The Nature of the Conflict in Antigone In “Sophocles’ Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone,” Charles Paul Segal explains the nature of the conflict between Antigone and Creon: The conflict between Creon and Antigone has its starting point in the problems of law and justice. At any rate, the difference is most explicitly formulated in these terms in Antigone’s great speech on the divine laws. . . . Against the limited and relative “decrees” of men she sets the eternal laws
Conflict of Passion and Reason in Sophocles' Antigone "Ah Creon! Is there no man left in the world” (Sophocles page #). Greek theatre played a large role in Greece. The citizens were supposed to learn from the mistakes made in tragedies. The citizens should have learned what not to be like as a citizen or person. In Antigone, written by Sophocles, there are two main characters, Antigone and Creon. They are both strong willed and stubborn people. Both being unwilling to change, they both seal
Sophocles lived in Athens, the most progressive city-state at the time. Athenian society was ruled by a king who enforced laws interlaced with divine ideals. The king acted as a bridge that conveyed divine ideals and monitored society’s compliance. If a law was broken, a harsh punishment-- often exile -- was to follow. Sophocles wrote the play Antigone in the midst of a revolution in Ancient Greece. Around 500 B.C., radical thinkers sparked a movement that challenged the way government was run (Hammer
Conflict, Climax and Resolution in Antigone Sophocles’ tragic drama, Antigone, presents to the reader a full range of conflicts and their resolution after a climax. In Antigone the protagonist, Antigone, is humble and pious before the gods and would not tempt the gods by leaving the corpse of her brother unburied. She is not humble before her uncle, Creon, because she prioritizes the laws of the gods higher than those of men; and because she feels closer to her brother, Polynices
In the Greek tragedy Antigone, written by playwright Sophocles, a conflict is presented in the aftermath of a rebellion against Thebes, wherein the brothers Polyneices and Eteocles kill each other, as leaders of opposing armies. Creon, their uncle, assumes rule of Thebes, as the only remaining heir of the previous king; then honors Eteocles as a hero, but forbids any burial for Polyneices, calling him a traitor. Antigone defies this, claiming the gods require him to be buried. This essay will argue
Sophocles presents Antigone as a strong woman who is both dedicated to her family and her community. Much conflict arises between these two dedications. In this paper, I will give examples of Antigone’s different individual responsibilities and her philosophies and explain how they conflict with the commitment that she is to have to her community and indirectly, her king. Ultimately, I will argue that Sophocles demonstrated his ideas as to what values the Greek community should hold at the most profound
Throughout Antigone, Antigone is a presented as a strong woman who is both dedicated to her family and her community. That said, there is much conflict between these two dedications. In this paper, I will give examples of Antigone’s different individual responsibilities and her philosophies and explain how those conflict with the commitment that she is to have to her community and indirectly, her king. Ultimately, I will argue that Sophocles demonstrated his values of family, the way of the gods
the entirety of Sophocles’ Antigone, the universal and most heavily manifested theme is that regarding the conflict between how individuals choose to make decisions in a society: should one fulfill religious and familial obligations even when they contract the ruling of the state, or rather should the government be able to supersede divine right? In the traditional Greek plays, the familial structure plays a significant role in governing the actions of characters and causing conflicts, such as in the
On the surface of Sophocles' Antigone, readers may assume the conflict between King Creon and Antigone, related to Polynices’ burial, is trivial. However, upon closer examination, the dispute between the characters delve deeper into the conflict between the laws of heaven and the laws of men. Despite standing on opposing sides of the argument, the conflict highlights similar characteristics between the two. Sophocles explores this type of human behavior in Antigone, through the use of indirect characterization
Family over Authority Conflict: a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one. Every person deals with conflict, whether it’s large or small, internal or external. In the ancient Greek set play, Antigone, the author Sophocles challenges his characters to choose between family or authority. The author Sophocles illustrates the two concepts of family versus authority, while proving family ties to be more important through the main character Antigone, the heroine of the story, as a