Antigone Unjust Analysis

It is largely understood that laws are put in place for the good of the communities which they govern. Laws are meant to reflect the wishes of the people and the general consensus is that as a result, these laws should be followed without question. In reality this is not always the case. There are often laws worth questioning whether it be for convenience, personal gain, or deep personal or moral reasons. A historical connection to the latter would be the protection of Jews from the Nazis during WWII and the Holocaust. Hitler created a document outlining a death penalty for any and all persons who were caught aiding Jews in any way, small or large. Despite this law being enforced with dire consequences for infraction, there were still

Due to the structure of said hierarchy, the lawmakers who decide on what laws govern the land are often not the best representatives of how the common people of the given society feel. This notion applies especially in the era of Sophocles, when the lawmakers were noblemen who lived a lifestyle incomparable to that of their subjects and followers. In Sophocles’ play Antigone, Creon, the king, banned the burial of Antigone’s brother Polyneices who he believes is a traitor. Antigone finds this law unjust and proceeds to break it, finding her brother and giving him an honorable burial knowing full well the illegality of her

In terms of Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon only makes the law against burying Polyneices to protect his own position atop the throne. His decree was meant to make an example of Polyneices and frighten his subjects into submission amidst a chaotic and unstable time. Tiresias, a blind prophet, sees this and when he confronts Creon on his decisions in running the kingdom, he says, “The generation of kings has always loves brass” (Sophocles 233). Those in power have trouble perceiving what is really important. In his kingdom’s time of strife, solidifying his own rule was not an issue of value. Creon should have tried to help those who were struggling in their time of need. Instead, he looked out for his REGAL POSITION and made poorly thought out laws, eventually leading to tragedy throughout his kingdom. Haimon, Creon’s son, realizes his father is not looking out for the kingdom and confronts him, saying, “you are not in a position to know everything that people say or do...But I, at any rate, can listen” (Sophocles 218). While Creon rests atop his throne, looking at his kingdom from above, deciding what is best for everyone within, Haimon lives with the population. In some ways he sees more than his father in terms of the wishes of the people. Creon, blinded by his power, can neither see what is good for his people nor the reasons behind his son’s