ANTIGONE BY SOPHOCLES

ANTIGONE BY SOPHOCLES

Introduction

The paper uses the play Antigone by Sophocles to define various aspects of sin, it utilizes the story actions to highlight and define sin. The pride which dominates in the play is an illustration of sin and others described below. It accounts for various sins nature and how they influenced occurrences in the play. It also highlights divine benchmarks and God’s action towards sin such as punishment.

The play Antigone by Sophocles portrays a conflict between obeying humans together with divine law. This play starts after the sons of Oedipus (Eteocles and Polyneices) have murder each other in a war which is a civic battle for Thebes’s throne. The brother in law of Oedipus named Creon eventually occupies the throne. Creon dictates one of the brothers called Eteocles will be awarded a state funeral plus honors while on the other hand, Polynieces body is to be abandoned on the streets. Creon has a belief that the body of Polynices should be abandoned because he was disobedient and treacherous against the city. Antigone who is a sister Polynieces discredits the claims that improper burial of his brother will be an insult to Gods (Campbell, Stancil 2015).

Creon is intolerant of individuals who put their personal beliefs ahead of the common good and believes federal government and the associated law is the main authority, and civil disobedience is considered to be the worst kind of sin. The issue with Creon’s argument is that he faces each dilemma that demands judgment through generalizations which are descriptive generalizations. Contradictory to morality described by Aristotle through Nicomachaean Ethics, Creon indicates that he is not listening to knowledge associated with particulars such as place, individuals, manner and time which is fundamental for moral reasoning (Campbell, Stancil 2015).

Creon does not put together principles which are general and particular situations plus appreciating that emotions and perception are equally vital to moral consideration just like reason. This illustrates why he does not retort appropriately with the arguments of the guard, Haemon, Tiresias the prophet, Ismene and Antigone. In the entire play, Creon emphasizes the merit associated with practical judgment over illogical mentality while in a real sense he is the one with a sick mind. He portrays a lot of pride in his statements, to the Athenians and Antigone, possession of wisdom and logical mind insinuates appreciation human limitations and acting virtuously towards the gods.

King Creon functions as an antagonist that obstructs the progress of the main characters in the play through evil thoughts, plots, and accompanying actions. Antigone struggles against Creon in her efforts to provide her brother a decent burial (Campbell, Stancil 2015). King Creon through evil strategies tries to hamper Antigone in an effort where Creon announces her brother as a traitor and pronouncing that “he must be left to the elements.” Sophocles in the play Antigone handles a conflict that exists between 2 perspectives of associating with the divine. The insolence present in the protagonist characters in the play is one of the main factors for conflict. The conflict that exists between Antigone and King Cleon takes place in two insufficient conceptions of the holy are pursued through annul reciprocally. The restrictions of Antigone and the conception of Creon are generated by the divine.

Due to the indeterminacy of precisely what the divine causes of these restrictions which define the scope of sin and right in the playset. Antigone was able to exhibit her pride when she refused to abide by the regulations of the state plus rail against them to bury Polyneices her late brother (Campbell, Stancil 2015). God will eventually punish King Creon for his hubris and Antigone also shows pride when she opts to commit suicide which is sinful. Conceit as hubris in this play is the most vital aspect of sin since it is the tragic character defect that encompasses King Creon and finally results in his downfall. When the king was overwhelmed with the power he was able to condemn and curse the Polyneices soul to roam instead of being put to rest through burial to join underworld (Campbell, Stancil 2015). The king was able to create his own law assuming that he posed a divine right, entitled to the throne and had royal power which subjects him to God’s punishment. The laws which are created by the king cannot be compared to divine rights even though he abused authority and influences the deaths of Antigone, Eurydice, and Haemin but eventually loses the hubris.

Conclusion

The content above has highlighted the subject of sin in the context of the play entitled “Antigone”, it indicates how various characters made decisions and took actions which were sinful and God’s reaction towards such cause. The dominating sin was pried which had to the downfall of several characters in the play. The content above highlight several accounts which are used to define sin in the context of the play, various characters due to their sinful nature were subject to various endpoints in the play which illustrate God’s punishment towards sin. King Creon was able to affect the death of the other three characters, Antigone committed suicide as an act of self-pride even the conflict between the two brothers.

Work Cited

Campbell, Stancil. “Antigone” by Sophocles. 2002.” (2015).