...Antigone Questions 1. In King Creon’s speech he discusses the role and importance of “the state”. Drawing directly from this passage, discuss the nature of political authority, who has it? What is the source of power? What is the purpose of government in a society? * The “state policy” expresses that the human order takes precedence over the dive order. The divine order protects the state. King Creon is the source of power in the government and he has total control of it in the society. “it takes more than one person to make a nation, but a nation is personified it its ruler.” 2. In Haemon’s speech, analyze how Haemon’s rhetoric (his methods of persuasion and style of speaking) contrasts with Creon’s arguments. * In Haemon’s speech he speaks more calmly than his father Creon. Haemon uses strong points of interest to try and convince his father that Antigone is innocent. But Creon uses hard tactics to make all women seem to be untrustworthy and he threatens Haemon that he will die alongside Antigone if he continues to question his methods. 3. Is it ever right to disobey a law? In answering this question, define and explain the differences between “higher law” and “moral law”. How can a society function when those disobey a law still garner our sympathies? * “the penalty for disobedience is to be stoned to death, now that I’ve caught her flagrantly disobeying when everybody else has toed the line, the eyes of the nation are on me. I must stay true to...
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...Creon and Haemon; Conflict of Antigone Creon and Haemon have dissimilar points of views when it comes to Antigone because Haemon has affection for Antigone while Creon feels animosity towards her. In the play, “Antigone” Sophocles tells the story of King Creon who rules Thebes the town. Haemon who is the son of the king falls in love with Antigone. Antigone is the niece of Creon and sister of Polynices. She plays a stubborn character. When her family is involved with the situation her attitude becomes aggressive. Polynices who is a traitor takes his last breath fighting against Thebes. The King announces anyone to honor or bury the body of Polynices would suffer a death due to the fact that he was a traitor of Thebes. The conflict of the play involves Antigone who disobeys Creon’s authority. In the speech between Haemon and Creon an Antigone is revealed between the two that exhibits Creon’s misogyny and Haemon’s analysis of his father’s discriminating attitude toward women in general. Note the tone in the following quotation: Creon: “Oh Haemon, Never lose your sense of judgment over a woman. The warmth, the rush of pleasure, it all goes cold in your arms, I warn you…a worthless woman in your house, a misery in your bed. What wound cuts deeper than a loved one turned against you? Spit her out, like a mortal enemy- let the girl go. Let her find a husband down among the dead” (1328). Creon expresses misogyny in this quote. He consults with his...
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...You can see in Antigone that the role of a human is very important, in this case it means so much that she is willing to risk her life to honor what the Gods would want of her in fulfilling her role in the burial of her brother. Some major themes that are evident throughout the play is the law of the Gods and man-made law, the abuse of power, and furthermore even though the play is titled Antigone, who’s story is it really? The problem arises when both of Antigone’s brothers Eteocles and Polynices kill each other battling for the throne of Thebes. Creon who is Antigones uncle inherits power and the throne of Thebes, and declares proper burial for Eteocles, but demands that Polynices remains unburied who he thought was a traitor for fighting against Thebes. Since back in ancient Greece it was the womens’ role to give a proper burial so that there is a respect paid to the dead, Creon is pretty much making it impossible for Antigone to fulfil her role. Antigone neglects to listen to the rules of Creon and buries her brother, and is eventually captured by Creon’s guards. Antigone demonstrates no remorse when facing Creon over her crime “Because it wasn’t Zeus who pronounced these things to me, nor did Justice, companion of the gods below, establish saw laws for humanity” (Sophocles 29) although she knows that she’s most likely facing death for being caught disobeying the rules of the leader she feels that she has made the right decision by honoring the Gods because she will...
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...Intelligence” (Clouse 1, line 54-55). We usually reach this stage between the ages of 12-18. The play “Antigone” by Sophocles focuses on a girl named Antigone, who is currently going through this stage and the ordeal she goes through accomplish what she believes is the honorable act to uphold. By the end of the play, you start picturing Antigone as this naïve girl that just wanted to do the right thing but none one supported her. The reality is, Antigone was a person’s whose personality was similar to the system of a ticking time bomb waiting...
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