George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher during the nineteenth century, proposed a theory for the way Greek tragedy was written it. He said that it is actually a struggle between two good sides. Hegel’s theory aligns with Sophocle’s play, Antigone, in the fact that Antigone and Creon could both be “good” according to differing view points. Both Antigone and Creon were able to make claims that would validate their own personal views, creating a conflict between two “good sides.”
In the play, “Antigone,” Sophocles portrays Creon as a leader of the “state.” He has good, rational reasons for his laws and punishments, therefore creating a strong leader within a government. In the play, Creon says to his son, “Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed—/Must be obeyed, in all things, great and small,/Just and unjust!” (Sophocles 527-529). Creon believes that the person who is chosen to govern has to be obeyed by all. This
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shows that in the play, Creon was just leading the way he knew how so that order and peace would be kept. He didn’t create laws to target individuals or make the civilians feel as if their moral standards were being compromised. Although Creon’s laws are not made to target individuals, in the play, Antigone goes against his commands and tries to bury her brother because of her moral responsibilities.
She stands up for both the gods and her family. Antigone says to her sister, Ismene, “But I will bury him: and if I must die,/I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down/With him in death, and I shall be as dear/To him as he to me.” (Sophocles 55-58). Antigone believed that she was responsible for the burial of her brother, and if that meant she would be punished, she wasn’t afraid. In the “Introduction to Hegel’s Theory of Tragedy” author Mark W. Roche said, “That the hero must sacrifice her naive belief in a just world—by violating one good in order to preserve another—has extraordinary intellectual and emotional consequences.” He explains that the hero of the story would do something wrong in order to preserve something else. This shows that although Antigone was in the wrong when she buried her brother, she just did it in order to preserve her
morality. Finally, the play aligns with Hegel’s theory because in Antigone it was tragedy within the conscious of Antigone herself. In the play, Antigone told Ismene, “ That must be your excuse, I suppose. But as for me,/I will bury the brother I love.” (Sophocles 63-64) She was going to bury her brother, even if she did it by herself. This shows that she was very determined and wasn’t going to let anyone stand in her way. Author Mark W. Roche wrote, “Hegel discusses the possibility of a tragic collision within an individual’s consciousness. An internal collision of this kind may become less dramatic because of the unity of two positions within a single self; however, internal collisions tend to be intellectually and psychologically more differentiated.” He explained how in Hegel’s theory it is generally a fight between the ethics of ones moral responsibility. It shows that Antigone and Creon both had valid claims creating conflict between two “good sides.” In “Ethical Consciousness in the Spirit of Tradgedy” Rhonda Khatab wrote, “In Hegel’s eyes, hers was a conscious, willful act, motivated by the pathos of a “holy sisterly love.” Antigone knows immediately what she must do in order to honour the bond of kinship, and Creon likewise is determined and swift in his decision.” This also shows how antigens moral responsibilities were brought into question when she broke the law. Overall, the play aligns with the theory that was proposed by George Hegel because it is possible for both to have just been doing what they thought was best. Antigone wanted to follow her family and religious values while Creon just wanted to do what was best for the country, which created two sides of an argument where neither could truly be considered “evil” or “wrong.”
Human emotions and beliefs can be some of the most powerful and forceful factors in the world. They can often time cause humans to overlook their moral and civil duties and instead confront the demands of a private passion. Two people that have contrasting views about passion and responsibility can cause a major conflict which could cause a “classic war” in literature. In the play Antigone, the differences in Antigone and Creon’s passions and responsibilities helps Sophocles illustrate their central flaws. By doing so, the playwright implies that one needs to achieve a balance of passion and responsibility in order to maintain a sense if inner peace and political stability.
Creon's noble quality is his caring for Antigone and Ismene when their father was persecuted. Creon is a very authoritative person and demands control of others. When talking to the Chorus, Creon does not ask them to agree with the decree but demands that they follow it. Creon expects loyalty from others. It is apparent that Creon is very dominating and wants to be in control. "The man the city sets up in authority must be obeyed in small things and in just but also in their opposites"(717-719). Through this quote the reader realizes that Creon wants obedience in everything he decides even if he is at fault. "There is nothing worse than disobedience to authority" (723-724). Further supporting Creon's belief that everyone shall remain faithful to him even if he rules unfairly. This is proved true when Creon says, "Should the city tell me how I am to rule them?" (790).
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.
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:
Choosing to follow authority and the law is admirable and important in order to have a stable society; however, prioritizing family over all is imbedded in humanity. Family is part of one’s identity and greatly affects one's morals and opinions. If a person solely lives a rigid life, following authority over family, then compassion and the ability to be flexible is lost. Sophocles poses if authority or family is superior through the characters Antigone and Creon as their actions and opinions drastically contrast. Creon puts more importance on his rule and the law, while Antigone emphasizes the devotion to her bloodline and the gods. Antigone, although depicting that authority and the king’s rule is important, puts more importance
Jodi Picoult once said “Some lessons can’t be taught. They simply have to be learned.”; in life what defines a person is what they become after they go through a series of trials and tribulations. Oedipus The King tells the story of a king who tries to outrun his fate and in the end self-banishes himself out of guilt leaving the kingdom of Thebes to Creon. The play starts with King Laius, who appoints Creon to rule in his kingdom while he consults the oracle at Delphi. Enraged by the death of King Laius, the gods cast a plague upon Thebes, which is the Sphinx, who starts to destroy the city. Terrified by the destruction of the kingdom, Creon states that anyone who might solve this riddle,
In the story of Antigone, which was written by Sophocles, the main characters of the story were Antigone and her uncle Creon. Despite that they were relatives, there were some conflicts between them. The story ended by the death of Antigone, haiemon her Fiancé and his mother, while Creon stayed alone after he had lost his son and wife. From the story no doubt there are some similarities and differences between Creon and Antigone.
In the story “Antigone”, Sophocles shows that Creon’s attitude is very angry, making everyone sees him as a tyrant more than as a king. His regard for the laws of the town causes him to abandon most viewpoints, like the laws of the gods, or the rights of the people. He believes that his subjects should obey the laws he has set in place, even if moral or religious beliefs contradict his laws and beliefs. Creon’s idea of a good leader is one who maintains order through violence and fear. More over his arrogant, power-seeking personality prevented him from seeking out advice or listening to his own people.
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.
Meanwhile, Creon is praised for his belief that anyone who betrays his city should be dishonored. In the early stages of the play, he points out (lines 231 - 234): "Never at my hands will the traitor be honored above the patriot." In itself, this point would make Creon a wise and ethical ruler. However, when we look beyond this point, we see Creon is not the wise and ethical ruler that people view him as. The people of the state are first and foremost to Creon, but the pride of being a ruler is really first and foremost to Creon. The laws Creon proposes to the people show that the people are not his major concern, only himself. He thinks that he knows everything better than everyone, and his laws will make the citizens of Thebes better people. However, he fails to understand that the citizens of Thebes can make themselves better people by developing characteristic traits from within.
In the following paper, I plan to discuss the source of conflict between the title characters of Antigone and Creon in Sophocles’ “Antigone”. I also plan to discuss how each character justifies his or her actions and what arguments they give for their justifications. I will also write about the strengths and weaknesses of these arguments. The final points I try to make are about who Sophocles thinks is right and who I think is right.
Antigone’s desire to bury her brother proves her devotion to her family. She is a young girl who wants to respect her elders. In Ancient Greece, many girls were married off at a young age, and Antigone is not married. She is also not like a typical girl because she tells Ismene “From mine own He has no right to stay me.” (Sophocles 3), which refers to Creon. Going against the wishes and desires of her own uncle to value her immediate family is a trait she possesses. Antigone’s life is not all about her and would risk her own to make sure they are respected. She would rather respect the people she cares deeply for, whether they are dead or alive, than to live a life filled with guilt. This makes her independent because she will do what is necessary, despite who is or is not behind her, to complete her goal. Being focused helps her to find what she wants and creates her determination against Creon and Ismene for Polynices’ burial.
In Antigone, one of the most renowned Greek tragedies, Sophocles constructs a conflict that questions the very definition of justice. Considering a play based almost entirely on the acts of a single individual in clear defiance of a king’s decree, questions of right and wrong necessarily persist. It is difficult, however, for one to understand justice in deciphering the opinions of the two conflicting parties, Creon and Antigone, as these two clearly have opposing biased perspectives. It becomes prudent to examine the concept of justice in the eyes of the chorus, who has the necessary perspective to provide unbiased commentary in Antigone. Throughout Antigone, the chorus constructs a judicial hierarchy in which the subjects of the polis must submit to the laws of their king, and the king must fulfill his obligations according to the universal law established by the gods.
Antigone risks her own life to bury her brother, therefore, she goes against Kreon’s edict that Polyneices should be left unburied; she believes Polyneices deserves to reach the afterlife. Antigone tells Ismene, “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” (Sophocles 23). Antigone is willing to risk her own life by disobeying the king’s authority; She stands up for her religious belief that Polyneices should be buried. Kreon tells Antigone before she takes her own life, “I won’t encourage you. You’ve been condemned” (Sophocles 57). Kreon believes that Antigone’s crime is severe, and righteousness should be used to justify her crime. At this point of the play, Antigone realizes she will be put to death, but she does not regret her act of loyalty. In Antigone’s last speech before she takes her own life, she exclaims, “Land of Thebes, city of my fathers… see what I suffer at my mother’s brother’s hand for an act of loyalty and devotion” (Sophocles 57). Here, Antigone addresses the nation’s leaders and declares that they should notice th...
Sophocles’ background influenced him to write Antigone. In the fifth century BCE. the “golden era” of Athens, is an important influence in the author’s life. In that time, Athens has experienced so much change in all facets; in addition, drama continues as a major factor in Athenian culture. In his essay “Sophocles,” Ed Downey reports that Sophocles was born at the beginning of the “golden era” in Athens; furthermore, he lived a long life influenced by “the artistic and cultural achievements in the ancient Greek world.” Sophocles is a wealthy and highly educated, “happy man.” As a young man, Sophocles begins his playwright career, so he eventually become one of the greatest writers in history;