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The Conflict Between Nature Versus Human Institution

Decent Essays

Antigone by Sophocles is a play that has lasted through the ages because of its underlying meaning that can still be applied today in conflicts such as parents who choose to not vaccinate their children. It is a conflict between nature versus human institution. Throughout this play one notices there is no clear hero. The basic conflict in Antigone came about by a disagreement between two brothers in a royal family in Thebes, Eteocles and Polynices, Eteocles being the older brother. Antigone and Ismene are the sisters of Eteocles and Polynices and are the bigger characters of the play with Antigone being the tragic heroine. Eteocles and Polynices decide to switch off yearly on the throne after their father, Oedipus, dies starting with Eteocles, but when Eteocles refused to give up the throne for Polynices, Polynices leaves Thebes and goes to Polis. In Polis, he marries into the royal family. One day he asks his father-in-law, the king of Polis, to borrow the Polis army in order to take back the Thebes throne. When the army arrives in Thebes Polynices and Eteocles meet on the battlefield and die at each other’s hand. After that their uncle Creon takes the throne. Creon allows Eteocles to have a royal burial, but forbids any burial for Polynices and if anyone dares to they will be executed. This was a very harsh punishment in the time because of the belief that if a person’s body wasn’t buried their soul could not enter the next stage. Antigone decides it is her responsibility

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