The Notions of Justice in The Republic and Antigone

Humanity is often faced with ambivalence towards law; at once, we find it a necessity in attempting to deal with a world which is constantly in some type of chaotic turmoil, and also as a glaring flaw in our society, which can at times result in more chaos than was originally had. This conflict is no more obvious than in Sophocles’ Antigone. Antigone, the character, represents half of the struggle between what the law says is just and what we inherently deem to be morally upstanding – Creon represents the opposing side which views law and power as the ultimate dictator of life’s unraveling. Though Antigone is ultimately thwarted, she is on the side of justice rather than blindly following the law. Antigone’s empathy while breaking the law

Antigone is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles. Tragedy is defined as an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress. The story begins with a death and ends with a death, and Sophocles does an excellent job employing many different types of ways to include fear and pity and this brings the tragedy alive. Especially with the fear of death when is abundantly rampant throughout the entire play. Although, written around 442 BC, it is just as well applied now as it was then.

In the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, King Creon created a law that denied proper burial rites to anyone who invaded or betrayed the city of Thebes. Antigone defied this law by burying her brother, Polynices, after he was harshly accused of being a traitor. Both Creon and Antigone showed a tenacious passion toward their perception of justice, unwilling to accept that honoring the law and honoring the individual conscience were both justified in different ways. The stubbornness that they shared led them both to meet their downfalls, which conveyed the idea that being too proud to accept guidance from others ultimately leads to dire consequences.

   In the Antigone, unlike the Oedipus Tyrannus, paradoxically, the hero who is left in agony at the end of the play is not the title role. Instead King Creon, the newly appointed and tyrannical ruler, is left all alone in his empty palace with his wife's corpse in his hands, having just seen the suicide of his son. However, despite this pitiable fate for the character, his actions and behavior earlier in the play leave the final scene evoking more satisfaction than pity at his torment. The way the martyr Antigone went against the King and the city of Thebes was not entirely honorable or without ulterior motives of fulfilling pious concerns but it is difficult to lose sight of the fact

The play Antigone by Sophocles is a play like no other. There are three major themes or ideas which have a very important role in the play. The first major theme is fate, on how the play comes about and the turn of events that come about throughout it. Another main theme or idea is the pride the characters have and their unwillingness they have to change their minds once they are set on something. The last major theme is loyalty and the practical problem of conduct involving which is a higher law between the divine laws and those of the humans. It is an issue of which law is the "right" law, and if Creon and Antigone's acts are justifiable or not. The issues that Antigone and Creon have between them

These are the laws who penalties I would not incur form the gods, through fear of any man's temper" (Lines 493-503). Antigone goes on to say, "if I shall die before my time, I count that a profit. How can such as I, that live among such troubles, not find a profit in death? So for such as me, to face such a fate as this is pain that does not count. But if I dared to leave the dead man, my mother's son, dead and unburied, that would have been real pain.

In both Antigone and Lord of the Flies, a theme explored is the danger of irresponsible authority. King Creon is one of the finest examples of a man abusing his authority based on his inflated view of his role as the king. At the beginning of the story, he is shown to have good intentions, shown when the chorus tells him “If that is your will, Creon son of Menoikeus/ You have the right to enforce it: we are yours” (179-180). This shows that others believe that he will do what’s best for the state, and he does attempt to rule in that manner. However, he begins to show hubris when he holds the rules of the state in higher regard than all other things: “The State is the King” (598).

In the Greek play, Antigone the consequences weak leadership by using Creon's disrespect for the gods and his selfserving personality and values. There were three conflicts Individual vs. State and Conscience vs. Law; Moral or Divine law vs. Human law. Individual vs. Society Antigone fights against the government, her Uncle to show how unfair his decree is. She is fighting her Uncle and also society who says women are weak and should not fight against men. Person vs. Peron first Antigone fights against her uncle to bury her brother. Second, Antigone fights her sister Isemene who won't help her bury their brother and Creon fights with his son Haemon and Teiresias about decision to put Antigone to death. Person vs. The Supernatural, Antigone's

The arrogance, self-certainty, and rebellious spirit that Antigone carries throughout the plays ultimately leads to her demise, despite the good intentions of her actions; she is blinded by her very own pride, and failure to see any other course of action but her own. Antigone refuses to obey the laws of Creon due to the fact that she believes that his definition of justice in the face of the Gods is misinterpreted, and wrong. But in doing so, she herself is assuming that the will of Zeus is suited to what she believes is just and fair. In contrast, Creon, the representation of political authority, is driven by his need to fulfill the laws of the state. As the play progresses, Creon’s overall spirit grows dark and his devotion to justice and moral order creates not a leader, but a brutal tyrant.

In Sophocles’ Antigone, although Antigone initially feels self-pity over her impending death, she later realizes that there would be no difference between being dead and being alive in a world of hate. She expresses her unhappiness at the control others have on her life and death and attempts to gain sympathy from others. However, she later realizes that the dissatisfaction she has with life is reason enough to die, and accepts her death. In response to a lighthearted statement about her death, Antigone asks if the chorus couldn’t at least wait until she was dead to start laughing at her. She requests the men of Thebes to “Be witness for me, denied all pity,/Unjustly judged!”

The strange thing about society is that it is unacceptable for a person to kill another, yet it is considered acceptable to retaliate to this action, and others crimes, with the consequence of execution. In Antigone, many people had realized this flaw and felt it that it was wrong to kill Antigone for defying Creon’s orders. The play Antigone, written by Sophocles, is based off a decree created by King Creon that anyone who attempts to bury the body of Polyneices, the brother of Antigone, will be put to death. Antigone disobeys this decree out of loyalty to her family and is sentenced to die. The death penalty should not a form of criminal punishment because it is ineffective.

Justice is typically valued in a society, but sometimes the gains of injustice seem to outweigh the good reaped from acts of justice that may cause suffering. Plato’s Republic intensely explores the definition of justice through dialogue of several characters, including one of Socrates’ comrades Glaucon. Glaucon argues that the unjust life is more pleasant due to the rewards one obtains. In Discourse on Inequality, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who strongly values the natural state of man, comments on the formation of political societies. In this way, some of Rousseau’s view align with the views of justice Glaucon presents in Republic. Although Rousseau suggests the injustice has some natural aspect, as it is present in despotism—a early stage

Philosophers for centuries have deliberated the true meaning of justice and what it means to be a just human. Is it a social contract made by men? Or is it a virtue possessed by certain people within their souls? Plato in his book ‘The Republic’ gives us his view of how justice is a human virtue and extension of ones soul.

Antigone believes it is moral to die if we have a favorable reason to do it. As she says “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and

In Plato’s Republic, Socrates engages in a dialogue to defend justice as a worthy virtue. His conversation partners challenge him to legitimize a concept that is seemingly burdensome on those who abide by it and is, at best, an inconsistent attempt at fairness for those it is meant to serve. In Book I, Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus put forth flawed definitions of justice that range from limited to cynical and self-serving. Socrates is able to refute their ill-conceived perceptions of righteousness and, in doing so, present a doctrine that leads to the benefit of those who adhere to it and society at large. The central aim of said doctrine, education for the sake of knowing goodness, is neglected by Socrates’ companions, yet is vital for ensuring a justice that is desirable for both its consequences and its very essence.