Theme Of Conflict In Antigone - 983 Words

The Greek tragedy, Antigone, explores a dramatic conflict between the individual and the state. The epicenter of this tragedy revolves around the juxtaposition of Antigone and Creon—symbols of the moral law and the human law. They embody moral arguments that converge in opposition to one another, but since both parties failed to accept each other’s opinion, both were defeated at the end. This ensures no explicit answer on which side should take precedence over the other, making the play ambiguous and open to debate. With this, the Greek playwright Sophocles conveys the message that although people’s ideologies clash, a conflict will remain unresolved when both parties are intolerant of each other’s views. Primarily, Sophocles uses†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, to advance his reasoning that the rational laws of the state are higher than that of Antigone’s gods, Creon assembles both syntax and diction to move his viewpoints forward. As Creon made a law forbidding Polyneices’ burial, he tells the choragos to â€Å"give no support to whoever breaks this law† (198). The imperative tone of his word choice show his procrustean nature to those who disobey him, and that no amount of pity will prompt him to spare those that threaten his power. After discovering that Antigone broke the law, he tells Haemon to reject Antigone: â€Å"Let her find her husband in Hell! / Of all the people in this city, only she / Has had the contempt for my law and broken it† (217). Creon’s word phrasing and arrangement expose his cocky demeanor toward Antigone’s claims about the afterlife, reflecting on how he values the state over the gods or love; however, t his is meaningless in the face of death. According to the chorus, â€Å"He [Creon] has made himself secure—from all but one / In the late wind of death he cannot stand† (204). This shows how Creon is blind to the ephemerality of life and how he cannot accept the inevitability of death, revealing his hubris. Sophocles shows inclination towards the moral law by contrasting the strengths of Antigone’s traits with the flaws of Creon’s, making them character foils of one another. Moreover, it is evident that both charactersShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Conflict In Antigone973 Words   |  4 PagesElizabeth Heeb Doctor Pratt Intellectual Heritage I (IH 851) 28 September 2017 Moral Conflict and Internal Change in Antigone Beliefs are not always based on facts that you would find in a textbook-they are something that one believes is true. When I first read Sophocles’ play Antigone, my initial impression of Creon was that his beliefs of the law and the state were rational because of his role as a ruler. But as the play progressed, I began to disagree with his behavior and his values becauseRead MoreMain Theme Of Antigone942 Words   |  4 PagesThemes are important to any story; they give the reader a sense of background and understanding when it comes to the events unfolding in the story. Many literary works include multiple themes, all of which convey  important ideas about humanity and the way that society functions. In  Antigone  by Sophocles, themes exist such as determination, the conflict between conscience and law, the conflict between divine and human law, and familial loyalty.  One key and central theme of Antigone is the importanceRead MoreThe Test Of Time By Sophocles1403 Wor ds   |  6 Pagesfew have withstood the test of time as long as Antigone has. Written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles in 441 B.C, it is almost two and a half thousand years old. How does a piece of writing last that long without becoming irrelevant and antiquated. The answer to that question can be found in the themes and characters of this long enduring masterpiece. Before I jump into this paper, I should probably tell you what Antigone is about. Antigone is a play which takes place shortly after theRead MoreChoices That Mean Life or Death In Antigone1381 Words   |  6 PagesMean Life or Death In Antigone The play Antigone was penned by Sophocles, a Greek writer, sometime in the late 440s B.C. This Greek tragedy uses a combination of literary elements in order to grab the reader’s attention. Two such elements are theme and conflict. Most importantly, Sophocles’s Antigone deals with themes, such as the conflict of family versus state, the conflict of individual versus government, and the conflict of human versus divineRead MoreContrast Between Oedipus the King and Antigone by Sophocles744 Words   |  3 PagesContrast between Oedipus the King and Antigone Sophocles, a famous and renowned Greek dramatist, is the playwright to both the play Oedipus the King and Antigone. Along with Antigone and Oedipus Sophocles had also wrote Electra and Fete. Sophocles wrote many Greek tragedies which are plays in which the main character in the play suffers a tragedy due to some flaw of theirs. An example would be how Oedipus (thinking he is defying a prophecy) murders his father and weds his mother. His flaw was himRead MoreThe Conflict Of Sophocles Antigone1500 Words   |  6 PagesSophocles’ Antigone centers around a familial feud that develops between Antigone and Creon when Antigone decides to bury her brother and Creon’s niece, Polyneices. While Antigone believes that it is her religious and familial duty to bury her brother, Creon objects, citing the Theban civil war which took place right before the events of the play. Adhering to Greek literary tradition, Sophocles ultimately seeks not just to entertain the audience but also to teach a moral lesson, in this case aboutRead MoreSophocles Antigone : The Third Of The Three Theban Tragic Plays1106 Words   |  5 PagesSophocles’s play, Antigone is the third of the three Theban tragic plays and was written around 440 B.C. and is still well known today. Sophocles s play Antigone tells a tragic story about family honor and a sister’s love for her brothers. After Antigone’s two brothers, Polynices and Eteocles died in battle, Creon became the new leader of Thebes. Creon orders that Eteocles have a proper burial while Polynices’s body remain unburied, simply left to rot. Antigone refuses to let her brother’s bodyRead MoreThe Production Of Antigone By Peta Tait Essay1708 Words   |  7 PagesThe production of Antigone by Company B reviewed by Peta Tait is correct in multiple instances even though the production has an incorrect central conflict. Company B’s production is correct when Tait explains how it portrays why C reon did not bury Polyneices’ body and just left it out to the animals instead (71). The production is also correct when implying why Creon treats Antigone and Ismene badly as if they have the dignity of animals (73). By looking at Sophocles’ Antigone, it portrays CreonRead MoreEssay about Religion vs. State in â€Å"Antigone820 Words   |  4 PagesThe play â€Å"Antigone† is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the readerRead MoreEssay on Moral Conflict in Antigone1349 Words   |  6 PagesThe major moral conflict in Antigon e by Sophocles is the conflict over which value is most fundamental. The play presents the moral conflict over whether the gods law or the citys law is more powerful. This seems to be the most prominent theme. The conflict arises mainly between the tragic heroes Antigone and her uncle-in-law Creon, King of Thebes. The city of Thebes had been through a war in which Antigone and her sister Ismene have lost both of their brothers to it, Eteocles and Polyneices