Gods Law And God's Law, Antigone And Creon

In this paper I will look at god’s law and man’s law as they pertain to Antigone and Creon. I will also examine the results of their adherence to these laws. Finally, I will attempt to ascertain Sophocles perspective on god’s law versus man’s law. First, I will define both man’s law and God’s law: Man’s law or human law refers to laws that set a standard to which all the citizens must adhere. These are usually enforced by implementing punishments for those who disobey. God’s law /divine law are the rules that a person or society sets down according to their understanding of their faith. This may or may not be simpatico with human law.

Sophocles’ Antigone, picks up where The Seven Against Thebes left off. The sons of Oedipus, Polynices and

Creon as king believes in the laws of man. To him laws are passed to punish, to teach and to keep people in line. He believes that the laws of man have more power than the laws of the gods. In Antigone’s view the laws of the gods supersede any human law, “Nor could I think that a decree of yours-- / A man—could override the laws of Heaven/ Unwritten and unchanging” (lines 453-55). To her following the will of the gods is more important than the judgment of Creon, though she knows disobeying him will cost her life. To Antigone the laws of the gods never change and thus hold more power than the laws of man which are fickle. The laws of the gods regulating the life of man “are eternal; no man saw their birth” (line 457). She fears “the gods’ tribunal” (458) more than disobeying Creon, even though she knows that defying Creon will result in her death. Antigone also felt that by obeying the laws of the gods she was honouring her

Plus, she seems to view Creon as a usurper of the crown even though her father and both her brothers are dead, and the line of succession fell naturally to him. This resentment of Creon displacing her line as rulers of Thebes may actually cloud her judgement when it comes to Creon.

The problem with both Creon and Antigone is that they are both blinded by their views. In part because each is right in regards to the law that they hold more important. Both divine and human laws are important to a society, but what happens when they are in conflict with one another. Does one honor the will of the gods and religious dictates or does one follow the law of the land. This inability to see the others point of view will ultimately destroy them