A “Sophoclean hero” is a headstrong character that is willing to face the worse to attain his goal. This particular hero is always in need for peace even if it means breaking the laws and relies on principles. Antigone fought all the way for the pride and respect of her brother. She proved that she was capable of anything, even death. Creon is not a heroic character despite his excess on many aspects.
She also holds her family above the laws of man. She finds the thought of not burying her brother Polynices unacceptable and vows to do so even if it means a death sentence for her. Even Ismene, her sister, doesn’t understand her thoughts on the
In the quote below Rand explains why she rejects religion outright, and she believes man himself deserves the attention: Just as religion has preempted the field of ethics, turning morality against man, so it has usurped the highest moral concepts of our language, placing them outside this earth and beyond man’s reach. “Exaltation” is usually taken to mean an emotional state evoked by contemplating the supernatural. “Worship” means the emotional experience of loyalty and dedication to something higher than man… But such concepts do name actual emotions, even though no supernatural dimension exists; and these emotions are experienced as uplifting or ennobling, without the self-abasement required by religious definitions.
To her, the religious laws were more important than the governmental laws she was being asked to follow. Antigone and Creon would never see eye to eye on which law ultimately should be followed because of their own individuality. While Antigone had to pay the price for disobeying the governmental law, she ultimately had the right to give her brother a proper burial. One of the main themes in the play Antigone is Civil Disobedience. Often society has laws that individuals feel are immoral, or unjust.
94. Romney v. United States fought against this ruling and eventually realized that they could not win this battle which lead to the renouncing of polygamy. While I agree that all beliefs are not right as in the book which states “Thugs of India imagined that their belief in the right of assassination was a religious belief; but their thinking so did not make it so.Yes it does not make it right because they believe in polygamy but it’s very hard to take away something someone belief started from, is based on and ask them to still believe in the same way as the founders who beliefs they are carrying out. In today’s time Mormons still exist and each year missionaries go out to countries to convince people to transform to their beliefs. In the end I believe we can’t take away the Mormons main beliefs from them and we shouldn’t punish them for doing it as long as they it in their own society.
Ultimately, her main argument is that “It is the dead, / Not the living, who make the longest demands: / We die forever….” (2.58-60). Antigone relies solely on her beliefs in the divine law and that in the end, when she dies, the gods will be more important than the city in which she lived. Never did she doubt the god’s ways even though it went against civil law and the approval of her sister. In regards to Creon’s ruling on the death of her brother she states, “Which of us can say what the gods hold wicked?” (2.116). Her preference for divine law is shown here as well because she’s implying that Creon has no authority to judge what the gods will end up judging.
Scene #1 Creon and Haemon are arguing about Antigone’s fate. Creon is outraged that Antigone has disobeyed his orders and buried the body of her deceased brother, Polynices. Haemon disagrees, trying to convince his father that Antigone’s act was honorable and pure. He thinks that Creon should listen to his people and spare Antigone’s life. Creon: The people of Thebes?
The other gods decided that the match was a tie. Many of the gods were sympathetic to Horus, but remembered his anger toward his mother for being lenient to Set, and were unwilling to support him completely. The gods who formed the court decided to write a letter to Osiris and ask for his advice. Osiris responded with a definite answer: his son is the rightful king, and should be placed upon the throne. No one, said Osiris, should take the throne of Egypt through an act of murder, as Set had done.
When Creon forbids the burial rites of her beloved brother Polynices, she fails to comply with his demands, and goes out of her way to give him a proper burial. She knows the dire consequences of death if she disobeys Creon’s orders, but “she shows her father’s stubborn spirit; to not give away when everything’s against her.” Antigone even goes as far as to speak out against the King, by stating that his ‘edicts are not strong enough” because his laws do not overrule those of the gods. “She [I] knows her [my] duties… where true duty lies”, and Creon has “no right to keep her [me] from her [my] own.” Her determination and her pride is so immense, that she is not frightened of her possible death if caught going against the King. She also justifies her action by saying she is fulfilling her fate of the family curse. “This is the expiation…for the sin of my [your] father.” She is abiding in the wills of the gods and respects all their laws.
While I can understand this it is still wrong. According to the god’s laws everybody deserves a proper burial otherwise there spirit wanders the earth aimlessly instead of going to be with the gods. Creon also did not realize that because of Polyneices’ marriage he did not have a choice. Creon thought that he was upholding justice but it was Antigone who was really upholding an injustice that was done to her brother and the gods. Antigone, crazy as she might be, was sticking up for the people that are ruled unjustly by a leader who becomes corrupt with power.