Sophocles Antigone A Play That Deals With The Nature...

Sophocles’ Antigone is a play that deals with the nature of justice on multiple levels. But at its core, the play centers around the plight of the titular Antigone, as she attempts to find a proper burial for her brother Polyneices. However, Antigone’s mission directly contradicts the decree of the powerful Creon, who refuses to allow Polyneices this burial, even if such a stance goes against the will of the gods. Eventually, Creon responds to the ire of the gods and finally gives Polyneices an honorable burial. Though the beginning and the middle of play are fascinating in their own respect, highlighting the tensions that exist between the spheres of the divine, the political, and the interpersonal, the very end of the play warrants its own discussion, acting as a sort of resolution (if anything is even truly resolved) between these differing ideals. At the end of the play, Creon has become someone who appears to have lost everything - his children and wife are all dea d. However, he is still king, retaining control over Thebes; in no way is that power diminished. Under this, the fact that Creon survives becomes something of particular interest. Is it just for Creon to still be alive, in this position of power, even after everything he has done? In looking at this question, I believe that Creon’s survival constitutes a peculiar failure of justice. The fact that he survives, given the nature of his earlier transgressive rule, seems to be something rather unjust. In addition,Show MoreRelatedWhat is Justice: Humanism v. Law in Antigone Essay1728 Words   |  7 PagesHumanity is often faced with ambivalence towards law; at once, we find it a necessity in attempting to deal with a world which is constantly in some type of chaotic turmoil, and also as a glaring flaw in our society, which can at times result in more chaos than was originally had. This conflict is no more obvious than in Sophocles’ Antigone. Antigone, the character, represe nts half of the struggle between what the law says is just and what we inherently deem to be morally upstanding – Creon representsRead MoreEssay about Gender Bias Critic of Antigone1724 Words   |  7 PagesA Gender Bias Approach to Antigone Just as one stone removed can break a bridge, one flaw can bring a man to ruins. The flaw of one man cannot bring down an entire kingdom, but rather one outlook of the king can lead to the demise of the whole. In Sophocles epic tragedy, Antigone, a strong gender bias is present throughout the tragedy, and is partially responsible for the downfall of the king. To Sophocles the king is not always representative of the people, but acts on his own personal desiresRead More Comparing Hubris in Antigone and Oedipus Essay1052 Words   |  5 PagesHubris in Antigone and Oedipus      Ã‚  Ã‚   The idea of hubris is monumental in a plethora of Greek mythological works. In many ways the excessive pride of certain characters fuels their own destruction. This is certainly true with respect to the characters of Pentheus, Antigone, and Oedipus. All three of these characters demonstrate, through their actions, various degrees of arrogance that seem to undercut the traditional role of the Gods, and thus largely contribute to their downfall. However, itRead MoreHow Modern Versions Of Medea ( Euripides ) And Antigone ( Sophocles )1246 Words   |  5 Pagessubordinate and to rebel against these restrictions would condemn women to be seen as psychotics, liars, and traitors. Even so many female playwrights recreate these plays today in a modern light to establish a prevailing production. Throughout this essay I will discuss how modern versions of Medea (Euripides) and Antigone (Sophocles) challenge ancient Greek gender stereotypes in order to make a powerful feminist stat ement about contemporary society. Ancient Athenian society was objectively maleRead MoreAntigones Character1565 Words   |  7 PagesSteeped in family drama, death, politics, and religion, Sophocles’ Antigone is a complex tragedy to say the least. The basic plot of the tragedy is the conflict between Antigone’s family principles and religious tradition and Creon’s embodiment of state and its authority (Scodel). It is on of three tragedies written by Sophocles that chronicle the life of Oedipus. It was written before Oedipus the King, but is a culmination of the events that occurred after Oedipus’ death (Norton 610). Antigone’sRead MoreThe Dimensions Of Justice : Antigone1827 Words   |  8 PagesThe Dimensions of Justice The conflict among individuals or among a person and a group of peoples possessing a given power has always been existed in each society. As many generations have read the renowned Greek play Antigone written by Sophocle, the conflict between Creon and Antigone, which finally not only causes the misery death of the female hero character but also leaves the grief for the tyrannical King, can be considered in various patterns from religion and politics, to command and persuasionRead MoreRevenge By William Shakespeare s Hamlet, And Sophocles Antigone2105 Words   |  9 Pagesrevenge, the reader may side with the main character whether or not the main character is morally right or wrong. By human nature, people around the globe have always been trying their hardest to come out on top in arguments or fights (Price 2009). As humans, they want to win. This is how a story about revenge is so well loved and experienced by many as it relates well with human nature and how a person would reac t to these situations. It is a natural feeling every single person feels at some point inRead More Comparing Sophocles Antigone and Jean Anouilhs Antigone Essay2293 Words   |  10 PagesBoth Sophocles and Jean Anouilh use the simple story-line of a girl defying her uncle and king in the face of death to reflect upon the events and attitudes of their days. Sophocles Antigone models the classical pattern of tragedy by incorporating key elements such as a tragic hero with a fatal flaw and the Man-God-Society triangle. Creon is the tragic hero who disturbs the natural harmony of Thebes by denying Polyneices a funeral. Antigone is the catalyst who forces him to reckon with the consequencesRead MoreEssay on Antigone Deserves More Sympathy than Creon2535 Words   |  11 PagesAntigone Deserves More Sympathy than Creon      Ã‚   In the Antigone, unlike the Oedipus Tyrannus, paradoxically, the hero who is left in agony at the end of the play is not the title role. Instead King Creon, the newly appointed and tyrannical ruler, is left all alone in his empty palace with his wifes corpse in his hands, having just seen the suicide of his son. However, despite this pitiable fate for the character, his actions and behavior earlier in the play leave the final scene evoking moreRead MoreAntigone1894 Words   |  8 Pages--weak women, think of that, not framed by nature to contend with men† (Sophocles 49-68). Ismene did not realize then that she was speaking with of one of the greatest heroines and monarchs of modern feminism in all of literature. If any woman today dared utter the words above, they would face immediate contention from the herd of strong-willed females belonging to the 21st century. In Antigone, we see Antigone press forward with conviction in pursuit of justice and truth. She is met wi th great opposition