... English 112 Antigone: Divine Law vs. Human Law The play entitled Antigone was written by a man named Sophocles, a scholarly author of philosophy and logic. The play Antigone is probably one of the most prominent interpretations of a tragic drama. The two main characters of the play are Antigone and Creon. There is much conflict between Antigone and Creon throughout the play, both of them having their own ideas and opinions regarding divine law versus human law. The theme that I am going to analyze is the conflict of divine law vs. human law. The reason for this is because this theme seems to control the whole play. It is an issue of which law is the "right" law, and if Creon's and Antigone's acts were justifiable. The play Antigone can be summarized by the following: King Creon lets it be known that Polyneices the traitor is not to be buried, but his sister Antigone defies the order because of the values she holds. She is caught, and sentenced by Creon to be buried alive - even though she is to be married to his son Haemon. After the blind prophet Tiresias proves that the gods are on Antigone's side, Creon changes his mind - but too late. He goes first to bury Polyneices, but Antigone has already hanged herself. When Creon arrives at the tomb, Haemon attacks him and then kills himself. When the news of their death is reported, Creon's wife Eurydice takes her own life. Creon ends up being all alone...
Words: 1284 - Pages: 6
...Characters in Antigone has to choose between society or their conscience. Sometimes society is right, and sometimes their conscience is right. Either way, there still is going to be an effect on the character’s life. Antigone characters have difficult choices, and are in a tough situation. Most of the characters choose their conscience, which leads to a lot of deaths. Creon has a difficult choice to make, burying Polyneices, or not burying him. Creon doesn't bury Polyneices. He picks his conscience over society. The law is that you have to bury the dead, but Creon chooses not to bury Polyneices. You have to bury the dead, so that the person can go to heaven. Creon knows that he is supposed to bury the dead, but he goes with his conscience. He’s not going to bury Polyneices because, he fought against his own country, Thebes. Because Creon didn’t bury Polyneices, the effect is that Antigone buried him. That made him mad because Antigone went against what he had said. Because Creon didn’t bury Polyneices, and picked his conscience, the Gods punished him by corrupting his life. His son died and his wife died. Creon picked his conscience over society, and over the Gods, and he got punished. Antigone...
Words: 595 - Pages: 3
...EURO3301 Reflective Essay (2) Given that Antigone seems to act out of kinship loyalties and in deference to the will of the gods of Hades, to what extent can she be interpreted as an individual in conflict with her society? Do you consider her rebellious or conservative? Jack Tesser (21137219) Within Sophocles’ play Antigone, the major character Antigone is seen to act continuously out of kinship loyalties and deference to the gods of Hades. These actions allow her to be interpreted as an individual in conflict with her society to a certain extent. She can be identified as predominantly rebellious at different times within the play. The gender of Antigone as well as the gender related expectations of the society of Thebes also plays an important part in analysing how Antigone is in conflict with her society. Coupled with exterior factors such as religion, sacrifice, and human law, an audience can make commentary on how Antigone is at conflict with her society, and how she can be seen as primarily rebellious. After Antigone’s brother Polyneices, falls to his death in battle, Antigone feels the need to bury him in honour to her religion and the gods of Hades, as her other brother who is described by Creon as “Eteocles, who fell fighting for his city…will be buried and receive all honours”. Creon additionally describes Polyneices as the one “who…hope[d] of burning his native land…he shall be neither buried nor mourned” In Antigone’s eyes, both her brothers should...
Words: 1114 - Pages: 5
...Who ever thought that Creon, a fearsome king and leader, would yearn to see death come quickly to his side. Antigone, by Sophocles, takes place in the City of Thebes, ruled by King Creon after he came to the throne. After King Creon declared a decree stating that Eteocles would have burial rights while Polyneices would rot, unburied. Antigone was angered and buried her brother, Polyneices. Creon punished her by sending her locked away to a vault. That causes a series of events to unfold. Following the suicide of Haimon, Creon’s son, Queen Eurydice and Antigone, Creon’s niece, both fall victims of death. King Creon is considered a tragic hero, the main character in a tragedy who suffers a downfall caused by his/her tragic flaws, because he made...
Words: 905 - Pages: 4
...Antigone is credited as one of the best works of Sophocles, ranked by most modern critics above Oedipus the King. There are many aspects of Antigone that make it the play critics love to ramble about. “Antigone must be received as the canon of ancient tragedy: no tragedy of antiquity that we possess approaches it in pure idealism, or in harmony of artistic development” says one critic named Berhardy. Tragedy is usually concerned with a person of great stature, a king or nobleman, who falls because of hubris, or extreme pride and Antigone is no exception. Pride and its effects are a central part of Antigone’s plot and theme. Pride, being part of their character and morality, overran in to their literature and was a complex and multifaceted concept in Greek tragedy, exemplified by Sophocles’ Antigone. In the play both Creon and Antigone were incredibly proud and unwilling to back down once they took their stands. Creon had made a decision and was unwilling to compromise. Antigone was to die for her violation of the law,the sin of burying her brother. Antigone’s gender had a profound affect on the meaning of her actions. Creon had disliked for her disrespectful and rebelling nature. His need to defeat her was all the more pressing because she was a woman. “The ideal of the female character in Antigone is boldly and severely outlined. The freedom of Greek women was extremely limited and restrictive. Antigone’s rebellion is threatening because it upset the gender roles and hierarchy...
Words: 681 - Pages: 3
...Sophocles’ Antigone A tragic hero is defined by Aristotle’s Poetics as the protagonist in the story to whom something happens that elicits pity from the audience. For the most part, a tragic hero is a “virtuous” person whose life changes from being prosperous to being a life full of misfortune (Aristotle, Poetics). In other words, the tragic hero is someone of great social standing who begins the story at a very high point, but suffers their downfall because of a tragic flaw. In Sophocles’ Antigone the central theme of this play is the struggle between Antigone and her uncle Creon. The issue of burying Antigone’s brother Polynices is based on the ancient Greek philosophy of death, where any unburied body condemns its soul to torment. Basically, it was the duty of the family to bury their dead. Yet, this issue extended beyond family loyalty to a decree of piety by the gods. However, in the play, Creon goes against this celestial decree because he sees Polynices as a traitor for warring against him as a member of another army. As a means to set an example about the repercussions of disloyalty, Creon issues an edict to leave him unburied. As a man who starts the drama in as the respected king of Thebes, he gradually loses his family, his objectivity, and his power to his stubbornness and hubris that ultimately results in his downfall. Hence, Creon is a tragic hero in the Sophocles’ Antigone because his unbending pride results in tragic downfall as king of Thebes. One way Creon is...
Words: 1758 - Pages: 8
...they think a certain situation should be taken care of and dealt with. Giving someone power ultimately shows the negative side of someone’s personality and character. Some people abuse their power when they feel entitled over other people. In the story Antigone, one example of this is when King Creon is executing Antigone for burying her brother, Polyneices, who died in battle. He feels as though he is entitled and too important to have to listen to the gods when he says, “Maybe. But you are guilty and they have nothing to do with this.” (Scene 2, Line 120) This shows that Creon is abusing his power by believing he is above everyone else that is around him and he especially believes he is above all of the gods. This also shows that he thinks the gods decisions do not have authority over him because he is going to execute Antigone for...
Words: 484 - Pages: 2
...Justice in Antigone and Measure for Measure The concept of justice hinges on the beliefs of any given individual, human influences must always ultimately crumble and be brought to justice in the face of what is morally correct and divine. Punishment, conflict and pursuit of justice are major themes in both Sophocles Antigone and Measure for Measure. Antigone is laden with violent imagery; countless arguments causing conflict between Antigone and Creon as well as Creon and Haemon; and the blatant violence of the various murders and suicides present in the play. Moreover in Measure for Measure, is the conflict between justice and mercy, and whether justice and punishment would be served through strictly following the law or by showing mercy. "The law is strong, we must give in to the law in this thing, and in worse. I beg the Dead To forgive me, but I am helpless: I must yield”. (49-51) Why are Punishment, disagreement and pursuit of morals such a strong theme in both of these ancient works? Both Sophocles and Measure for Measure William Shakespeare lived in more primitive times when there were weakly enforced written laws concerning justice and fair play. The common solution for most problems were along the lines of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" which were better represented in Sophocles Antigone than in Measure for Measure, retaliation were definitely used as a method of justice. When Antigone buries her dead brother in the story of Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon's...
Words: 2123 - Pages: 9
...Lily Bryden Kessler English II 23 May 2024 The Tragic King of Antigone Aristotle has a theory about a Tragic Hero, describing them as a character who is inherently good, but because of a serious mistake in judgment loses those they love, and usually their own life too. They have three major qualities: hamartia, peripeteia, and anagnosis. Pride, reversal of circumstances, and the recognition of the character’s flaw, usually too late to fix. In the play Antigone, King Creon displays all of these qualities, making him a tragic hero. In the play Antigone, pride is a major theme, being the reason that Polyneices isn’t buried, and the reason the conflict begins. One of the major characters in the play, King Creon, is an example of this extreme hamartia, or pride....
Words: 1383 - Pages: 6
...usually staying peaceful in nature. Martin Luther King Jr. and Antigone implement civil disobedience to defy unjust law; however, both approaches used to go against the wrong laws are different. Martin Luther King Jr. became the leader for the civil rights movement to put an end to segregation through civil disobedience by stressing the importance of peacefully protesting; while Antigone purposely went against the law, knowing the consequences, to follow God’s law instead of man-made law in a holy effort to bury her late brother Polyneices. Martin Luther King Jr. goes against unjust laws through civil disobedience by initiating peaceful protests. He believed that using nonviolent tactics are better at showing the immorality the unjust laws’ and calls for black people to fight the long battle against segregation. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, he reveals the unjust treatment going on in Birmingham and why it is important for him to be there helping, “Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already...
Words: 1102 - Pages: 5
...The play Antigone by Sophocles, still remains relevant today, even though it was written in 441 B.C. The issues that arise in the play are also seen now. This includes the conflict between faith and the law and sexism. This play is about a girl named Antigone who wants to bury her brother, because she felt that it was the right thing to do. Her belief of burial went against the law, causing conflict between Antigone and the king, Creon. Throughout the play, many remarks are made against Antigone about her gender. She was told various times that what she was doing was wrong because she was a woman, and that she couldn’t do bury her brother because she was a woman. Both issues are seen today because women are continuously being mistreated, and...
Words: 1034 - Pages: 5
...From 550 BC to 220 BC, the theatre of Ancient Greece blossomed. The god Dionysus was honored in a festival called Dionysia – from which the dramatic genres of tragedy, comedy and satyr were born. In this essay I will focus on Greek tragedy, with reference to Antigone, by outlining the basic use of dramatic style, staging including the use of masks in costume; as these features are typical of Greek theatre, but in particular I have chosen to illustrate the developments and changes in the genre of ancient Greek Tragedy, principally through the Aristotle’s commentary on the matter. Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone is an important and influential aspect of Greek theatre as he was one of the most celebrated dramatists in Athens. Antigone was written...
Words: 1562 - Pages: 7
...In today’s society, having true communication skills are key to functioning. However oftentimes, ego gets in the way of understanding the message being sent. A play written by Sophocles, “Antigone”, displays problematic communications amongst individuals. “Antigone” itself is part of a cycle of three plays or trilogy in where Oedipus, the former king, exiles himself. As a result, Creon obtains power of King. In the passage, Sophocles uses character interactions between Teiresias and Creon to contribute to Creon’s development as a tragic hero and convey the theme that the refusal to accept wisdom due to ego leads to one’s downfall. With the will and ability of free choice, Creon makes decisions that causes his downfall to be ultimately his...
Words: 288 - Pages: 2
...As defined by Aristotle, Creon is a tragic hero who experiences hamartia, reversal, and recognition of his own downfall. Creon’s inflexibility is a trigger that brings him down. He refuses to listen to anyone but himself and believes the whole world should worship him and revolve around him. Creon is too stubborn and blinded by his great pride that he doesn't think he's doing one thing incorrectly. When Teiresias comes to Creon to tell him what is coming towards him, Creon thinks it's joke and thinks that someone paid Teiresias to scare the king. For example of Creon speaking with Teiresias, “Teiresias, it is a sorry thing when a wise man sells his wisdom, let out his words for hire!” Creon believes that Teiresias is a con artist trying to get quick cash, because Creon is so blind to the truth. Creon believes as a king, everyone should obey his orders and he follows the laws of the land and refuses to believe the laws of the gods. His son gives him the truth...
Words: 543 - Pages: 3
...arise to cause these ideals to overlap in a conflicting manner, everyone has to decide for themselves what is the best moral resolution. Every individual has to balance for themselves when, if ever, an immoral act is acceptable or if there are reason for an act once thought immoral to no longer be immoral. Both Antigone and Socrates are examples of threat to the political order of their societies. Antigone does this by challenging the orders of the city's new ruler in name of her dead brother and her religious beliefs which states that he should be...
Words: 476 - Pages: 2