... March 11th, 09 English 112 Antigone: Divine Law vs. Human Law The play entitled Antigone was written by a man named Sophocles, a scholarly author of philosophy and logic. The play Antigone is probably one of the most prominent interpretations of a tragic drama. The two main characters of the play are Antigone and Creon. There is much conflict between Antigone and Creon throughout the play, both of them having their own ideas and opinions regarding divine law versus human law. The theme that I am going to analyze is the conflict of divine law vs. human law. The reason for this is because this theme seems to control the whole play. It is an issue of which law is the "right" law, and if Creon's and Antigone's acts were justifiable. The play Antigone can be summarized by the following: King Creon lets it be known that Polyneices the traitor is not to be buried, but his sister Antigone defies the order because of the values she holds. She is caught, and sentenced by Creon to be buried alive - even though she is to be married to his son Haemon. After the blind prophet Tiresias proves that the gods are on Antigone's side, Creon changes his mind - but too late. He goes first to bury Polyneices, but Antigone has already hanged herself. When Creon arrives at the tomb, Haemon attacks him and then kills himself. When the news of...
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...Maintaining or practicing resistance in a developing fascist country populated by nationalist sure is difficult. Thomas Carter’s film, Swing Kids, shows teenager Peter attempt to maintain internal battle of resistance of the Nazi regime. In Sophocles Greek tragedy, Antigone, Antigone shows her resistance by defiling the ruling of the developing dictator of Thebes Creon. Although the two’s situations differed in many ways, their common actions in rebelling from dictatorship while surrounded by pressuring nationalists, in the end proved a positive outcome. Antigone and Peter both have many differences in their situations. Antigone is conflicted with the king of Thebes, Creon’s, decision to ban the burial of one of Antigone’s brothers, Polyneices....
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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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...Quran Norris English 102 AC106 Mrs. Stephenson 0Antigone Paper Being a part of a family forces one to have responsibilities and duties that are needed to be fulfilled. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone, Antigone has the responsibility of being loyal to her brother, Polynices. Her intuition and strong will discourages her from listening to the power of the state, thus disobeying part of her family, to respect her immediate family. Her devotion leads to the destruction of Creon and herself. Proving that Antigone’s role as a part of a family, does not stand in her determination to do what she believes to be right. It is for this reason that she is willing to destroy herself and Creon to fulfill her duty to both her immediate family and the Gods above. In order to understand Antigone’s actions and motivation, it is important to understand the importance of what a proper burial is to the people of ancient Greece. Unlike most religions, the Greek did not believe in the reward and punishment concept after death. They did not believe that good people went to heaven, while the evil suffered in hell. They believed that life after death was a sad and miserable affair, and the dead deserved to rest in peace. They believed in the importance of a proper burial, as proposed and supported by the gods. The gods mandated the way people lived their everyday life, and how they lived their life after death. The general belief of the people, was that those who did not get a proper burial...
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...Min Hyuk Lee 10/27/2014 Throughout the course of the Greek tragedy, Antigone, one can not only observe the conflict and struggle between the characters, but can clearly discern the clash between two widely differing concepts. Antigone, the cursed daughter of Oedipus and the mourning sister of Polyneices and Ismene, continues to collide with the King Creon for what she believes to be the right thing to do. Antigone is desperate to give her brother the rightful burial that she believes he deserves, while Creon is determined to uphold his laws and traditions to keep order with the values that he holds so dearly. Throughout the course of the play, the reader is stricken with the decision and dissolution of what is ultimately the “right” thing to...
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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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...“ To kill a mockingbird” by Harper Lee and “Antigone” by Sophocles are both dramas having to do with justice, the main characters in both dramas are struggling to bring justice to a society or situation that was lacking. In Sophocles’ drama, Antigone was trying to bring justice by burying her brother Polyneices against the kings, Creon’s, orders. While in “To kill a mocking bird” Atticus is an attorney in a case where race is a major issue and he is trying to save Tom Robinson from being convicted of a crime where there’s overwhelming evidence of his innocence. Both “Antigone” and “To kill a mockingbird’s” themes seem to revolve around justice which is proven when Antigone buries her brother and Atticus agrees to take on Tom Robinsons case. Another large theme in both dramas is the idea that women are somehow ‘lesser’ because of their femininity, a cause of this might be because of the era that the dramas are set in. Throughout “To kill a mockingbird” Scout does her best to avoid ‘girly’ things so that she can keep playing with her brother Jem, its only later in the novel that Scout begins to realize that being a girl is more about having positive traits than lacking them. This theme continues in “Antigone”, most pointedly when Ismene states “Bethink thee, sister, we are left alone; Shall we not perish wretchedness of all, If in defiance of the law we cross A monarch's will?--weak women, think of that, Not framed by nature to contend with men. Remember this too that the stronger...
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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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...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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...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] Citizenship The concept of citizenship...
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...rightful place in society and their God-given rights as humans. In some countries, women are still subjected to harsh, defiling conditions. While fighting for these rights, women characters in short stories, novels, plays, and even poetry were made to beat the odds of normalcy. In some instances, these women were portrayed as heroines. Three perfect examples of women characters before their time are Nora Helmer from A Doll’s House, Antigone from Antigone, and Emily Grierson from “A Rose for Emily.” These sapid characters, Antigone, Emily, and Nora, step from the normal roles as women and fight against all authority, stand up for what they believe in, and break the laws as they fall. To better understand the character, one must first understand the author and the time period in which the story was written. Sophocles wrote many dramatic plays including, Antigone. Sophocles, like many of his characters in his plays, was a hero of sorts. He held many public offices and was a general during the Samian War and the Archidamian War. “Sophocles was a priest of Halon and helped introduce the cult of Asclepius, god of medicine, to Athens” (Gill). He grew up in a town known as Colonus, but he stayed in Athens most of the time (Gill). His play, Antigone, was written in 441 B. C., in Ancient Greece. (Sophocles 1465) . In the dramatic play, Antigone, Antigone undergoes a deadly battle with her uncle, future father-in-law, and king, Creon. Antigone is considered a princess in the land of Thebes...
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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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... Why and how, law is just? Why and how, law is obligatory? Why and how, law is promulgated by legitimate authority? What is promulgation? Why promulgate law? Who is legitimate authority? Why and how, law is of common observance? Why and how, law is of common benefit? ============================ Introduction to Law Series Part 2.1 - Evolution of the Concept of Law A.) Classical Greek Concept of Law ============================ Side Notes: - Literature is the reflection of reality. -Greek civilization is two things, politics and drama. -Greek drama is two things, tragedy and comedy -Alexander the Great's teacher is Aristotle. -Aristotle's school is the Lyceum. -Aristotle's teacher is Plato. -Plato's school is the Academy. -Plato's teacher is Socrates. -Socrates' teachers are the Sophists. -One of the sophists is Sophocles. -Sophocles is an ancient Greek tragedian (tragedy writer). *For our study, we will look at two of his tragedies, Oedipus the King and Antigone. ============================ Sopholes' Definition of Law Oedipus the King Antigone In the video, it said, "Doing what is right is more important than following the will of a king or a country." Before Sophocles, law is made by God, or simply extra-human. During Sophocles, it is shown the...
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... Why and how, law is just? Why and how, law is obligatory? Why and how, law is promulgated by legitimate authority? What is promulgation? Why promulgate law? Who is legitimate authority? Why and how, law is of common observance? Why and how, law is of common benefit? ============================ Introduction to Law Series Part 2.1 - Evolution of the Concept of Law A.) Classical Greek Concept of Law ============================ Side Notes: - Literature is the reflection of reality. -Greek civilization is two things, politics and drama. -Greek drama is two things, tragedy and comedy -Alexander the Great's teacher is Aristotle. -Aristotle's school is the Lyceum. -Aristotle's teacher is Plato. -Plato's school is the Academy. -Plato's teacher is Socrates. -Socrates' teachers are the Sophists. -One of the sophists is Sophocles. -Sophocles is an ancient Greek tragedian (tragedy writer). *For our study, we will look at two of his tragedies, Oedipus the King and Antigone. ============================ Sopholes' Definition of Law Oedipus the King Antigone In the video, it said, "Doing what is right is more important than following the will of a king or a country." Before Sophocles, law is made by God, or simply extra-human. During Sophocles, it is shown the...
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...However, there exists a debate which questions whether that is really possible or not. In other words: are human beings capable of deciding what to do with their lives or is there a greater force that rules over our destiny? The Oxford English Dictionary defines destiny as ‘that which is destined or fated to happen to a particular person, country, institution, etc. (…).’ Consequently, this term is opposed to free will, defined as ‘the power of an individual to make free choices, not determined by divine predestination, the laws of physical causality, fate, etc. (…).’ Human beings have thought of these antithetic concepts as something to worry about since the beginning of civilization. Because of that, playwrights have taken them into consideration when writing different plays all over the years. This essay seeks to explore the tension existing between the concepts of destiny and free will in the world of drama through the study of language as well as the analysis of character and situation development. In order to carry this research out, I will take Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (429 BC) and Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (1604) as the basis for the analysis. Although the plays were written in different eras and consequently were inspired by very different social and historical backgrounds, the limits between destiny and free will play a very important role in both of them. But how does drama manage to explore this tension? How do playwrights convey the paradox that exists between...
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