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  • Essay / Right versus Right in Sophocles' Antigone - 1085

    German philosopher Hegel said that the play Antigone written by Sophocles represents the tragic collision of right versus right, with both sides being equally justified. The play begins with tragedy and ends the same way. Polyneices and Eteocles were brothers who killed each other in a fight for the power of the throne. Creon, the brothers' uncle, was the next member of the family to occupy the throne. But he didn't want the same pattern to repeat itself. Therefore he created a decree that punished everyone who committed a crime before dying. These people would, in turn, be neglected during a funeral ceremony. Eteocles was recognized as the defender of the city and, with great dignity, he received his full death rights at his burial. On the contrary, his brother Polyneices was neglected during his death ceremony because he was accused of attacking the city of Thebes. According to Creon, if he betrayed his own decree, anarchy and chaos would once again reign in Thebes. Then there was Antigone, a wise young woman, betrothed to Creon's son and sister of Polyneices and Eteocles. Antigone had a deeper understanding of the higher, immutable morality of behavior versus misbehavior. Antigone prefers to civilly disobey rather than suffer for the unburied dead. Two completely different points of view seem to exist in the same environment. In the play Antigone, the clash of dialectal ideas of justice is seen from the different perspectives of Antigone and Creon. Naturally, Creon's decisions were based on the combination of many turns of events. When his decree was established, he refused to yield. Therefore, it ignores the logical ritual of the Gods for burying the dead. In Creon's state of mind, lived the immutable ...... middle of paper ......rmal. In the play Antigone, the law of man attempts to compete with the ancient law of the gods. In modern American society, a bill must be introduced, sent to a committee, reported to the House, debated, voted on, returned to the Senate, sent to the president, and then it becomes law. Obviously, the process of adopting a law is long because a situation always has many aspects. And that doesn't mean that society is always right. For example, smoking marijuana recreationally is illegal in the United States, although many Americans have engaged in breaking the law. To this end, normality is seen through the eyes of the beholder, but it is filtered through society. Creon's impulsive decree begins with good intentions, to establish justice, but brings him misery. Antigone stood by her actions because of her loyalty to family ties and divine laws..