Similarities Between Creon And Antigone

How does the Social Structure founded within a society ultimately lead to the defiance of human law and divine law by the people within it? Anouilh’s reimagined version of Antigone and Sophocles original Antigone and because of this, both texts emphasize the topic of Defiance of Law and Rebellion within the Social Structure by showing how flaws within it can cause its people to defy and rebel against human and divine laws. First, Antigone’s selfish determination to her guiding ideology places her in opposition to the governing male authority within a patriarchal society. Second, Creon’s selfish pride of consumption with the value of his own authority causes him to reject alternate perspectives by the people of his society.

Throughout both versions of “Antigone” by Sophocles and Anouilh, defiance and rebellion of the law - both human and divine law is prevalent by both characters as Creon and Antigone rebel against the governing ideologies that are set up in society and consequently find themselves alone with their values. This isolation and rebellion against the societal norms and expectations in society result in their deterioration throughout the plot.

Antigone’s selfish determination and rigid adherence to her guiding ideology place her in opposition to the governing male authority within a patriarchal society. She is not afraid to defy the law or the lawmaker if she believes the decree is wrong; this is shown when Antigone defies the decree made by Creon in the topic of burying her own brother, “You overrule

Creon’s self-righteous attitude as stated through the quote, “Whatever you say, you will not change my will.” (Sophocles, 20) causes him to believe he is superior to all as he is King and thus does not listen to anyone. As spoken through the quote, Creon’s excessive pride causes him to be selfish and ignorant as he determines that no one can change his mind as he is “all-knowing” since he is King. This excessive pride showcased by Creon leads to his downfall and defiance of the divine law as he completely disregards and tries to justify his actions against the divine law (law created and planted in society by the gods) which become devalued each time he tries to justify his actions. In Anouilh’s version, it is again Creon’s selfishness and excessive pride that leads to his downfall. Creon’s super-ego stops him from listening to anyone as Creon becomes too “power-hungry”; this is shown through the following quote, “Curse you! Find the love for your outlet down there. No women while I live shall govern me.” (Anouilh, 66) This quote shows how Creon himself does not have the power to listen to others as he values his position in society more than the people in society. After talking to Teiresias, Creon doesn’t believe that Antigone could be right and that he could be wrong as his self-righteous just won’t allow him to listen, a characteristic