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The Corruption Of Law In Antigone

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In the play Antigone, Antigone, the protagonist buries her brother Polyneices. She did this against the King, Creon’s law. Her sister Ismene is against these actions. Antigone is then caught and brought to King Creon due to these actions. Creon than sentences Ismene to death. Than had Antigone sentenced to the vault until she dies. Haemon her soon to be husband defends Antigone, but Creon ignores him. Teiresias an oracle or fortune teller warns Creon that he will be punished by the gods for his actions. Creon then went to releases Antigone with Haemon to rescue her but she hung herself. Haemon than in return attempts to kill Creon but ends up killing himself on accident. This play expresses a major debate over the law of the gods or the law of the people. In this play what is morally correct is the law of the gods …show more content…

Some people may argue that common law must be followed or the structure or the government is corrupted. Evidence that supports this claim is in scene 1 when the Chorus says, “When the Laws are kept, how proudly his city stands! When the laws are broken, what of his city then?” (Line 21-22). However, this thought does not have complete truth to it. A city can only stand when the people of the city back up the king laws. But, there is evidence that the people do not approve of the laws of Creon. This is shown in scene 3 when Haemon says, “But I, at any rate, can listen; and I have heard them/Muttering and whispering in the dark about this girl. They say no woman has ever, so unreasonably, Died so shameful a death for a generous act” (Line 61-64). This shows that the people not approve of all the laws that the king is demanding upon the city. This shows also, the people of the city, who make the city, are not proud of this law which is being enforced. Thus, making the point that common law is trumped by the law of the gods which is composed of human

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