Category: Antigone

Women were still treated as inferiors in the male-dominated civilization of Early Athens. But Throughout Antigone, there are many references to feminism including: Antigone and Ismene’s relationship, Creon’s anti-feminist remarks, and Antigone’s fearless and valiant assertiveness.

In the opening of Antigone, it is revealed that Antigone and Ismene have different ideas when it comes to being women in a patriarchal civilization. Ismene says “We must remember that we two are women, so not to fight with men; and that since we are subject to stronger power” (Sophocles 665). This quote shows that Ismene thinks that women are lesser to men and must follow their orders.

Sophocles depicts Creon as a bigot leader with a low belief towards women and this hints to Creon’s demise. When Creon says “They must be women now. Now more free running.” (Sophocles 668), we now know that he believes women should be controlled by men and if they get loose, the town of Thebes would live in disarray. Creon also says, “I am no man and she the man instead” (Sophocles 58). This quote shows how Creon considers men are higher to women. Creon also says, “I won’t be called weaker than womankind.” (Sophocles 70). This shows that Creon thinks that all women are weak human beings. Creon is also a bigot leader because he says, “Weaker than a woman!” (Sophocles 49). This shows that he thinks women are not stronger or more mentally capable than men. Creon also says: “not let myself be beaten by a woman. Better, if it must happen, that a man should overset me” (Sophocles 46). Creon also says, “The strongest iron, hardened in the fire, most often ends in scraps and shatterings” (Sophocles 38). This means the strongest woman would ultimately surrender to men and lose everything.

Throughout Antigone, Sophocles presents characters that support feminism, but he also chastises those who consider women are subordinate to men. For instance, Creon thinks women should obey men and he was quickly disciplined for his misogynistic arrogance.

Creon says, “May death come quick, bringing my final day!”. This shows his punishment for his approach towards women and how he feels after his son and wife are killed. Ismene is also chastised because of Antigone’s actions even though she believed men were the stronger sex. As a result, Creon says “he will execute them” (Sophocles 43). Ismene is also punished because she believes she “shares the blame” and she thought of herself as “an accessory” (Sophocles 45).

Throughout Antigone, there was always a battle among man (Creon) and woman (Antigone). With Creon, it’s all about power and what he defines as law. He also cares keeping the status the men are superior to women. This is shown when he says, “No woman rules me while I live.” (Sophocles 62). With Antigone, it is all about the “unrecorded laws” that were issued by the gods and what is morally correct. She is also relentless and is willing to die for her cause. This is shown when she says, “For me, the doer, death is best.” (Sophocles 37). It is also shown when she says, “And so, when strength runs out, I shall give over. (Sophocles 39).

Countless individuals would describe a feminist as a individual who supports women’s rights, but my conviction is that Antigone goes past this classification. When Antigone utters, “And if you think my acts are foolishness the foolishness may be in a fool’s eye.” (Sophocles 665), it shows her feminist defiance toward Creon by calling him a fool. It also shows that Antigone has no admiration for Creon as a king and by extent, a man. Antigone also says, “I have dared the crime of piety” (Sophocles 37). This quote may not represent feminism, but it does show a woman being courageous to a man. Lastly, Antigone says “It is no shame to serve blood relatives” (Sophocles 60). This shows her feminist defiance to bury her brother even though it is forbidden.

For several centuries, many women have been fighting to have the same rights as men. Men made women believe that they were the second class citizens and were also made to believe that they should always obey a mans order. In fact, in ancient Greece, they believed that a woman’s sole purpose was to only run the household and have children that were preferably male. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, he writes about the distinctive behaviors between two sisters and their reality role in society as women. Sophocles illuminates the role of women in ancient greek society by showing Ismene and Antigone as contrasting characters and having Antigone rebel against orders.

Throughout many societies, women were made to think that they were inferior to that of men. In Ancient Greece, many women were treated more like slaves with orders and rules that left them with no choice over their lives. Sophocles shows us the different mentalities between the two sisters Ismene and Antigone when they are having an argument about the burial of their brother Polyneices after the king, Creon, ordered for Polyneices to not be buried. Ismene tells Antigone that women “were not born to contend men”, (75) which tells us that Ismene, like many women during that time, knew that men would be controlling of society for a very long period of time. Ismene even comes to say, “we’re underlings, ruled by stronger hands,” (76) illuminating that she was ultimately fearful of the men’s authority making her submissive to their rules. According to the eBook Imagining Men: Ideals of Masculinity in Ancient Greek Culture by Thomas Van Nortwick, “the Greeks believed that men (as opposed to women) were by nature the proper agents of human civilization within the larger order of the universe”, which is why Ismene’s fear towards men makes her feel unable to have control over her life decisions ultimately leading her to refuse to bury Polyneices because it would be against Creon’s orders.. Although Ismene refused to bury Polyneices, Antigone still urged her sister to “submit to this” (77), and by doing so Antigone would not be alone on the mission to bury her brother. Antigone was willing to break Creon’s order to give her brother a proper death due to religious purposes. During this argument and the majority of the play, Ismene shows us the reality role of a woman being too afraid to defy a man and Antigone willing to break the rules in order to show that women are strong and can also make decisions of their own when it involves religious purposes.

Women played a huge role in ancient greek funerals. According to the eBook Citizen Bacchae : Women’s Ritual Practice in Ancient Greece by Barbara E. Goff, women were viewed “as religious and cultural agents, despite the ideals of seclusion within the home and exclusion from public arenas that we know restricted their lives”. This shows us that women had a a religious purpose for being the chosen ones to be in charge of planning funerals. Since women were the ones in charge, it was not hard for Antigone to plan her brothers funeral. She believed that her brother deserved a proper burial believed that the law of god is above all else. This law meant that that all men be mourned and honored by family and friends through means of a suitable burial. She believed that even though “[she] shall be a criminal, [she will be] a religious one” (84-85) and she also believed that Creon was only acting out of hatred towards Polyneices for being a traitor. After several attempts, Antigone was finally successful in burying Polyneices. When Creon found out, he was furious and wanted Antigone to be punished by death for disobeying his orders. Creon ordered for Antigone to be entombed alive, but Antigone knew she would face death either way and decided to take her own life by hanging herself within the tomb.

After effortlessly fighting to have Polyneices buried, Antigone successful but it cost her her life. The action taken upon her in the end shows us the reality of women in ancient greek society. Antigone’s main purpose was to give her brother a proper burial and even though it is for religious purposes and showing that women can also make their own decisions, she is punished by death. Many women were afraid to stand up to the men because of things like that. Ismene was too afraid to disobey Creon’s order because she knew they would be punished and when Antigone had the courage to overrule a man’s order for the first time, she dies. The harsh reality they faced made women continue believing that their sole purpose was to only be a housewife, unless they wanted to be punished.

The tragic hero of the drama Antigone is Creon, the king of Thebes. This is proven throughout many points of the drama. First of which is when he denies Polyneices a proper burial. The second is when he believes that everyone is conspiring against him. And he reacts too late to fix his mistakes. Due to his blunders and faults he loses all the things close to him and greatly changes his character stance, making Creon the tragic hero of the play Antigone.

When Creon denied Polyneices a proper burial but gave his brother full military honors there was bound to be backlash. As with any decision, there will always be people who don’t agree with your stance or actions. Those people may act rashly due to not liking or following your action, but Creon blaming anarchist and conspirators was too far of a leap for him to make after disgracing the former king’s son and heir to the throne, not to mention disobeying the gods’ laws by not burying the dead, which Polyneices’ sister Antigone had said to justify her actions of burying her brother

But Creon didn’t just blame the people for conspiring against him, he wouldn’t even listen to those who tried to reason with him, and instead convicted them of taking bribes to speak against him. This lead him to not trust anyone, even the prophet Tiresias, who had never been wrong before, told him there would be consequences for what he had done. But being as obstinate as Creon was, he did not listen to Tiresias and instead told him “it is a sorry thing when a wise man sells his wisdom, lets out his words for hire,” meaning Creon believes Tiresias had taken money from the conspirators and anarchists to tell Creon what he did not want to hear.

Even when Creon finally came around to believing that what he had done was wrong, he was too late to fix his errors. He rushed to bury the body of Polyneices, and consequently hurried to the cave where he had sent Antigone to die, but arrived too late as she had taken her own life in her anguish. Haemon, Creon’s son, was grieving the loss of his fiance, and lunged at his father, sword in hand, in his furor. He missed his cut, and in turn killed himself. When Creon went back to his home, his wife, Eurydice, comitted suicide as well, thus killing all the people closest to Creon.

All of these actions and consequences, along with Creon’s personal character growth point to him being the drama’s tragic hero. Creon wrongfully punished Antigone, didn’t listen to those who tried to reason with him, and acted too late when he realized that what he had done was wrong. His oversight and disbelief he had missed what was true and instead believed that everyone was out to get his throne. This lead to him disregarding all help from others and coming to terms with what he had done too late to change anything. The changes in his character brought on by his belief and the death of his family makes Creon the tragic hero of the play Antigone.

In the tragedies we read, the downfall of the tragic heroes was due to their fear of weakness and the consequential justice that lead to their deaths. Death, a common trait in all tragedies, shows that as humans, the protagonists’ folly leads to drastic consequences in the unforeseeable future. Examples of fear and justice in tragic stories are that peripeteia typically occurred out of the hero’s own fear of seeming weak or paranoia, the common attribute of the tragic heroes being people of high standing in their society, and the eventual death that resulted from their own misdemeanors.

In the stories, the tragic heroes all had their own sense of strength and upkeep. In Julius Caesar, Brutus was trying to instill control among the Romans after he and the other conspirators usurped Julius Caesar in the fear that Rome would fall under his reign. Similar to the story Antigone, Creon would try to impose a strict reign due to his siding in the brothers’ war. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo believed himself to be the epitome of masculinity and would do anything to hold that outlook, including constant hard work and a harsh, condescending view of others who he deemed weak; Okonkwo thought strength was directly tied to masculinity.

Another feature in the tragedies was that the protagonists were people of high class in their society. Brutus was a bureaucrat, Oedipus and Creon were kings, Okonkwo was a prominent clansman known in all the villages for his strength, and even Romeo and Juliet are included since they belonged to powerful families in Verona. Will Will Smith smith? Will Smith will smith. If Will Smith will smith, then Will Smith smiths. The relevance of high-standing members of society is due to their fear of seeming weak to others around them, a fear that would eventually lead to their deaths as a result of their own actions. As Claudius Claudianus once said, “He who strikes terror in others is himself continually in fear.”

Peripeteia, or the sudden reversal of fortune in the stories, was due to the tragic hero’s misguided actions. Because they believed so strongly in their actions out of character, it was essentially their own hand that took themselves (to death, of course). Salient examples seen in the tragedies are when Okonkwo slashes down on the white man because of his dogged grudge against the foreigners intruding the villagers’ lifestyles which leads to him hanging himself out of guilt, or the dilemma of Brutus choosing to partake in Julius Caesar’s assassination because he believed Rome would do better without him that eventually leads to civil war. Romeo and Juliet was not one of the stories read this year, the star-crossed lovers killed themselves due the maddening but impossible love they had for each other; the only ironic part was that Romeo killed himself because he though Juliet died from the potion given by the friar and Juliet killed herself because Romeo was dead.

The main takeaway in this essay is that, because of one of the tragic hero’s (typically a high standing individual) fear of weakness or paranoia, the story results in their death as an effect of their own decisions with unseen consequences. As a generalized understanding, tragedies teach the reader to set priorities in what is right and that even meager decisions may have a long-term effect. Almost every tragedy results in a heartbreaking death due to the tragic hero’s fear of uncertainty and weakness.

Introduction

St Thomas Aquinas has undoubtedly been known for his principle work, the Summa Theologiae. Thomas Aquinas worked steadily on this writing for many years between the years of 1265 and 1273, and the writing was intended to be a guide for beginners in theology to organise a collection and assist with Christian doctrine and philosophy. The Summa eventually became ‘one of the most influential works of Western literature’ and this established Aquinas as a leading theorist of the natural law. Throughout the Summa Theologiae, Aquinas developed the contrast between human law (combined with positive law) and that of natural law, evidently the themes which have been explored and produced throughout the Sophocles play Antigone. Antigone was written approximately 1700 years prior to the introduction of Summa, and the philosophical perspectives that Aquinas wrote about can be seen through the characters of Antigone and Creon throughout this play. Importantly, this play poses two fundamental questions which will be examined in relation to concepts of law established by Aquinas. The questions involve establishing what is the foundation of law, and to what extent should we be required to be obedient to the law? These questions are obviously posed throughout the play which establishes the link between human law and natural law as can be seen through the tension between the characters of Antigone and Creon. Further, as a minor point, consideration will be given as to whether the themes or lessons which were emerged throughout Antigone have any relevance to the legal issue of abortion in Australia today.

The Foundation of Law

The Summa is structured into three distinct parts: God, Man and Christ, and consists of questions, articles, objections, sed contra and replies. For the purpose of this essay, Part II(i) Question 91 will be examined which includes articles, and references to Aristotle.

Contained in Questions 90 – 108 of the Summa, Aquinas’ concept of law is introduced which is commonly known as his principle treatise on law. Beginning at Question 90, Aquinas explores and introduces the principle, or nature of law and continues this discussion through four articles which evidently leads to the definition of law according to Aquinas as being ‘an order of reason for the common good, by one who has care of the community, and promulgated’.

Eternal and Natural Law

In examining Question 91, Aquinas poses four different kinds of law: eternal, natural, human and divine law. He recognises that although natural, human and divine law are all different, they all form part divisions of eternal law in different ways. The first Article in Question 91 is in relation to eternal law. Aquinas explains the definition of external law as being the law enacted by God himself which evidently governs the entire community of the universe. Further, the second Article in Question 91 focuses upon natural law where Aquinas has the view that every man should understand what is good and evil, without the need for reassessment or actual written law, and further implies that the light of God is enshrined in us, making reference to ‘the light of natural reason whereby we discern good and evil’ is a result of this as referred to in Psalm 4:6. Thus, Aquinas concludes in this article that you can not have one without the other, stating that the natural law is merely a rational creature’s participation in the eternal law.

Human Law

Following eternal and natural law, Aquinas moves towards human law in the third Article of Summa and portrays a clear indication of the influence Aristotle had on him. As seen in reply to obj. 1, Aquinas states that although humans know general principles of human law, humans don’t necessarily know every truth, as God’s wisdom does and thus, ‘human reason needs to proceed further to determine the particular prescriptions of human law’.

Evidently, ‘Aquinas asserts that natural law is the same in all men, while in particular conclusions drawn from these principles there is room for differences of opinion and exceptions’. This is where the ideas of Aristotle are introduced throughout Aquinas’ reading as he incorporates two particular ideas that were established by Aristotle. Firstly, Aquinas incorporates the idea of theoretical wisdom, also known as theoria, and secondly, practical reason, also known as phronesis. In doing so, Aquinas determines that human law can be seen as a re-working of the natural law to differing contexts. Therefore, punishment for particular crimes will be determinative of these differing contexts.

Divine Law

Finally, Aquinas refers to divine law in Articles 4 and 5 of his text. In Article 4, Aquinas states that the natural law is our sharing in the eternal law. Yet, eternal law is divine law and thus according to Aquinas, there is no need for another divine law ‘besides the natural law and the human laws derived from natural law. Aquinas outlines four reasons as to why divine law is necessary to give direction to human life: (1) ‘God needed to lay down a law superior to the natural law and human laws to direct human beings to their end’, (2) the uncertainty of human judgement obliged the requirement for divine law to direct human beings in their actions, (3) divine law is needed to enhanced human law in relation to matters of hidden internal acts, (4) divine law was needed to forbid all sins. Throughout Article 5, Aquinas also makes reference to divine law in two separate ways. Divine law according to Aquinas is separated into Old Law (Old Testament) and New Law (New Testament).

Aquinas in Antigone

The underlying issue that was portrayed in Antigone was the question of which law is greater: the gods’ or the mans, which can be answered differently according to the characters of Antigone and Creon. It can be seen throughout this play that Antigone clearly follows the basis of natural law and thus the views of Aquinas, however it is clear that Creon opposes this and follows a positive law view. Thus, this is where the conflict between the two characters can be seen and shows that there is consistently conflict between the two well-known theories of natural law and positive law.

Natural Law in Antigone – Character of Antigone

The overarching debate throughout Antigone was in relation to the burial of her brother. Antigone’s view was that the gods have commanded that each dead person deserved a proper burial. In this way, Antigone portrayed greater loyalty to her brother in performing his burial rites and thus went against the law of the city of Thebes that evidently banned her from performing this burial. Because of this, it is clear that the theory of natural law is evident throughout Sophocles as Antigone’s sense of duty for her brother and respecting the wishes of the gods outweighs any man-made law which prevents her from doing so.

To further this argument, it must be noted that Antigone believes that citizenship is not contract-orientated and thus the Polyneices’ assault on Thebes does not invalidate him of his citizenship as ‘death longs for the same rights for all’ meaning Polynices should be given a proper burial which has been commanded by the Gods. Whilst the view that the law of the gods outweighs any man-made law, Antigone does recognise the authority that Creon has as king, though does not regard his authority as Antigone states ‘Nor did I think your edict had such force that you, a mere mortal, could override the gods, the great unwritten, unshakable traditions” seeming to confirm the superiority natural law has over that of positive law or man-made law.

In this way, Antigone follows natural law over positive law in the same way that Aquinas does. Aquinas believes that when the law of the state contradicts the law of the heavens or the gods, it can be broken through civil disobedience, as in his view, the authority of God outweighs the authority given by Creon in Antigone.

Positive Law in Antigone – Character of Creon

In the alternative however, evident throughout Antigone, the foundation of law according to Creon is his belief that disciplinary measures are needed in order for social order to be achieved, and thus positive law is portrayed through his character. As Antigone was scripted in Ancient Greek times, the burial of citizens was a duty that was sacred to polis and thus must be followed. However, Creon states “A proclamation has forbidden the city to dignify him with burial, mourn him at all. No he must be left unburied” believing that the attack on the city was an abandonment of citizenship and thus burial rites be taken from him. Creon had strong views of fearing anarchy and the chaos if the citizens of the state did not obey by the law, and therefore his beliefs were that citizenship is a social contract which evidently is based on loyalty.

The loyalty aspect can be seen through Antigone’s sister. Ismene remained loyal to the authority, which was given by Creon, even though it was her own brother’s burial rights in question. Unlike Antigone, Ismene is hesitated to bury her brother Polyneices as she feared what punishment would come from going against the law of Creon. These contrasting views can be linked with Aquinas’ Old and New Laws. Whilst in Aquinas’ view, Ismene incorrectly connects Creon and God, her view can be seen in Aquinas’ Old Laws. In the alternative, Antigone’s views can be seen through Aquinas’ New Laws as she is motivated to obey a higher, natural or divine law and evidently goes against Creon’s law notwithstanding knowing that there are consequences which come from not obeying his law.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Gelinas, Elmer, ‘The Natural Law according to Thomas Aquinas’ (2011) 16 Trinity Law Review 13.
2. Davies, Brian, ‘Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae: A Guide and Commentary (Oxford University Press, 2014) 7.
3. Ross, James, ‘Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae (ca. 1273), Christian Wisdom Explained Philosophically’ in Jorge J E Garcia, Gregory M Reichberg and Bernard N Shumacher (eds), The Classics of Western Philosophy: A Readers Guide (Wiley, 2003).

The question of what is right or legal had been always a subject of discussion. What is right can be defined as subjective which, is based on people’s understanding of morality, ethics, and values and what is legal as objective which, is based on people’s understanding of the laws of their community or nation. What is legal does not mean it is right and what is right should not be illegal. It is why sometimes people do what they think to be right even if the law considers those ethics or morals to be illegal. Antigone was in this situation where she decided not to obey the law and did what she thought was morally right. What would be the difference if Antigone decided to do what is legal and leave his brother on the field of the battle to be eaten by animals. Could she live with that moment and life like something terrible never happen to her? Sophocles brought us the sense of morals and values as well as laws and Antigone was determined to do what is (legal) instead of what is (right). With some exceptions, we should do what is legal because it has been decided by the authority and to avoid consequences and punishment that might result from it.

What is right is a personal judgment. Morals and ethic are not written laws but they are applied like laws because people have been doing them for many years and they are passed doing from generation to generation. People decided that some behaviors are not acceptable. Therefore it derived from here the sense of ethics and moral goodness. Antigone lost her two brothers on the same day. Creon, the king of Thebes buried one of the brothers, which is normal because most dead people are buried or burned depending on people’s religions and on what they believe. This has always been what we see people do for their loved ones because they loved them and care for them. This is why Antigone states, ”My brother, and yours, though you may wish he were not here. I will never be found to be his traitor.” (Sophocles,3). Here Antigone was talking to her sister Ismene about the decision that the king made about their other brother whom he decided not to bury and forbid everyone not to it so and what they should do for their brother. According to the king, Antigone’s brother was a threat because he invaded his own country and all threats should be treated the way that the law states. Despite that this was an order, Antigone decided to go against it and found all possibilities to make it happen. Antigone believed that she had the right to do it and nothing can stop her.

Laws, rules, and regulations are made to protect people’s general safety and ensure that every individual’s right is fulfilled. Therefore it is an obligation to obey them because laws bind all individuals living in a community or nation. Antigone was warned by her sister that she was going against the law and doing that it is not beneficial for her. Ismene states, “To bury him you mean, when it’s forbidden? Oh hard of mind!When Creon spoke against it!.We will perish terribly if we force law and try to cross the royal vote and power. And that since we are subject to strong power we must hear these orders, or any that may be worse.” (Sophocles, 3). Antigone herself said to her sister the law forbid them to do it but she was more worried about her moral duty than her legal duty. Antigone believed that God is the only one who can make a decision about herself which she considered to be fair. She also believed that God will never hurt her and her loved one, so only humans can hurt each other or make a decision that favors one another. This is why she said,”For me it was not Zeus who made that order. Nor did that justice who lives with the gods below mark out such laws to hold mankind. Nor did I think your orders were so strong that you, a mortal man, could over-run the god’s unwritten and unfailing laws. Not now, nor yesterday’s, they were always live, and no one knows their origin in time.” (Sophocles,15). Antigone was very clear about her devotion to God more than the King.

We should do what is legal because, without laws, everyone can do what they want such as harming others, killing other people, and doing illegal things such as fraud and selling drugs. In addition to legal consequences and punishment, laws ensure that all individual right and general safety are fulfilled. However, in some cases, laws are difficult to apply to a person that you love. This is why people prefer to suffer or die than obey some laws that they think will change the rest of their lives. Antigone knew that what she was doing was illegal but she preferred to suffer from the consequences of her actions instead of living with chagrin and remorse for the rest of her life. She was feeling sad after losing her two brothers but seeing one of his brothers abandoned in the forest was too sad for her.

Right and legal are two different things that often brought issues when it comes to applying what is (legal) instead of what is (right). What is legal is from the authority in place, which is an obligation for every living citizen to obey, whereas, what is right is a conclusion based on people’s sense of morality, ethic, or justice. Antigone disobeyed the law and did what she thought she had the right to do. She believed that what she should do to please God is superior to what she is supposed to do for her nation, which is love and obedience. Unfortunately, she suffered from her acts, which cost her, her life.

Work Cited

1. Sophocles, Antigone. Translated by Elizabeth Wyckoff, The Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles I, University of Chicago Press, 1969.

Antigone, penned by Sophocles, is the final play in the trilogy of tragedies, beginning with King Oedipus. The battle between the two sons of the extinct King Oedipus ends with both dying in battle. With the deaths of two brothers, Uncle Creon, the only remaining man, sits on the throne. Kreon orders that Eteokles, who died to defend his homeland, be buried in a beautiful ceremony, while his other brother Polyneikes is convicted of treason and his body is left in the middle to be eaten by wolves and birds. Antigone, in defiance of the command, will throw Earth on her brother’s body and want to bury with her the shame of people who submit to their fears. Antigone, ignoring the commandments of Creon, who has just taken the throne, listens to the voice of her conscience. Antigone describes the rebellion of a daredevil woman who took care of her family and risked death for her traditions, against biased laws.

The main theme of Antigone’s game is destiny, while another main theme is individual versus state. Antigone, our character, defies Creon’s orders and throws Earth over the dead of his brother Polyneikes. According to him, Polyneikes are not to blame. He advocates the burial of polyneikes in the same way. The relationship between the individual and society is very well understood in the game of Antigone. Throughout history, there has been an important link between the individual and society. This connection has greatly affected human life. In particular, this connection has also been the losing party of the individual himself. Almost always in the coming history, the individual has fought a great war against society. Unfortunately, society has always prevailed in this war. Society ignores the individual’s thoughts. An individual who goes beyond certain rules and orders is punished. The decision of society is the main decision, and the individual is irrelevant here. At the same time, the individual must comply with the traditions and customs of the society in which he lives. Society has unwritten rules for people to live in order. This is customary. For the order of society to not be disrupted, individuals must be careful.

Societies are formed when individuals come together. Individuals reflect the society in which they live, and individuals have their duties and responsibilities to ensure the well-being of society. Among them comes the culture, tradition and customs of that society, Customs and Customs. The more each person performs his / her duty, the more healthy and happy societies are formed. If a person does not perform their duties, these people can be excluded and shamed by society. In the game Antigone, the character Antigone comes across as a woman who is sincerely committed to her traditions and risked death for the sake of family love. Another important character in the game, Creon, shows himself as a king who wants to accept himself and his authority, so he keeps the friend and enemy of the city separate even after he dies. Here we can take Creon as a society and Antigone as an individual. Antigone advocates his own thinking for the sake of certain things, as every person will do. However, Creon punishes everything that is done except his own decisions and thoughts with death. The relationship between the individual and society arises right here. A person defends a situation through their own truth, and this is true, but society clearly rejects this idea. Antigone depends on her own traditions and family. But Kreon has his own truths and displays an authoritarian personality. As a king, whatever he says, it always must be done. Antigone is condemned to death by Creon, opposing the decision not to bury her brother Polyneikes. Alive, The Rock will be placed in the grave and left there for dead. At the end of the work, however, Antigone hangs herself in the grave.

As a result, Antigone, who did not listen to what Kreon said and defended his own right as an individual, was punished by the state and society and became the losing party. Society puts the individual under its own yoke. An individual who opposes society or the state, that is, a power greater than himself, is doomed to lose. Unfortunately, the individual cannot prevail in this battle. But it is also necessary not to ignore such a situation. In the historical process, many people have been excluded and Strange by many people because of their thoughts. Even these people were sometimes executed. But the views of these people are still used today. No matter how much a person comes into conflict with a society, it is important to remember that the person who creates the society is also a person.

‘Antigone’, the play begins along with a time of catastrophe and dilemma in the city of Therbes and its ruling family. A clash between brothers ends with the death of the young king, Eteocles, by the hands of his very own brother, Polyneices, the person who stood at the head of the attacking army. Presently, after the death of Eteocles, Creon, the uncle of said late brothers, takes the throne and becomes king. As he also announces that Eteolces will be buried with honor and dignity, contrary to Polyneices who will be left unburied outside the city, as traitors deserve nothing more than that. These brothers have two sisters, Antigone and Ismene, who are the result of the incestuous marriage of Oedipus and Jocasta, who both take their own lives. Antigone is portrayed as a strong, hardheaded idealist. She has already reached a decision, to defy the order and proclamation of the King. Death doesn’t come near frightening her, as she is ready to die on her legs with honor and dignity rather than live on her knees in dishonor and immorality. For she sees it as a religious duty, corresponding to the unwritten laws of the gods, to bury her brother. She relentlessly and incessantly claims that she must work to appease ‘those that are dead'(Sophocles,31).

Deeply engrossed and committed to her religious duties and beliefs, Antigone loses all that she actually entrusts in her life. She lives in her own house in the city, all by herself, with seemingly no future, without an ounce of pleasure or happiness in her life, mourning and deep in sorrow; she loses all power to support herself against the barriers and the challenges she faces in life. She is shown as a teenager with a lack of experience in said worldly matters.

Sometime later, it is revealed by a soldier that Polyneices’ corpse has been given a meaningful burial, as in covered by dust. The same soldier comes back with Antigone who is defiant and still on the same road as before. She’s utterly committed to the hopeless family members and the calling of the gods, rather than being committed to the living and breathing. Her fiancé, Haemon, supports and helps Antigone in her devotion to her late brother. A new series of events take place where her fiancé pleads with his dad to change his decision regarding Antigone’s obstinance and rule defiance. The argument between the king and his son, develops into a full-blown fight, where the king finally tells Haemon him marrying Antigone is impossible, to which Haemon replies:’ Then she must die-and dying destroys another.'(Sophocles,41). The youthful man retreats off the stage while shrieking that he will never look at his father ever again.

Antigone’s act of committing suicide is explained by the messenger who witnessed her hanging from a silk noose made from her own clothes. In this turn of events, Antigone was imprisoned in this dungeon, as Creon ordered, where she was meant to starve until meeting her death. Here her suicide just speeded the inevitable fate. Although, from the start, Antigone makes her willingness and acceptance of death obvious, the same as with her desire to be with her dead family members, unraveling willingness and excitement towards the prospect. While Haemon’s effect and place in Antigone’s life is minimal, further proving her emptiness in showing emotions and ties. Whereas Haeomon’s suicide has a much more emotional impact aligned with violence and impulse. Haemon arrives at the cave and hugs Antogone’s body. Creon walks in and it is said that ‘Then, the poor boy in his anger they himself guided the sword, leaned on it and thrust it in his ribs….he pulled the maiden on his deadly embrace.'(Sophocles,58).In Haemon’s final appearance and clashing with his father, the tension of many battling emotions is clearly shown and felt, perhaps providing a liberal invitation to end his life.

The suicide of Haemon’s mother, Eurydice, appears to be just as tragic, if not more. After hearing of the doom of both Antigone and Haemon, she quietly leaves the stage. Just then Creon appears with the corpse of his very own son in his arms when yet another messenger breaks the news to the king; that Eurydice took her own life. He explains how she was standing at the altar while stabbing herself in the stomach. He also explains her last words and how they spoke of the deaths of her two sons, (Megareus, her older son who gave his life away protecting the city), as she cusses Creon out for being the very reason for both their deaths.

Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice’s suicides in this play take place in a single set of events but each for numeral causes. Antigone could have been a victim of depression, ‘ My soul has been dead a long time”(Sophocles,34). Where she might have allocated herself as a victim to an arranged matrimony, as though a sheer object. The other cases of suicide coincide with emotions of anger, rage, mourning, and grief, as well as guilt and self-punishment.

A controversy in the Greek beliefs between Antigone and the king, Creon, enriched a war of philosophical beliefs, that states that each one’s actions were pillars of what they think is right and wrong. The clashing is apparent when the beliefs that justified their actions clashed together, turning it into a contradictory set of morals and beliefs. Antigone’s perspective implored a greater emotional impact, opposed to that of Creon’s mediocre path of choice-making. Antigone feels as though Creon is going against the laws of the gods through his proclamations and actions. After she is caught and is taken to Creon, she directs these words to him: ‘I do not think your edicts are strong enough to overrule the unwritten unalterable laws of God and heaven, you being only a man.’ Antigone’s deeply-rooted opinion supports the gods and the laws set by the heavens. Her actions are done on the basis that if one is not buried properly, one would not be accepted into the gates of heaven. Antigone appeared to be very religiously influenced, and the acceptance of her brother into heaven meant a lot to her. She thought that ‘It is against you and me he has made this order. Yes, against me.’

Throughout the development of humanity, there has been a controversial perspective on the roles and characteristics that men and women should possess. The inequality that lays within the midst of this perspective has led to gender bias and persecution of women over the course of our history. The mistreatment of women has been recorded through the passage of knowledge, and many philosophers have created fictional characters and story lines to shed light on the trials and tribulations fought silently by the voiceless women living in those toxic patriarchal societies. A philosopher named Sophocles elegantly constructs a play called “Antigone” that provides insight of the persecution women went through in earlier times. Antigone relates to many women in the world who are being undervalued and persecuted across the globe for nothing more than being born a woman. The fundamental values that Antigone pursued until she was condemned to death are still rooted in the hearts and minds of women in the twentieth-century. Women in present times seek to have their beliefs respected by everyone just as Antigone sought to have her beliefs by disobeying the orders of Creon. Antigone relates with the modern day twentieth-century women by sharing the fearless courage to disobey civil law to pursue their agenda despite the dangers of mistreatment, but the limitations of their roles have expanded as women in Antigone’s time laid a solid foundation of hard work in order for present day women to enjoy their position in society today.

Antigone was a member of the royal family, but even that didn’t stop the extent of pain that toxic masculinity brought to her life. Antigone dwells in a society that is ruled by men, and there is little opportunity for women to be free and progress like their counterparts. Societies as such are not as outdated as the play hence that women in other countries are still being bound down by the men’s perspective of what’s acceptable for them to partake in. While criticisms and supporters alike attempt to demonstrate their points, the discussion about preserving some employment for males, and others for females is still raging. Amongst them is writer Sophocles, who arguably depicts a number of the characteristics of women. Antigone is among his masterpieces, which itself shows much Greek mythology and history. The Sophocles concepts have a close connection with contemporary culture. That stems from the manner he uses women characters strategically to highlight the topics while writing.

Two daughters, Antigone and Ismene, are involved in this play. Their position in the play and hence the role of females are the two acts which, together with the other female, Eurydice, stand out. Women, however, are in the ‘second hand’ class when society treats men as courageous and aggressive. Ismene, the nice sister of Antigone, agrees with the idea that females are disadvantaged people. This emerges throughout her discussion with Antigone about their brother Polynices ‘ funeral. She says, “We must remember we are women born, unapt to cope with men; and, being ruled by mightier than ourselves, we have to hear these things and worse” (Sophocles 3). Her words portray females as individuals of lower standard. Because of their belief in the leadership of men, they can not do certain tasks. Ismene informs Antigone to consider the impact of disobeying the statute of Creon. The role of obedient females is Ismene in this scenario. However, there are variations as Antigone’s femininity image. The role of powerful females able to make informed choices is depicted by Antigone. She is an illustration of females fighting the mistreatment of males who consider her dull. The role of females who are prepared to battle the provisions in their efforts to uphold their freedoms is depicted by Antigone.

It is a matter of the purpose of this paper whether or not the women on whom this research is built could relate their battles to women on the twentieth century. It is reasonable to say that they were correct in advocating for their and their gender rights; they were correct in expressing their presence and refusing to give in to expectations that were for the advantage of males only. Yet, as has been said from the start, despite the justice we saw in their conflict, females who vowed not to be females under this time’s societal belief were sentenced to a devastating death. It is shocking that the freedoms and privileges for which the ancient heroine battled are also in some manner gender-based, because they are in protection of positions to which females were ultimately restricted. However, this could only be the initial phase for females to assert their own presence within civilization, given the more contemporary understanding of the dispute between conventional-domestic and liberal-civic female role, which is still a gender-based conflict, has in some manner changed slightly over the decades with human mind and perception of females. Woman can only hope that their thoughts and privileges be fully respected in society as time has only allotted them a taste of freedom.

Creon out of his pride kills his own wife and son out of selfishness which make him a true tragic hero. Creon is a character who so caught up with what others think. Creon is isolated character who keeps to himself his plans and acts. He is very misleading character tries to lead others to crime. Creon faces dishonesty from others and sees the true character of people he thought he could trust. Creon as the protagonist with his stubborn personality makes him a true tragic hero.

Aristotle made Creon the tragic hero in the book Antigone. His definition of ,“A tragic hero is the protagonist of the story”(Tragic Hero Pattern).“ A tragic hero is a character in the book that takes action. A tragic hero is the core principal of inconsistency in some one very important. A tragic hero is a character that has plenty of flaws.”(Tragic Hero Pattern). “A tragic hero is a character with a urge to be apart of action. A tragic hero is A character that makes plenty of mistakes. A tragic hero is the murderer that takes away someone life”(Tragic Hero Pattern). A tragic hero is a character who is independent and likes to think of their next move. Aristotle uses Creon in the book to show his to define A tragic hero.

Sophocles the author of The Oedipus Trilogy made multiple books to describe Creon and Antigones conflict. The character,“Creon is manipulative and declares that anyone attempting to bury Polynices be buried”(The Oedipus Trilogy).Creon is very cringe character and uses his power to destroy others. All the characters in The Oedipus Trilogy go behind Creons back to disrespect his orders. “Antigone goes off alone to bury Ismene brother Polynices without Creons notice” (“The Oedipus Trilogy”). Sophocles uses Creon in the book to show his cruelty use of power that he calls a tragic hero.

Sophocles describes Creon as a ruthless leader of Thebes. Creon set his order on the body of Polynices telling the people of Thebes not to touch his body. Creon out of anger questions Antigone of the crime. Antigone denies the crime and Ismene feeling sorry for his sister admits to the crime falsely. Antigone refuses and admits to the crime. Creon with the power he has is eager to put Antigone to death for what he has done. Haemon asked Creon to let Antigone go and he does just that. Creon changes his mind and puts Polynices to death. Sophocles claims Creon was a tragic hero using Creon to affiliate in unlawful acts killing Polynices and causing others to commit suicide.

Sophocles informs that Creon is a character of fault. Haemon angrily storms out, vowing never to see Creon again. The blind prophet Tiresias warns Creon that the gods side with Antigone, and that Creon will loose a child for his crimes of leaving Polynices unburied and for punishing Antigone so harshly”(Antigone).Creon is vindictive to his son Haemon and Antigone. Creon changes his mind about putting Antigone to death. Creon listen to his son and agrees to bury his brother Polynices “Creon now blames himself for everything that has happened and he staggers away, a broken man. “The order and rule of law he values so much has been protected, but he has acted against the gods and has lost his child and his wife as a result”(Antigone). Sophocles ends the book with Creon in shock to express that a tragic hero is not a perfect character and makes regretful decisions.

Sophocles claims Creon is a tragic hero, how he changes dramatically in the book showing his true character . “He tells his people he will grow into a better role as the king of Thebes” (Antigone). Creon’s change of heart comes too late to save anyone, but just in time to have “confrontation with his son”(Antigone).Creon’s flaw is his heart, he is a good person that just made bad choices. Creon suffers not only a loss of self-esteem, but a loss of identity itself, as he cries: “I don’t even exist — I’m no one” (Antigone). Sophocles informs his audience by showing Creons characteristics of a tragic hero in the book of Antigone that he can overcome self doubt and become a confident king .

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