Antigone Divine Law vs. Human
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
She chooses the divine command over the human compulsion, and rejects life with it's compromises for the absolutes of death. Indeed, in her terms these absolutes are, paradoxically, just the things that live always (64). The issues between Antigone and Creon is what the whole play is basically all about. Charles Paul Segal wrote in his essay "Sophocles' Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone" that: The issues that Antigone and Creon have between them are what ties this whole play together, and the theme is also developed with the use of their issues between each other and what they believe in. Antigone goes up against human law, by burying her brother Polyneices, knowing well that she will have to sacrifice her own life. She does this only because it is morally and ethically right, and this is why she stakes her life based upon her strong beliefs (Segal "Sophocles" 65). Charles Segal says in "Sophocles' Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone": Cunning beyond fancy's dream is the fertile skill which brings him, now to evil, now to good. When he honours the laws of the land, and that justice which he hath sworn by the gods to uphold, proudly stands his city: no city hath he who, for his rashness, dwells with sin. Never may he share my hearth, never think my thoughts, who doth these things (qtd. in Waldock "Sophocles" 113)
Some common words found in the essay are:
Antigone Creon, God Divine, Tragedy Antigone, Waldock Sophocles, King Creon, Conflicts Antigone, Segal Antigone, Gods Antigone, Polyneices Antigone, Gods Sophocles, divine law, human law, antigone creon, king creon, play antigone, law set, own life, law gods, type law, law vs human, law human, law human law, vs human law, divine law vs, law set king,
Approximate Word count = 2032
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
