Miguel A. Esquivel Esquivel 1
Ms. Wood
English II PAP
2 December 2014
Devotion to One's Core Beliefs
Sophocles' play "Antigone" examines the age-old conflict between civil and divine law, including the ominous life or death consequences of putting one system above the other. In this piece of literature we can read to what extremes someone can enforce both of these kinds of laws while also comparing and contrasting Creon and Antigones’ views on the subject.
Antigone for example believes that divine law is the only true law and that any man-made law is miniscule compared to the laws of god. “But all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God." (Sophocles, 708) With this in mind, when she deems the civil laws of the city of Thebes unjust she completely goes against them, even knowing that what she is doing is punishable with death. Even amidst the questioning in the courtroom she is completely unrepentant stating “I deny nothing” when she was asked if she understands that her actions are a “criminal” offense. (Sophocles, 708). No matter how harsh the consequences of her decision are, she will stay true to her beliefs.
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"My voice is the one voice giving orders in this city" (Sophocles, 719). As we can see, his arrogance and feeling of superiority lead him to believe that he is above any other law and he will do anything in his power to enforce his law. This goes to the point where even his son Hameon is not spared from his ego. When Creon tells Hameon "Let him do, or dream to do, more than a man can. He shall not save these girls from death." (Sophocles, 720) we can see how far his stubborn ego can go to protect his law. Creon goes as far as threatening a prophet of the gods to protect his sacred civil
One of Creon’s many failures as a statesman is his prideful attitude. For example, Creon believes that gods chose him to lead the kingdom: “But see, the king comes here, /Creon, the son of Menoeceus, /Whom the gods have appointed for us/In our recent change of fortune.” (Par. 122—125).This quote explains how authoritative Creon was when he first became king. Also, Sophocles explains how Creon’s divine rights made him feel superior to everyone else, which made him more insolent. In addition, Creon believes that he is the sole leader of the kingdom: “We’ll have no woman’s law here, while I live.” (Sc 2.444). Sophocles illustrates the dangers of pride in kingship. He emphasizes more on how kings should be reasonable to the citiz...
Obedience to civil law is necessary to uphold order and peace. In the play, Antigone, by Jean Anouilh, Creon, the king of Thebes, states that anarchy is the greatest of evils and that good lives are made through discipline and lawfulness (Anouilh 42-47). Creon’s judgment and emphatic support of civil law makes him an inadequate leader because his actions in various situations lead to the untruthful messages to his people and the loss of his family members.
Sophocles' Antigone is, at its simplest, a tragedy of conflict and misunderstandings. In the play, the laws of the gods are set up against the laws of man, and the two appear irreconcilable as the values are upheld by equally opposing characters, Creon and Antigone respectively. Indeed, Wilkins and Macleod decide that in Antigone `not only is there conflict, there is also a refusal even to recognise the other's point of view' (23). Thus Chorus significantly warn against the pursuit of extremes and sing about the need for men to reconcile human and divine law:
... society to view Antigone as a woman who breaks the law because of a religious conviction and is thereby martyred, and, as such, as a woman deserving of awe and respect. Through the text he has left us, however, Sophocles shows that he had a much different conception of Antigone’s nature and of the validity of her actions. In the end though, we should acknowledge that regardless of whether Antigone’s theology was correct and her actions were the will of the gods, she never gave up the ferocity of her conviction that they were--even to the moment of her burial when she uttered these final words:
But this all raises another question, does the law of the Gods really matter? Will the Gods truly beseech you and seek to bring you harm for not following in their ways? One who is not so religious would say no, it is not the Gods who hold the sword at your throat but a man, who at that moment cares nothing for the Gods. But in the case of Antigone, the Gods do act out their revenge. Tireseas spake:...
Sophocles' Antigone, is about the conflict of law and about the stubbornness and self will, about the sin of refusing to listen.
In the story, Creon refuses to believe in the prophecy of Teiresias and as such declares “Whatever you say, you will not change my will.”(Text, Antigone) Creon continues to show excessive Hubris because he is remains stubborn and arrogant even in the face of the seer and his assumptions about Antigone. Creon also boldly states that “The State is King!”(Text, Antigone). This also angers the gods because Creon is placing himself “higher” then them which is considered blaspheme.
One of the most well-known ideas in science, and common sense, is that opposites attract. Electrons and protons pull towards each other, and magnets with opposite charges will always stick together. Although Creon and Antigone show quite a bit of hatred for each other throughout Antigone, a drama by Sophocles, they really are not all that different. Which, any scientist knows that it takes the power of the sun to force together particles with the same charge. Creon and Antigone both share a single characteristic: pride. This may seem like a shaky bridge to connect them with, but all of the similarities and differences in their pride are what make them such an interesting and ultimately tragic duo.
Creon's character possesses an infinite number of glitches in his personality, but his excessive pride was the root of his problems. His pride leads him to make accusations, before he considers the wise advice of others. Creon's pride also fills him not just as a king superior to the Gods, but also a man superior to women. The issue of Antigone being condemned to die becomes more than just a person who disobeys Creon; instead, the punishment is given even more eagerly, because it is a woman who disobeys a man. Creon's intelligent son warns Creon the people of Thebes sympathize with Antigone, but Creon accuses Haemon of being a "woman's slave" (line 756). Even though he is suppose to be loyal to the state and her citizens, he defensively questions if "the town [is] to tell [him] how [he] ought to rule?"(Line 734)The Theban king is too prideful to obey even the wisest of prophets, blind Teresias, insisting that "the whole crew of seers are money-mad" (line 1055). Creon finally puts his pride aside and listens to the Chorus' wise advice. It is difficult even then, and he obeys only because he fears the punishment that he might receive. "To yield [for Creon] is terrible" (line 1095) meaning to swallow his pride and admit that he is wrong is a very difficult thing for him to do. When Creon loses his wife and son, Creon's pride disappears, and he admits that he made a terrible mistake by not listening to anyone's advice.
Sophocles play titled Antigone, embellishes the opposing conflicts between Antigone who stands for the values of family, and Creon who stands for the values of state. Sophocles explores the depths of Antigone’s morality and the duty based on consequence throughout the play, as well as the practical consequences of Creon who is passionate and close-minded. Although Antigone’s moral decisions appear to be more logical and favorable than Creon’s, a personal argument would be that both characters’ decisions in society can be equally justified.
Creon also defied the laws of the gods. This is what is expressed in the line, "No wisdom but submission to the gods." In Antigone, the edicts and decisions that Creon made demonstrated that his law was more important than the gods laws. His defiance of the laws eventually made him believe, by talking to Teirisias, that something bad would happen to him, so he gave in to his decision. When he gave into the gods, he gained wisdom and learned that his actions would be punished.
After burying her brother, Antigone is caught, and is seems that the state is more powerful than the gods for a time. “And yet you dared defy the law.” (208) Creon thinks that his law is all-powerful and ...
Creon does not learn a lesson from Oedipus' accusatory behavior. Instead he adapts this bad personality trait. Throughout Antigone, he accuses everyone who tries to give him advice of betraying him. Whereas, in Oedipus, he is falsely accused by Oedipus of trying to take over the throne. This paper will compare and contrast his behavior and evaluate if he learned anything from one play to the next.
Natural law can be considered the ‘morally correct’ approach to authority and justice. It is the idea that one should make decisions based upon what they deem morally appropriate within themselves. Antigone’s support of this approach is apparent in her refusal of Kreon’s order when she buries Polyneices anyway. She loves Polyneices and believes in her heart that there is no other alternative. She is aware that by burying him she would be breaking the law and risking her own life for it. “I will bury him myself. If I die for doing that, good: I will stay with him, my brother; and my crime will be devotion” (87-90). To her this is the only morally acceptable solution. Her support of Natural law resolves her to perform what she believes in her heart to be right, casting aside any social and political upholding that prove to be opposition.
“People, who start forbidding what God allows, will soon allow what God forbids”(Sophocles, 1355). This quote by Machin is a prime example of the quarrel between the understanding of God’s law versus human law, and how man can be corrupted by attempting altering God’s law. In Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone defies her uncle’s austere orders and buries Polyneices based on her perception that God’s law overpowers man’s law in all circumstances. The overall moral conflicts in the play are between Antigone and her religious beliefs about God’s law, and between Creon and Thebes’ justice system about human law.