Conflict in "Antigone"

Analytical Essay # 28617

English > Analysis
Literature > Greek and Roman
Philosophy > Ancient Greek

Examines the conflict between the laws of the State and the conscience of the individual in Sophocles' play "Antigone."

775 words () | 1 source | MLA | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

"Antigone" by ancient Greek playwright Sophocles centers around a conflict between Antigone and Creon. In the play, Antigone is used to represent the conscience within, whereas Creon represents the laws of man. This paper examines the conflict and how it is portrayed through the characters. This paper also summarizes the play.

From the Paper:

"Antigone represented the will of the gods, and in doing so represented individual conscience. Although she died, her death was far more honorable than Creon's punishment. Creon, sticking so inflexibly to the laws of the state, went against the will of the gods. His pride blinded him and the gods punished him for this. However, in his punishment came wisdom. For at the end of the play he begins to see that he was wrong and has surely learned from his mistakes. The conflict between individual conscience and the laws of the state is eternal, and neither side is always correct. In this case, Antigone's actions were deemed right, while Creon's excessive pride caused him to act wrongly. Even though this is clear, both sides were still damaged, and the conclusion was a tragic one. This is often the case when these two institutions of humanity clash."