The play Antigone is one of the few Ancient Greek dramas that showed the conflict of the law of the land and religion. Creon is the ruler of the land and thus, has power to enforce laws that he thinks is beneficial to the people. However, in exercising her power, he is faced with a conflict when he decides to not give Polynices, a traitor to his land, a proper burial. In the ancient times, the ruler of the land is the protector of traditions and family law and also the superior person that decides what is good and beneficial for his people. Antigone is right for standing firm on her decision to give Polynices a proper burial because it has been a tradition in the family and Creon should have respected it.
According to Beuhausen (2008), the play Antigone presented a "conflict between two different legal systems." These two legal systems are the law of the state and the family law. Creon represented the law of the state and Antigone represented family law. If compared to our legal system today, the government represents Creon (the law of the state) and religion represents Antigone (family law/religion). In the ancient times, the two legal system were joined together with one ruler, being Creon. Creon has the authority and responsibility to rule the land and execute decisions and laws for peace and equality of his people. Also, he has the authority and responsibility to preserve and respect the traditions that have long been in place. When Creon made the decision on Polynices' burial, he then made a crisis in his power. His decision put a doubt in his people's minds because now, he is contradicting a tradition. .
Antigone's refusal of Creon law on her brother's burial shows the instability in Creon's authority. When a subordinate finds a way to question a superior's decision with a legitimate reason to do so is a way to show that Creon's power is nothing less than questionable.
Antigone is not from a normal family. ... Creon made a law that no one could bury her brother Polyneices because he fought against the state. ... I'm just not made to war against the state-. ... Since Polyneices fought against the state, he made the law that no one could bury our mourn for Polyneices. ... In conclusion Oedipus' family is not a normal one, in fact there is not a member left, thanks to Creon's law. ...
The Significance of Divine Law - Does it Provide Justification for Crimes against the State? The importance of divine law versus the adherence to the laws of the state is a major theme explored throughout the play, Antigone. ... Antigone feels that this is exactly what Creon is doing - ignoring the laws of heaven. ... While Antigone respected divine law, Creon lived by the laws of the state, the laws that he felt were superior, especially since he made them. ... How could the head of the state (Creon) honor someone who attempted to punish his own city? ...
Sophocles illustrated the rival claims of the state and the individual conscience. Antigone has the burning desire to honor her brother Polyneices and sacrifices her life out of devotion to principles higher than human law. ... Antigone is loyal to her beliefs and puts the laws of the gods ahead of laws of the states. ... When Ismene refuses she is furious with her. " And now you can prove what you are: a true sister, or a traitor to your family (Prologue.26-27), he is my brother, and he is your brother too" (Prologue.33). ... Antigone is a threat and invokes divine law as defense for her ac...
This same perspective is found in Sophocles" play Antigone where Antigone, the protagonist, goes against the State due to the moral obligation she has by the Gods to her family. ... This is because it is true that Antigone broke the law. ... When Creon asked Antigone, " you made free to overstep my law?" (Sophocles, 17), Antigone replied by stating, "Zeus who ordered it, Nor Justice, dweller with the Nether Gods, Gave such a law to men- (Sophocles, 17). ... For an ideal state to exist, the laws of the state must be upheld and no one must question them. ...
When conflict arose in regards to the law of banning the burial of Polynices, his sister Antigone upsets the norm of gender roles and hierarchy. ... This demonstrates Antigone's fearlessness to insult Creon's word and his law. ... He is also embarrassed by Antigone laughing and mocking him about the law she broke and her acceptance of rebelling against it (p.83). ... This confirms that she was as heartbroken and felt equal amounts of sorrow as Antigone did, but she chose to be civil and follow the law of the state. ... Her allegiance to her family is one thing Antigone holds true a...
When Antigone went against her Uncle's law, it showed that she was brave and fearless. ... Antigone shows great loyalty to Polynecies when she defies against Creon's law. ... Antigone states that she not only buried her brother to be loyal to her family but also to obey the gods. ... Antigone chooses to defy this law. ... This causes a family quarrel between Antigone and Ismene. ...
Antigone, as a citizen of Thebes deserved protection from the state, so that she may obey the "holy law" that was perceived as state law and bury her brother. ... In Antigone, Creon brok a "holy law" which the state lived by by his edict of not allowing Antigones's brother to be buried. ... So if Antigone should be put to death for breaking a state law of Thebes then Creon should be put to death for breaking the law also. ... Antigone, was put to death for obeying a religious law which was held by the state and breaking a contradictory state law. ... Antigone, had allegiance to Thebes...
The Antigone Essay Through "Antigone", the play, Sophocles lets it be known that family is more important than authority. ... Antigone and Haemon also play big roles in demonstrating how they want their family more than anything. ... Creon made a law to bury Eteocles and let Polyneceis rot, as a consequence of Polyneceis not serving Thebes. ... "I think you know...Our two brothers: Creon is burying one to desecrate the other," Antigone told Ismene explaining Creon's law. ... Eteocles and Polyneceis were sons of Oedipus, and Creon was Oedipus's brother in law. ...
One could say that Antigone was against the law of man and only believed in the natural laws of the universe and Gods, but in contrary Antigone was not disobeying the laws of man or obeying the laws of Gods, she was merely acting in what she thought was the right thing to do. ... Antigone knew her actions where wrong and against the law of the King, but she was also ready to face the consiquences for her actions. ... Creon, a prideful ruler, stood for what he thought was right and the fact that Antigone blatently diobeyed his law made him furious. ... Creon had put a law in plac...