Antigone - Pride and Conflict of Law
...rder to honor the laws of God. Knowing and comprehending the consequences of defying Creon's ruling do not restrain the intensity of Antigone's self will, yet it feeds her hunger to achieve her principles. Losing sight of her future, Antigone allows her stubbornness to consume her life, taking with it, the prospect of marriage, motherhood and friendship. As the story continues, we find that Antigone focuses more on the need to establish her human ethics in spite of Creon, rather than proving the incorrectness of man defying god's laws. Following the unlawful burial of Polynices, Antigone openly admits to Creon the knowledge of the following punishment by carrying out such a defying act. "I knew it naturally, It was plain enough." Antigone pg.138. With the intention of gratifying the laws of the gods, Antigone holds neither guilt nor regret as she feels that she has brought justice to the eternal rest of her brother. Antigone rejects her life in a deeply heroic yet tragic stand, certain that this is all that she can do to prove the intensity of her self-righteousness. Creon's judgment over the living and dead infuriates Antigone, and on many occasion we encounter their conflicts, which are based not only on their differences- but also on many of their similarities. In an almost reflective similarity to Antigone, Creon advances to extreme measures in order to fulfill his need to repair and strengthen his territory. "He was concerned with re-establishing the social order which the shocking news of Jocasta's and Oedipus's incest had fractured, and which the civil war between their sons had almost ruined." Charles Paul Segal 'Conflicts of Antigone' pg. 46. Creon prides himself to be a powerful dictator and leader within the Theban society. He rules his city with the contention that his law is the only law. As opposed to Antigone's stubbornness, Creon's is far more illogical and dominatingly based. Indeed, Sophocles demonstrates the 'sin of refusing to listen, and about a man who has never been told' supremely through Creon's character. On many occasion Creon speaks of honor and goodness overruling evil, 'I am determined, that never, If I can help it, Shall evil triumph over good' Antigone pg.131-132. Yet he ceases to identify the hypocritical aspect of his decisions, to defy the laws of God, in order to pursue his own beliefs of mankind. It is towards the later stages of the story that Creon's inability to hear and listen to advice is increasingly evident. Teiresias enters this ordeal, offering advice to Creon. Despite his outreach, Creon bemuses Teiresias and neglects to listen to the importance of his words. 'You have given a son of you loins, To death, in payment for death' Antigone pg. 154. Once again Creon is warned by the chorus that Teirasias' words are not to be taken l...