this earth are so short, that to see a good afterlife over the horizon will make people go against the laws of humans.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how antigone saw her action of burying her brother as a just one in creon and the people of thebes, but she was not concerned with the laws that mortals had made.
- Analyzes how antigone felt dying for her brother was a noble action. her family had been cursed for ages; her father, oedipus, had caused these looks to be placed on her family forever.
- Explains that in most societies, as well as thebes, the afterlife is taught to be much more important than your mortal life.
- Analyzes how antigone welcomed death at the time of burying her brother; she saw her actions as being true to the gods and religion.
- Analyzes how antigone felt her actions were so just that she called upon her sister, ismene, to tell thebes of what she had done.
- Analyzes how antigone, after being caught burying polyneices, still proclaimed the deed she had done. although her death would come by creon’s hand, she simply wanted to die.
- Analyzes how antigone stood fast to her belief that the gods wanted all of the dead to be buried. she believed in this 100%, "the god of death demands these rights for both."
- Analyzes how antigone lacked the strength she had shown earlier. she failed to see the potential life had to offer until the bitter end.
- Analyzes how the defiant antigone changed her view of death; she no longer welcomes it with open arms. she regrets not being able to have a family of her own.
- Analyzes how antigone's lack of friends and family allowed her to have a death wish, but that went away once she looked death in the eyes.
- Analyzes how oedipus' punishment for honoring polyneices in death would end their royal line. the choice to bury her brother was correct in the eyes of the gods.
- Analyzes how the tarnished family history is why antigone fought her fate in the end, because she saw that continuing the family line could have helped its reputation change. this hubris disguises itself as strength in them, is what killed their family
- Analyzes how antigone's end was not as grand as she expected. she wanted something much more, a public execution, but there would be no onlookers at her death.
1198 wordsRead More - In conclusion, the gods and the love of her family rule Antigone’s life. Creon’s life is ruled by what he thinks is good for his country and pride. Creon did not change his mind to free Antigone until a prophet told him he would suffer horribly for his actions. However, because Creon was so stubborn for so long and did not take heed to anyone’s advice sooner, he ultimately suffers in the end, as does everyone else in the play. This was all due to a man’s lack of good judgment, his selfish pride and his stubbornness.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the source of conflict between the title characters of antigone and creon in sophocles' "antigone." they will also discuss how each character justifies their actions and what arguments they give for their justifications.
- Explains that the main source of conflict between antigone and creon is the issue of the burial of her dead brother.
- Explains that antigone is determined to bury her brother because of her loyalty to her family and to the gods. she believes that no mortal, such as creon, has the right to keep her from her own.
- Analyzes how creon's argument is for loyalty to the country and does not think that the gods would have any concern about the body of a traitor.
- Analyzes how antigone's justification for the burial of her brother is that she will not break the laws of the gods.
- Analyzes how creon sticks to his word by punishing antigone to death. he cannot make a law and then take it back.
- Opines that creon originally made this law for the good of his country. he would not be considered a very good leader if he allowed the burial of traitors.
- Opines that both creon and antigone can be considered right in their struggle.
- Analyzes how creon is right in his argument. he is the king, after all. his biggest concern was that the law was broken by a woman.
- Analyzes how creon changed his mind after tiresias prophesied of the terrible things that would befall him if he went through with this.
- Analyzes how the chorus makes several references of how they feel bad for antigone. creon's son haemon tells his father of what he hears people around the town saying about the situation.
- Concludes that the gods and the love of her family rule antigone's life. creon didn't change his mind until a prophet told him he would suffer horribly for his actions.
1274 wordsRead More - Justice is Served in Antigone by Sophoclesanalytical essayIn the beginning of Antigone, we see Antigone struggling with the conflicting expectations between divine law and man’s law. The problem throughout the play is Antigone is a believer in divine law while Creon is a believer in man’s law. In the first scene, Antigone tells her sister that she will defy Creon’s law and bury her brother. Antigone says, “He has no right to keep me from my own” (Sophocles 1008). She believes in divine law even if it means breaking man’s law. Creon commanded no one to bury her brother. Antigone knows it is not the right choice according to divine law and she should be able to bury her own brother, but Creon believes no one should break the law he has put before everyone. Ismene replies, “ The law is strong, we must give in to the law, in this thing and in worse. I bet the dead to forgive me, but I am helpless: I must yield to those in authority” (Sophocles 1009). Antigone ...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how antigone plays a significant role in how justice is brought to her, which is not stereotypical of females lead.
- Opines that antigone was a tough girl for sticking up for herself, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to stop creon in his evil and unjust ways.
- Explains santirocco, matthew s., "justice in sophocles' antigone." philosophy and literature.
- Analyzes how sophocles explains different perspectives of justice through the fates of the characters in the play.
753 wordsRead More - Religion vs. State in “Antigone"analytical essayThe 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 this essay, the author
- Analyzes the theme of religion vs. the state in sophocles' "antigone" and how creon's burying of antigone’s brother helps develop the tragic form through different characters.
- Analyzes how creon goes against the gods by making it illegal to bury polyneices, antigone's brother, because he is deemed a traitor.
- Analyzes how antigone is caught after burying her brother, and creon thinks that his law is all-powerful and that no gods will stand in his way.
- Analyzes how teiresias is a blind old prophet who tells creon that the gods are angry at thebes and will curse it if he does not change his arrogant ways.
- Analyzes how creon's life is going in a completely different direction now. the disputatious gods see this change as too little too late and the tragedy really starts to come out at this point in the play.
- Analyzes how religion vs. the state is a main theme in "antigone" by sophocles and how the conflict helps the play move through the tragic form.
829 wordsRead More - Antigone by Sophoclesanalytical essayCreon is an antagonist in Antigone he is the bad guy and he opposes certain things like the right to burial. An example of his actions is can be seen here: “Polynices, who returned from exile with hopes of burning his native land and ancestral gods from top to bottom, wishing to feast on kindred blood and lead the rest into slavery, it has been decreed that in this city he shall be neither buried nor mourned by anyone, but everyone must leave him unburied, a feast for birds and dogs, an outrage to see” (Sophocles 200-209). Even though he is known for doing bad things he is still considered superior to everyone of Thebes. Antigone was known as the niece of Creon but she did not express herself as a famous and important person. Creon is proud of his position as king and he takes pride in his city and his decisions. “Do you realize you speak these lies to your king?” (Sophocles 1065). Creon shows his dominance in this quote. Antigone, however, is only recognized for being the niece of the former king and committing a crime against her own family member.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how creon and antigone can be considered tragic heroes of the play, because of their dominance in society, high rank, tragic flaw, and self-pride.
- Analyzes how creon is an antagonist in antigone. he opposes certain things like the right to burial, and is considered superior to everyone of thebes.
- Analyzes how creon and antigone can be compared in their nobility, as they were raised in a noble family and were different from most because of their social class.
- Analyzes how creon recognizes that he has a major tragic flaw: self-pride. antigone's ambition is shown in this quote because she is defying the king.
- Analyzes how creon's flaw of self-pride explains why he is the tragic hero of the tragedy.
- Analyzes how readers believe that antigone is the tragic hero in the play because she is named after it.
- Analyzes how creon shows the characteristics of a tragic hero more than antigone can, since he is the king of thebes.
- Analyzes how sophocles meant creon to be the tragic hero of the play, antigone, because he wanted to make a point that not all heroes have to become nice and favoured.
- Argues that creon is the tragic hero of the greek tragedy, and antigone because of his dominance in society, his high rank and his tragic flaw self-pride.
1048 wordsRead More