...should be imposed by. Civil disobedience plays major role in the novels by Antigone, Creon, and Socrates. In the novel “Antigone” and “The Apology of Socrates” Socrates and Antigone believe if the law is immoral or unrighteous they must protect themselves against discrimination. In the story by “Antigone” she refuses to obey a law because she believed this law was immoral. The law she refuses to obey was the law of tyranny. Antigone second brother was not to have a burial when he died because of his dishonor to the state. Antigone brothers Eteocles and Polynices wanted to take the throne. They both would take the throne one year after the next but Eteocles, the elder, refused to step down. Polynices and his army marched down to the state of Thebes to battle his own brother for the throne, the brothers killed each other in a duel which made Creon king. When Creon became king he ordered Eteocles buried in honor and left Polynices to rot. Creon believed that Polynices should not have disobeyed the law of his own state, which was disloyalty. When Antigone heard about the news of her brother Polynices she was enraged. According to the novel “Antigone” when she was speaking to her sister, Antigone says “For those two brothers of ours, in burial has not Creon honored the one, dishonored the other?” (Ant 161.23-24). Antigone questions herself because she is surprised that a person cannot have a burial. Also Antigone believed that Creon abused his authority by not giving her brother the...
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...State control A well established theme in Antigone is the right of the individual to reject society's infringement on her freedom to perform a personal obligation,[14] obvious in Antigone's refusal to let Creon dictate what she is allowed to do with her family members. She says to Ismene about Creon's edict, "He has no right to keep me from my own."[15] Related to this theme is the question whether Antigone's will to bury her brother is based on rational thought or instinct, a debate whose contributors include greats like Goethe.[14] [edit] Natural law and contemporary legal institutions In Antigone, Sophocles asks the question, which law is greater: the gods' or man's. Sophocles votes for the law of the gods. He does this in order to save Athens from the moral destruction which seems imminent. Sophocles wants to warn his countrymen about hubris, or arrogance, because he knows this will be their downfall. In Antigone, the hubris of Creon is revealed. [edit] Civil disobedience The contrasting views of Creon and Antigone with regard to laws higher than those of state inform their different conclusions about civil disobedience. Creon demands obedience to the law above all else, right or wrong. He says that "there is nothing worse than disobedience to authority" (An. 671). Antigone responds with the idea that state law is not absolute, and that it can be broken in civil disobedience in extreme cases, such as honoring the gods, whose rule and authority outweigh Creon's. [edit]...
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...Literary Analysis of Antigone Sandra Peppers South University Antigone is an epic Greek tragedy written, by Sophocles, around 442 B.C.E. The women of ancient Greek were considered to be less significant than were the males of the same time period. As with this tragedy, gender roles play a pivotal part in understanding why Antigone, the female heroine, did what she did and graciously accepted the punishment that she was dealt. During this particular epic, it will be evident that power, wisdom and experience lay with males, while females were subjected to the obedience and dominance of the males. The males of this era were more assertive and demanded respect from females, as well as other males. Antigone, in the play by the same name, is portrayed as a strong willed female who has strong family ties and will do whatever it takes to honor her family. Antigone is not one to stand aside and play the role of victim when, in her heart, she knows what is right. Antigone is the daughter of the late king of Thebes, Oedipus. After the death of Oedipus, Etecoles and Polyneices take turns in ruling Thebes, but ultimately die by each other’s sword. Antigone has just learned that Creon, the new king of Thebes (and her uncle), has just issued a law stating that Eteocles will have a proper burial whereas Polyneices, who was considered a traitor, will not be mourned or wept over. He will be left for the birds to feast upon; ‘ But the hapless corpse of Polyneices-as rumour saith, it...
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...Surname 3 Student's Name Professor's Name Course Date Antigone vs. Macbeth In attempting to discern the legitimate and analytical issues in the two plays, Antigone and Macbeth, it is important to take into account the two key characters that all actions revolve around (Antigone and Lady Macbeth). In both plays, the characters appear to have comparative destiny and fate intertwined deeply within their societies. (Powell et al. 12). Antigone stands harshly rebuked by the state whose rule she contradicts. Antigone's fierce deviance is fully displayed when she declares that she'll bury Polyneices in total disregard of Creon's law. It is this rebellious act and Antigone's innate loyalty to the memory of her brother that forms the spine of the play. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth stands denounced by the laws of God and man having so eagerly disregarded them for the purpose of affection and enthusiasm towards her husband. The inclination that destiny appears to have in setting up these sorts of plays is portrayed undeniably by Sophocles in his piece of work, as well as Shakespeare in his Macbeth. The authorial intent ( a tragedy in contemporary society) as developed by both plays is similar in context. This is mainly detectable while considering the way both playwrights depict the condition that has befallen a nation. Aristotle, an outstanding scholar, and craftsman described tragedy as a mimic of a movement that is morally right. He further came up with guidelines towards...
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...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...
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...Some people in this world have a hard time making up their mind, whether it is a choice of where to eat or deciding if you want to go to that party or not. Antigone is a story of two brothers whose father committed suicide, and there was no way to get a new king unless someone fought. Both of the brothers died and the new king was the brothers’ uncle, Creon. Creon made a law that no one shall bury the body of Polynices, the brother who fought against the kingdom. Antigone and Ismene, the sisters, had to find a way to bury him but that would result in death because of Creon’s law. Ismene is the character in this story that is double-sided. She switches sides like a first grader playing in a Nerf war, and in the beginning said that she wouldn’t help, but in the middle of the story tries to take part of the blame for burying her brother....
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...Abraham and Antigone: Facing Superior Orders Abraham from the Bible and Antigone from Sophocle’s tragedy Antigone share a very similar dilemma: both characters receive higher orders that would hurt their family members. Abraham receives the command from God to kill his only son as a sacrifice while Antigone is under the state’s decree that forbids her brother the honor of burial. Under the comparable situation, the two characters exhibit different responses: one decides to kill his son under command without hesitation, but the other is willing to defy the law for the sake of her brother. Abraham’s unquestioning attitude towards God’s inhumane order is startling and throws the credibility of his character into question. On the other hand, Antigone’s insistence of respect for her family, regardless of the city’s laws, makes her appear to be a more believable and relatable person. However, Antigone’s motivations to bury her brother also stems from her obedience towards the laws of her gods. Abraham and Antigone thus share the same absolute obedience towards divine authority, but Antigone’s will to also fight for her family’s dignity and honor differentiates her from Abraham as a more believable character. Abraham’s character seems unbelievable because he is willing to kill his own son without questioning and hesitation solely because God asks him to. In Genesis chapter 22, God commands Abraham to take Isaac, Abraham’s only son, to the land of Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice...
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...family or divinity, it may not be what is righteous in regards to your own moral values. This theme of obligations vs. moral justice can be expressed in Sophocles’ Antigone, which can be seen through the main characters Antigone and Kreon, who have opposing views, but actions depict that if the law contradicts one’s moral duties, then one is justified to act in a manner of disobedience. The tragic Greek playwright Antigone is set in a more traditional era of time, where the city of Thebes is organized completely around religion and there are strict gender roles and expectations the citizens must abide by. Men are socially obliged to take care of the city, whilst women are to be taking care of the household, and more importantly are not to be seen wandering out in public. This distinction is important, as in all Greek plays, nothing is coincidence and the polarities between the gender roles plays a huge role in how the characters justify their actions. The play begins with Antigone and her sister Ismene sitting outside the palace the morning after the attack of the city of Thebes. The day prior, their brother Polyneices attacked their other brother Etyokles, and both committed acts of fratricide in pursuit of the title of King in the city of Thebes. Antigone is in distress as she has just heard news from the new King Kreon that he has made a proclamation that no one in the city of Thebes will mourn over the death of her brother Polyneices, and even more so, there won’t be...
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...Antigone Tragic Hero Chase Cummins In the plays of Sophocles Creon was a powerful king and Antigone was noble and was firm in her beliefs. Antigone and Creon both played major roles throughout the play of Antigone. The play taught us new concepts, such as the concept of the tragic hero. The tragic hero is someone who has many positive attributes, but also has one grave flaw, which causes their life to end in a sad, yet heroic tragedy. Antigone fits the role of the tragic hero because Creon lacks the qualities of a heroic. Antigone is a tragic hero due to her courageous acts and flaws. In the play of Antigone, Antigone was very courageous. Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus and the fiancé of Haemon, who was the son of Creon. She takes up a noble cause when she goes against Creon’s orders...
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...One of the conflicts in Antigone, is the struggle between men and women. Ismene tells Antigone that since birth, women “were not born to contend with men,” (75) displaying women’s obedience and passivity. In the same passage, Ismene says: “we’re underlings, ruled by stronger hands,” (76) a representation of men’s aggressive and “stronger hands” that dominate women and treats them as second-class citizens. The only woman in Thebes who desires to break free from these chains is Antigone, who stands up against Ismene’s passivity urging her to “submit to this,” (77) and defy Creon by burying Polynices. By breaking Creon’s edict, Antigone challenges the traditional gender roles women and men play. In what ways does the theme of gender in Antigone, demonstrate the passion and choices behind Antigone and Ismene’s decisions? Ismene believes that women are “underlings” (76) and not “contend[ing] with men” (76) because she knows that men will always control society. This viewpoint of men’s domination of women depicts Ismene to be submissive to males while being fearful of men’s authority. Ismene is unable to have control over her destiny and decisions because she is fearful of men’s power over women, which leads to her refusing to bury Polynices. Later in the play, Ismene questions Creon’s judgment by saying “you’d kill your own son’s bride?” (641) which indicates that she is now aware that woman should have a voice and power in society. Her new understanding of Antigone’s message gives...
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...ANTIGONE Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. Chronologically, it is the third of the three Theban plays but was written first. The play expands on the Theban legend that predated it and picks up where Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes ends. This play is based on the life story of Antigone, the daughter of Oeudipe and Jocaste. It is a legend of her sacrifice for her loved ones, her believes and her honour. Antigone’s brother Polynice had betrayed his country and died during the war. Creon, the king of Thebes had refused to give him a burial. Antigone is outraged by this decision and goes as far as sacrificing her life, to give her brother a burial he deserves. Even law of the king does not stop her from doing what she thinks is right. Antigone is the tragic heroine of the play and this play revolves around her struggle against the autocratic laws of the state. Even she manages to give Polynice a rightful burial but, this burial costs Antigone her life. SYNOPSIS In the beginning of the play, two brothers leading opposite sides in Thebes' civil war died fighting each other for the throne. Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, has decided that Eteocles will be honored and Polyneices will be in public shame. The rebel brother's body will not be sanctified by holy rites, and will lie unburied on the battlefield, prey for carrion animals like worms and vultures, the harshest punishment at the time. Antigone and Ismene are the sisters of the dead Polyneices...
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...Creon is an oppressive leader in the tragedy Antigone by Sophocles. From time to time, Creon shows sympathy for Antigone. When Creon leads his people he often abuses the power. Creon is often described as a tyrant and a good leader. Creon’s actions often portray his decision of being a tyrant or a good leader. The actions for Creon being a tyrant is when he doesn’t bury Polyneices. Actions showing qualities of a good leader is when he reduces the sentence for Antigone. Creon has a chance of being a good leader that has a heart. His actions hurt his chances of becoming a good leader. Creon’s actions show a desire to preserve and protect his country, but his actions also show him lusting his power. Creon has the potential to Throughout the tragedy, Creon shows two sides of himself. Creon shows his side of being a tyrant when he doesn’t want to bury Polyneices. When Creon hears about Polyneice’s death, he makes the executive decision to not have Polyneices buried. Antigone hears the news and buries her brother. Creon hears the news and is outraged. When Creon hears it was a girl he begins to think of punishments for Antigone. Creon’s actions throughout...
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...Dani Kaiser December 3, 2015 3rd period Sadness and Tragedy in Antigone and The Things They Carried Tinged with sadness and tragedy, both Antigone by Sophocles and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien show reactions of characters to tragedies. These great moments of sadness in both books reveal the inner traits of many characters. In Antigone, Antigone reacts to her tragic life. In The Things They Carried, supporting character Mary Anne Bell reacts to the tragedy of war. The way the aforementioned characters acted after these events affirms their real identity. A large part of background needed to understand Antigone can be found in Oedipus Rex. In Antigone, the main character Antigone lives what most would consider a very tragic life. Antigone and her sister are the daughters of Oedipus. Banished from Thebes, Oedipus never got to see his daughters again. Oedipus’ son and Antigone’s brother, Eteocles, takes control of Thebes, and, bitter and angry, his brother Polynices raises an army to march against the city. Both are slain in the ensuing battle. This is where the story of Antigone picks up. Creon, Oedipus’ brother in law and uncle is now King of Thebes. He issues a decree to give funeral honors to Eteocles, but not Polynices. Creon leaves Polynices out as food for animals. As their sister, Antigone feels obligated to bury both of her brothers, and she does so. Antigone’s criminal actions cause Creon to sentence her to the death penalty. Antigone’s tragedy...
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...opposite for men because they are expected to be authoritative, muscular, and tough. If men do not have any of these qualities, they are considered weak and woman-like. Sophocles' play Antigone and the 1990 film Mr. and Mrs. Bridge both display how Antigone and India Bridge try to do good, but are victims of the male hierarchy around them. Sophocles' Antigone is a Greek drama about the daughter of Oedipus. The play begins with Antigone and her sister Ismene having a conversation outside the palace. They talk about how their brothers Polyneices and Etecleos killed each other fighting for the throne. Antigone explains that the new ruler, Creon, has given a proper burial to Eteocleos; however, Polyneices will not receive a proper burial because he was a traitor. Creon decrees that anyone who buries or mourns Polyneices will be punished to death by public stoning. Antigone ignores Ismene's warning, giving Polyneices a proper burial by sprinkling dust over his body and performing ritual rites. A guard sees that someone has buried Polyneices body and reports the news to Creon. An enraged Creon threatens the guard's life if the culprit is not found and orders that Polyneices body to be dug up. When Antigone buries Polyneices body a second time, she is caught by the guard and taken to Creon. While Antigone and Creon are arguing about the burial...
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...Introduction The story behind Antigone is well-known. Antigone’s father was Oedipus. When he was born, it was prophesied that he would kill his own father and marry his mother. To avoid this, his parents had him sent out to be killed. The servant tasked with this, however, could not kill him and left him on a hillside to die of natural causes. He was discovered and raised by a poor family, and then later he returned and unknowingly fulfilled the prophesy, becoming in the process the king of Thebes. When the truth of this became known to him, he blinded himself. This story is the subject of the first two plays by Sophocles in the Oedipus cycle, Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. Four children were born of that incestuous marriage–two boys, Eteocles and Polynices, and two girls, Antigone and Ismene. When we join the action here, Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, have died at each other’s hands, Eteocles while defending Thebes and its new king Creon, Polynices in the forces attacking Thebes to remove Creon. Creon issues a decree that Polynices’ body cannot be buried or mourned. Both Antigone and Creon act in headstrong ways, and each rejects any suggestion that the other side may have some validity to its argument. The Greeks had a concept known as hubris. Hubris is overweaning or excessive pride. As you read the selections provided here, please consider the following questions: Questions: 1. Is Antigone right to respect the established religious...
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