Sophocles' "Antigone" and Conflict

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Sophocles'"Antigone" presents the trials and tribulations of one of Oedipus' daughters, Antigone, as she attempts to fulfill the obligations she feels towards the shattered family. The author points out that the conflict between Antigone and Creon is a conflict of perceptions. The paper relates that Creon believes that one's highest duty is to respect the rules, which govern citizenship, thus complying with all city laws and edicts irrespective of personal opinions and moral codes. The author stress that, Antigone, on the other hand, within the context of her moral code, believes that the laws of a state should be compliant with divine laws. The paper states that, since Antigone thinks that Creon's edict is deemed incongruous with divine law and disrespectful of blood ties, Antigone believes that obedience towards Creon's laws would be immoral and wrong so she disobeys them at the cost of her own life.

From the Paper:

"Creon considers it unconscionable that someone would put their duties as a family member ahead of their duties as a citizen. "And a man who thinks more highly of a friend than of his country, well, he means nothing to me." A person who is capable of valuing his own family members over his fellow citizens has no worth as a citizen, which is the only measure of any significance as far as Creon is concerned. In his eyes, it is precisely our existence as good citizens that give value to our lives. As Howenstein explains, according to Creon, ruling is grounded in the incontestable power of the sovereign and the absolute subservience of his people."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Jacobs, Carol. "Dusting Antigone." MLN, Vol. 111, No. 5, Comparative Literature Issue (Dec., 1996), pp. 889-917.
• Sophocles. The Oedipus Cycle. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1949.
• Howenstein, Mark. "The Tragedy Of Law And The Law Of Tragedy In Sophocles' Antigone." Vol. 24, No. 3&4, Legal Studies Forum (2000)

More papers on Sophocles' "Antigone" and Conflict:

• Book Review # 102613 : "Bartleby, Antigone and the Law"
• Comparison Essay # 16615 : "Antigone and Creon"
• Essay # 26927 : "Sophocles' "Antigone"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: