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Family life in ancient greece
Issue of law and morality in antigone
Laws in antigone
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Family life in ancient greece
Issue of law and morality in antigone
Laws in antigone
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In the story of Antigone, Eteocles and Polyneices are both fighting to be the king of Thebes. They both die in the fight but Eteocles is buried while Polyneices is left to the vultures. Antigone is both Polyneices and Eteocles’ sister, With both brothers dead the throne was given to their uncle Creon, who believes Polyneices is a traitor and should not have a burial. Antigone strongly disagrees with Creon, thus sneaking out and giving him a proper burial. This action was considered punishable by death.
The new law by Creon, which was to not bury Polyneices body was on lines 170-171 stating “Polyneices I say, is to have no burial: no may is to touch him or say the least prayer for him”. The reason was for that he has betrayed the city. Now think this to yourself, if there’s something you need but you can’t get it ,wouldn’t you do your best to get it, even if you’re ignoring the law? In Antigone, Ismene ignored the law for a very serious option.
In Antigone’s defense, she was only following the laws that were put in place by the god and goddesses. These laws are the highest of authority than any law set by a mortal. One of these laws set by the gods and goddesses was that everyone’s body, no matter who was to be buried. In contrast to the gods, Creon has set a law stating that nobody can bury the body of Polynices because he was titled as a traitor. Therefore, the law set by Creon is overruled by the gods’ law and Antigone did nothing wrong by burring Polynices even if Creon said he’s a traitor.
In Sophocles' Antigone, the foremost source of conflict between Antigone and Kreon is the burial of Antigone's dead brothers who liquidate each other in battle after one disagreed to hand over the throne. After hearing the tragic news, Antigone conveys to her sister Ismene: Kreon buried our brother Eteocles with military honors, gave him a soldier's funeral, and it was right that he should; but Polyneices, who fought as bravely and died as miserably, — they say that Kreon has sworn no one shall bury him, no one mourn for him. (1. 15-20) Antigone decides that she will bury Polyneicies herself even though it is illegal. She is loyal to her family, does not want to disgrace the laws of the gods, and also believes that it is her hereditary duty to bury her brother Polynecies regardless of whatever crime he has committed.
His free choice is represented by a quote from the guard surveying Polyneices body, “We saw this girl giving that dead man's corpse full burial rites—an act you’d made illegal” (337). Although Creon's own niece turns out to be the one that went against his word, he still chooses to follow through with the punishment even though the deed Antigone did was morally right. The punishment that he lays upon Antigone is excessive and unjust considering the crime. While in an argument with her, he calls to his guards proclaiming, “Take her and shut her up, as I have ordered, in her tomb’s embrace [...]
Since nobody may be constrained to act against his or her religious beliefs, Creon should not have forbidden the burial of Polyneices. Antigone buried her brother and defied Creon to follow her religion and her conscience. Creon did not have the authority to change the law of the gods. Antigone wanted to please the gods more than she feared the punishment of her uncle. Antigone loved her brother immensely that she could not bear the dishonor.
INTRODUCTION: Open your argument to the audience and give them reason to listen on. I. Hook (Opening Statement): Get your audience’s attention! Consider a quote from the story. Are there any circumstances in which the law should be ignored?
Even though Antigone’s brother committed a crime, he should still be buried like any other family member that committed a crime. The first thing Creon’s does in Antigone is declare a hash but understandable law. Anyone who attempts to honor Polyneices will be sentenced
In the beginning of the play Antigone, both brothers, Polynices and Eteocles fought each other over the throne of Thebes, and both die. According to heythropthinkingsociety.wordpress.com, Creon took over the throne after their death, Creon denied having Polynices body buried “as punishment for his rebellion against Thebes.” His body was to stay outside the city walls to decay. This outraged Antigone. She and her sister Ismene argue about Antigone’s decision to bury their bother against King Creon’s orders.
Antigone being the one to fight for her beliefs and obeying the god's laws attempts the burial of Polyneices and goes against Creon’s law to prove to him that he’s in over his head that he has too much pride in himself, in lines 15-35 Antigone claims that she is going to go
Antigone was written in approximately 441 BC by Sophocles. Antigone is typically presented as the tragic Heroine, and therefore the main cause of the tragic conflict, yet I would argue that it is Ismene that contributes most strongly to the tragic conflict in the play, and that she is the tragic heroine. I will explore this by examining the effects of her contrasting dialogue with Antigone, her status as a Hegelian Heroine and her powerlessness have on the tragic conflict of the play. In the first scene we meet Antigone and Ismene, the only remaining children of Jocasta and Oedipus, coping with the shame of their parents and brothers legacy.
Kreon does not believe Polyneices deserves a proper burial for Polyneices was not noble in Kreons eyes. Polyneices was fighting against Thebes and causing terror. He does not want to give him a proper burial, as shown in the quote “... Polynecius, who died as pitiably - Kreon has proclaimed that his body will stay unburied, no mourners, no tomb, no tears, a tasty meal for the vultures” (Sophocles 22). Antigone is distraught at the thought of her brother being left to be “a tasty meal for the vultures” and soon vows to bury him regardless of the law.
In Antigone, there was two brothers who shared being the King and one of the brothers, Polynices, wanted to start a war with the kingdom because he wanted to be the main ruler. Polynices and his brother Eteocles fight and they both end up killing each other. Their Uncle Creon, who takes position as King when they are both killed, decides that only Eteocles will have a proper burial and Polynices will be left to rot. Antigone, Polynices and Eteocles sister, thinks that Creon’s decision is unfair and takes upon herself to give Polynices a proper burial. When their other sister Ismene finds out, she is stuck between helping her sister bury their brother and following Creon’s demands.
Antigone believes she should have the right of her brother’s burial. Creon states, “No one shall burry him, no one mourn for him” (Sophocles 2) illustrating that Polyneicis is irrelevant in the city of Thebes. The law in Greek society is a female should not have power or freedom over any circumstance. Antigone demands rights over her brother and will not accept
Antigone’s right to bury her brother are set in the laws of the gods, and the law of man should not be in the way of her pursuit in her brother’s wellbeing in death. Antigone wanted her brother Polyneices to be buried with honor. She and the citizens of Thebes follow the law of the gods to