Theme Of Conflict In Antigone - 973 Words

Elizabeth 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 because he only focused on his own moral beliefs rather than considering the beliefs of other people, which could have resolved conflict. Throughout the play, the theme of authority of the state and religion is represented through the individual beliefs of†¦show more content†¦I strongly disagree with Zizek because she is viewed as promoting an authority of herself only because of the gender conflict between men and women. Because of Antigone’s role as a woman in the Theban culture, she is viewed as demanding and stubborn against Creon’s order. But if it were to be a man who opposed Creon, he wo uld be seen as courageous and assertive. Additionally, Antigone justifies her position by claiming that it is her moral duty to bury Polyneices because the last of her kin are gone. She accuses Creon by calling him a tyrant: â€Å"I never heard it was Zeus Who made that announcement. And it wasn’t justice, either. The gods below Didn’t lay down this law for human use. And I never thought your announcements Could give you—a mere human being— Power to trample the gods’ unfailing, Unwritten laws,† (450-456). By Antigone burying Polyneices, she gains the respect and support of people who also believe in honoring the dead and respecting the gods. After Eteocles and Polyneices die in battle, Creon was the next of kin to rule the people of Thebes. After rising to power, he immediately undergoes the destructive effects of power. As a result of this, he becomes irrational in his thoughts and decisions and consequently, he abuses his power. For instance, Creon arrests Ismene solely based on the reason thatShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Conflict In Antigone983 Words   |  4 PagesThe 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 ambiguousRead 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 Words   |  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 on Moral Conflict in Antigone1349 Words   |  6 PagesThe major moral conflict in Antigone 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 PolyneicesRead 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 reader