Examples Of Divine Laws In Antigone

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Amy Donkel Period: 5 10/18/10 Antigone Essay English jurist William Blackstone once said, “No enactment of man can be considered law unless it conforms to the law of God.” Although this was said at a different time and age than Ancient Greece, it still applies to the same concept Antigone teaches readers. In Antigone, Sophocles demonstrates through the characters Antigone, Ismene, and Creon that the divine laws always come before the states, no matter what the circumstances are. Antigone is a prime example on how the people should put the gods’ laws before any state law. She strongly and truly believes that every person, good or bad, deserves a proper burial, mainly because that is what the gods would want. She says to Ismene at one…show more content…
In the beginning, Ismene thought that Antigone going against Creon was absurd. She said, “They (the gods’ laws) mean a great deal to me; but I have no strength to break laws that were made for the public good” (Pardos, line 60). Ismene follows with only her mind and not her heart. Although she knows the divine laws are extremely important, she says she isn’t strong enough or even near willing to break any state law for the sake of all that is good. Before Antigone is taken away to die, Antigone says that Ismene shouldn’t feel guilty and shouldn’t want to die with Antigone because she was in no was part of the plan to bury Polyneices. Ismene responds by saying “But now I know what you meant; and I am here to join you, to take my share of punishment” (Scene 2, line 133). Ismene has changed her mind from being completely against Antigone’s idea to wanting to die with her sister. She finally realizes that no matter what the situation, the divine laws always come before Creon’s. Not only did Ismene change her opinion on the situation of burying Polyneices, but many other characters did,…show more content…
While addressing the public about the new law, Creon says “Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial; no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie in the plain, unburied; and the birds and scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like” (Scene 1, lines 32-34). Creon’s opinion is obviously completely against anyone burying Polyneices in the beginning of the play, which is against the laws of the gods. This opinion and attitude are the reasons for the dreadful consequences in the end for Creon. Not only does Antigone kill herself, but also so does Haimon, his son, and Eurydice, his wife. After all of these tragic events, it becomes clear to Creon that what he did was wrong and that he needs to own up to his actions. He says, “The truth is hard to bear. Surely a god has crushed me beneath the hugest weight of heaven, and driven me headlong a barbaric way to trample out the thing I held most dear” (Exodus, lines 94-96). Creon finally realizes the gods are punishing him for his wrong doings by taking the lives of all of his loved ones. Creon had to learn the hard way that, once again, the gods’ laws will always come before the state’s laws, and nothing will change that. Through Antigone, Ismene, and Creon, the universal significance of Antigone is that no matter what happens and what new laws
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