Paper Example on Antigone: Civil Disobedience and Conflict Over Family Rights

Introduction

Antigone is a play written by Sophocles that centers on civil disobedience as a result of Antigone’s burial of her brother, Polynices. The burial event defied the laws of Creon and the state. The central conflict can be noticed from the opening events of the play. Mee & Foley (2011) asserted that Polynices was perceived as a traitor and did not deserve a proper burial. At the same time, Antigone insisted on the sacredness of his family; hence, the need for his proper burial. Creon and Antigone raise a dispute over the laws that cover the mandates of family members in such an instance. Creon understood that the common good was the ultimate limit that could not be surpassed by any private ties, such as those manifested by Polynices.

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Creon defends his arguments with the principles of the government that led the activities of the people. He often uses the words principle, law, decree, and policy to show that the law was the ultimate authority (Mee & Foley, 2011). Since he was the King, Antigone had to listen to him. Even when she insisted that she would bury his brother per the demands of her sacred family, it was impossible under the reign of Creon. This is manifested when Ismene declines to assist her as she could have gone against the King’s decree. Additionally, it was evident that whoever disobeyed the King would be punished by death.

Antigone was frustrated when Eteocles was buried with full honors, yet her brother would be left to rot for not playing a part in defending the city. Polynices was a well-known invader who deserved the punishment of being left to rot in the city (Cengage Learning Gale, 2015). Antigone was the niece to Creon, and despite their relationship, Creon gets furious while she gets angry with the King's deeds. Antigone argues that the orders were against the principles of the gods, and Creon finds it evident that she was incapable of submitting to his authority.

Forces of Creon and Antigone

Creon is the King of Thebes who heeds by the laws of the city. He is a leader who sticks to his responsibilities of delivering per the demands of the people. For him, the law was the guarantor of individual happiness. He aimed for that which was right according to the authorities and was willing to sacrifice everything he had in his powers to realize his full potential (Cengage Learning Gale, 2015). His actions define himself as a true tragic hero. He did not care about whether his actions went against the gods of the land, as no external influences would prompt him to make personal choices that disregarded the law. The force of power and support from other people, including the Chorus of elders made him present uniquely at the play.

Antigone is a heroine who believes that she should fulfill her sacred familial duties as outlined by Oedipus, her father. She is stubborn compared to Ismene to the extent that she rejects Ismene’s arguments (Cengage Learning Gale, 2015). Her primary beliefs were honor and love for everyone, rather than law and death, a reason she sticks to what she wants to be done in line with the demands of her family. She insists that her brother should get some respect in his burial despite the challenges she exposes herself to. Her heroic character is also perceived when she boldly buries her brother and does not refute her actions. She even starts an argument with Creon and defends her actions based on morality. She makes Creon blame himself for the actions he makes that lead to later events such as the loss of his son.

Qualities That Make Antigone a Heroic Figure

According to Chanter & Kirkland (2014), Antigone is perceived as a tragic hero in the play because of her actions that align with those of a feminist of the contemporary era. Her heroic character is perceived when she defiantly plans to care for her brother’s body regardless of the lack of support even from other family members. She did not believe in the inferiority of women as her sister believed. Ismene argued that for as long as they were women, they were in no place fit to battle men, especially those in power. Antigone feels that she is different from her sister and rejects that weakness could be her plea. She goes ahead to stand by her decisions and cover her brother's body with dirt to prevent it from invasion by scavengers. In the long run, she buries her brother per the rituals performed for the death and in line with her family's faith. She accepts everything as soon as she is associated with the crime.

The conflict between Creon and Antigone results in Antigone being the winning party and Creon being the losing party with so much to challenge himself for. Creon believes more in the laws of the land and the system of governance, while Antigone believes in honor and love as well as the demands of the gods. The two beliefs create opposing influences, which lead to undisputed conflict amongst them. Even as Antigone becomes the hero, in the long run, she received no support in the fight for her brother, whereas Creon had a lot of support from the public and the Chorus of elders.

References

Cengage Learning Gale (2015). A study guide for Sophocles’ Antigone. Gale, Cengage Learning. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning

Chanter, T., & Kirkland, S. D. (2014). Beyond Antigone. In The Returns of Antigone: Interdisciplinary Essays. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Mee, E. B., & Foley, H. P. (2011). Antigone on the contemporary world stage. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press