Sophocles’(496-406) second most famous play Antigone contains many contrasts. According to G. M. Kirkwood, “A contrast between Antigone and Creon lies at the heart of the drama can be taken for granted” (118). In the story, Antigone wants to bury her brother, who fought bravely and died on the battlefield, but to do so would be to break the law since her brother fought on the side of Argos, the enemy of Thebes. Creon, her uncle, who has become king, represents the law. Although she cares for and respects her brother, her conscience will not let her disrespect her brother.
As young boys left alone on the island, they still hold onto their idea of a civilised home and morals of right and wrong. The reader’s see more signs of the morals the boys still hold when Roger attempts to mildly torment Henry by throwing rocks at him but finds that his “ . . . his arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him .
He slowly climbs the ladder and later becomes Chief by convincing the boys that a “beast” exists on the island. He effectively manipulates the boys into thinking that there is a beast (even though he knows it probably does not exist) by using totalitarian methods so that they will join his tribe for protection. He demonstrates Lord Acton’s belief that “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” < http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Lord_Acton > The only boy to realize that the beast is not real, but rather a representation of the evil that is inherent in human nature, is Simon. This is fully exposed when he confronts the Lord of the Flies, when it said to him through hallucination, “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn’t you?
Is the sacrifice of one individual’s freedom justified if it is for the good of the rest of the society? The message in the short story, “The Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas" by Ursula LeGuin, shows the reader that it is justified if it benefits more people than it hurts. In the city of Omelas, the boy needs to be locked up so that the rest of the citizens can live joyous lives. Most might say that the way the boy is treated is cruel and inhumane, but it is necessary so that none of the citizens can complain about problems in their lives. If they can’t complain about problems, since their troubles aren’t nearly as bad as the boy’s they can not be sad or down.
But like John, Tiger can fuel his temper in working out to overcome a problem. John is also a good man but finds his anger is made by the town. The events with witchcraft in the town caused everyone to lie and not stick to the real person they were. John like Tiger always has been himself and wouldn’t let anything change that. Both men used this to help solve the major problems faced.
He passed a law that restrained anyone from burying his own nephew’s body. Creon tried to prove that by ignoring family relations he gave more importance to law and order in Thebes. He believed his law was more powerful than the laws of the gods. He believed that anyone who disobeyed his law will be punished no matter who you are; this was the biggest mistake which lead him to lose his son and his nephew. Second, Creon abused his power by thinking that he can change or break the laws of the Gods and not allowing other people to break his laws.
Whilst in prison Andy made a self-distained utopia where he used hope to protect himself from being institutionalized by Shawshank. Many men were driven to insanity, unable to break free from the rules and regulations that were in place. Whereas Andy kept the value of hope so he would not succumb to the temptation of letting the institution consume him. I believe that hope is a powerful moral that everyone should have. As the viewer I realised that prison is a
Most people judge only from what is on the exterior instead of trying to make sense of how different people see things differently under various circumstances. No one should be distinguished by race, skin color, social class, or anything else that categorizes only a certain kind of people. Mr. Finch sees the good in everyone and respects them no matter the situation. In every sense of the word, Atticus is a fair and caring man who does nothing without good intentions and motivations.
In “Crito”, Crito comes up with two arguments on the ethical level: if Socrates gave into death, he is helping his foes win by giving in to what they want and he would be leaving behind his sons and family. He concludes that the city strictly obeys the laws as he states “…the laws might say… you are not treating us rightly…we have given you birth, nurtured you, educated you” (52). Another disadvantage he comes up with by leaving the cell is that if he does leave the cell as Crito had suggested, he would become an outsider that couldn’t live anywhere because of the harsh judgments from the civilians of that state. He states “…you will, Socrates, if we can persuade you, and not make yourself a laughingstock by leaving the city” (53). But in the end of “Crito” as well, Socrates decides to accept his
The drama reflects some similarities and differences between Creon and Antigone. The similarity between Antigone and Creon, her uncle and her king, is that both characters have strong wills. As an example, Antigone is so passionate in her act of burying his brother, Polynices’, she is determined to respect the god-given laws regarding the dead in Thebes. Creon is determined to enact and enforce his own man-made law. Antigone and Creon know the consequences of their actions if they fail.