Conflict as Source of Tragedy in The Antigone Essay Example

The Origin of Play

The Antigone is the earliest Greek tragedy, written and performed in a particular cultural and historical setting in classical Athens. This particular setting impact on the way the play was written and the characters within it, but the play also examines more universal matters regarding humanity, which have echoed with a variety of individuals throughout centuries. Hence, the text has not only ancient but also modern elements, a scenario that offers distinctive chances and challenges for educators.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Conflict as source of Tragedy

Conflicts are the core of tragedy, particularly Greek tragedy. There is always a consequence of personal conflicts in Antigone behind which there is greater conflict. Conflicts also tend to exist in the modern world that is why modern law tends to create a line and mark off diverse dominions, differentiating legal fact and social fat, man and animal, policy and, law, state and society. It typically seeks to formulate civilized order, which enables human being to get a grip on the perplexing reality, which surrounds us. Law, in this respect, acts the role of reductive tool an art of division, which seeks to establish an artificial dominion, which saves us from the confusion of nature. In its pursuits for control, distinct law lightens a multifaceted reality that its several margins are not present or at least not as precise as regularly planned. In Cartesian style, it aims to make itself nature's chief and possessor' formulating an independent scope in which the incredible world is segregated in various constituents and evaluated in a disintegrated way. Sticking to a technique of abstractive reduction, it consciously detaches itself from social reality, abridging, and to some degree, purposely ignoring the particular and complexities of the universe as human directly faces it.

Sifting reality's complexity through a screening of concepts and groups, the law shapes out a sphere of its own, mainly ruled by general rules and national laws. One-sided relies on rationalist analysis. Contemporary separative ideologies are prone to detach man as knowing the subject from nature an external object of scientific research and govern, inclining to alienate man from his environments and finally from himself as a natural being.

Civilized Order in Creon's Case

An example to illustrate things can be taken from ancient texts is Sophocles' play Antigone. Though most of the play would never occur in today's time, is still a moral dilemma providing for the protagonist. Antigone experiences the choice of going against law set by King Creon claiming that no man that assaults against the city of Thebes shall receive an appropriate burial and should be left to rot and his leftover to be picked by birds. Creon the elders Thebans of the Chorus acknowledge as the genuine 'new ruler of the city by the new fortunes that the gods have given (155-156). As the King, Creon finds Thebes in absolute disorder, shaken by the several tragedies, which have fallen upon the city and its administrative house with Lauis death, the death confirming plague, Oedipus' incestuous marriage, and disastrous collapse and the common doom of Eteocles and Polynices not even providing the full list. (Tyrrell, & Bennett 144-145). Born as twins, Polynices and Eteocles- sons of Oedipus fought against each other in an aggressive battle at Thebes seven gates.

Her brother Polynices fought against the city and did not prevail. Creon then said that if anyone were to try to bury Polynices should be publicly stoned to death. Setting against each other their duo victorious spears they were' shares in a common death.' (Tyrrell & Bennett, 147). with their shared hands flaking relative's blood (Tyrrell, & Bennett 55-56). At they made an entrance to the scene, the elder of the Chorus sings a song in which it talks about how a write-shielded warrior, coming from Argos in his array (Tyrrell & Bennett, 112-115). While enemy resting above their houses being sent by Polyhnices aiming to downturn the government his own brother wolfed around the regime sevenfold entrances ready to attack their towers with his glutte with gore'(Tyrrell, & Bennett, 120). Eventually, the opponent was chased away by strong men. In the course of the battle, Eteocles died. Creon is addressed as the City's new King, taking over the throne as Eteocle' immediate surviving kinfolks.

In his speech as assuming the position of a new king, Creon Presents himself as the defender of a civilized, order which safeguards its subjects against pending dangers of nature. He also demands complete primacy of the common good above private interests. Creon was a man who would never consider a country's antagonist an associate to himself having to be aware of human life can only be successful in a prosperous city (Tyrrell, & Bennett, 187-190). The Tyrrell and Bennett (182-183), any man who made a friend or association of more account than his motherland receives no regard. A creed came from Creon to honor his words that Eteocles to be buried and crowned with every rite, which adheres the noblest dead to his rest. Nonetheless, with respect to Polynices, he ruled that he would be left unburied, for his corpse to be eaten by birds and dogs. Such Creon way of reasoning needs him to rule the city in disrespect of the very closeness of kinship, which put him on the throne. As a city administrator, Creon fees bonds to lose his associates and family in favor of public interest, hence avoiding being thoughts of nepotism and partiality.

Though Creon's conduct as a ruler does not appear to be inherently wrong, it is certainly not easy in its one-sided focus on the common good above all else. In his hysterical plans to restore Thebes to its Excellency, Creon is one-sidedly intent on the notion of law as artificial order, which limits nature's war of all against. In endless fear of a clash of private interests which could trigger such war. Creon defeats the unmistakable occurrence of the polis over the Oikos, overpowering all emotions that may quick him to be loyal to his house rather than to his city.

Conclusion

Presently, several individuals are challenged with moral decisions affecting their family with legal consequences though it is not on a similar degree as Antigone. Families their family with lawful consequences though it is not on the same magnitude as Antigone. Families overwhelmed by natural tragedies frequently opt to do illegal things to protect their as much as illegal acts may be wrong but in some situations, it is the only option for survival. The significance of family and unity has not changed, and individuals are willing to guard their family at all cost even if it calls for sacrificing individual safety or a criminal act.

Works Cited

Tyrrell, William Blake, and Larry J. Bennett. Recapturing Sophocles' Antigone. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1998. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=k5olAgAAQBAJ&oi