English HL Essay

How does dialogue between Antigone and Creon help portray conflict of
moral vs. state law in Antigone?

Sophocles provides contrasting views on the importance between Moral and State law in
Antigone and this is primarily done through of views of different characters. Creon who believes
a crime is a crime and everyone should be punished in accordance with those laws. While
Antigone believes that some actions go beyond laws of men and must simply be done because
it is morally right. Sophocles interjects passion and prestige into both their arguments. He does
this by his style of writing which is very quotable and very distinct displaying both Creon’s
Arrogance and Antigone’s pridefulness in full force. The author uses formal diction and
exclamatory sentences nearly at the end of every stanza to convey the true sense of what’s at
stake in the situation. Antigone knows that with every sentence she is speaking she is more and
more likely to be executed and Creon knows that the more he persists with this issue the more
likely he is going to have his subjects turn against him. The tone of the play also very bleak
consistent with the message that stubbornness will ultimately causes your demise. This conflict
of whether morality should take place over the laws of a county is a debate that has taken place
all throughout human history and in Sophocles this was the case tenfold as human beings were
more free beings then not constrained by too many laws just ones that may be more unjust.
The first line from Antigone is a short, curt ‘I do, I deny nothing’ showing that she is aware of
her fate, her tragic end. The play uses a lot of metaphorical and imagery to help convey this
clash of ideals in a more dramatized way it is meant to be played in front of a live audience after
all.

Another key difference in the way they decide to argue

apart from the ideological sense is their rhetoric Antigone is arguing from a moral perspective
(Ethos) while Creon is arguing from a logical perspective (Logos). When Creon proclaims “you
dare defy the law” that’s is his anchor in this argument, the law which is absolute it cannot be
broken and if an individual were to break he/she should be punished it is simply logical what
sort of ruler wouldn’t punish an individual who committed treason against the state. But
Antigone counter-attacks with “I dared. It was not god’s proclamation” What Antigone is
referring to is questioning Creon’s rhetoric by questioning whether an unjust law should be
followed through with and she also undermines Creon’s authority by questioning if he is above
God and if his man- made laws can challenge the customs followed hundreds of years since
creation. She most importantly says however that if she had left her brother there unburied she
would have suffered internally, her conscience would have suffered as result of law that she
believes is unjust. She would have betrayed her gods, her herself and most importantly her
brother if she had followed through with traditional logic. Sentence structure also does well to
convey how their ideologies differ with Antigone’s dialogue being more assertive as she uses
phrases like “Think me a fool if you like but it may be that a fool convicts me of folly” giving the
impression of rebellious teenager who will never back down however this could be argued to
be her greatest flaw as her selfish inability to see beyond her family ties causes the demise of
nearly everyone in the play while Creon is more commanding as expected from a ruler “You are
alone here in that opinion” declares Creon. This line perfectly encapsulates what Creon is a
Strong ruler who perhaps has started believing in his own hype, that he is the only one who
could possibly be right if anyone disagrees with him more fool them. The author uses
polysyllabic words to convey a sense of grand scale not typical of two people in a courtroom
arguing with each other however words like “insolence” and “barefaced anarchy” give a sense
of Machiavellian tragedy to the whole situation making it seem like they are fighting for the
soul of the polis (city state) through their words. The repeated use of exaggeration in the
dialogue is not lost to the reader as it certainly conveys a sense of epic ness that is common in
Greek tragedy however it also further extenuates the character’s flaws and makes it more easily
identifiable to the reader and gives us a prelude to their early demise. Antigone repeated use of
the word “gods” is very interesting as it is what she is basing moralistic integrity. As Creon
anchor was the law, Antigone’s is the power of the Gods.

She repeatedly defies Creon with the lines like “Which

of us can say what the gods hold wicked” completely the Antithesis believes and stands for.
Lines like that perhaps don’t really make sense in a moralistic either as if even evil doers are
precious to the gods then what is truly the point of being good however this line is clearly
meant as sarcasm indicated by the question at the end of the sentence as well as “ Ah Creon” at
the start of the sentence. The next line truly reveals all about her line of thinking “It is my
nature to join in love and not hate” truly poignant in that it means she means that she sees
beyond simply enemies and allies and the hatred, contempt that comes with anyone who
attacks her precious city. She knows her brother is a flawed human being however she is still
sees him as a human being as her a precious member of her family. A bond that can’t simply be
erased even if he has committed a severe crime. Which is why she wants to do him this small
kindness of burying his dead body as to not damn his soul for all eternity. While Creon sees this
as effective nonsense as his whole existence is built on having enemies and allies as the king, his
outlook is naturally very jaded. “He would for you honor a traitor as much as him” this is also
such a meaningful line as it is very bluntly true. A system of government cannot run with
individuals thinking their above it and if a law is too hard on a person and then resisting it. The
thing about the law is it is fair for everyone, everyone is treated the same within it. Polyneices
turned traitor and the attacked his native city. Does he truly deserve anything after committing
such a heinous crime?

Sophocles interjects wisdom and wit into

Antigone and conveys varying perspectives is a very well done way. The discourse between
Antigone and Creon is the main dish in this play everything else is just added flavor. The witty,
energetic but at times subdued dialogue, the assertiveness of the sentences, the mentioning of
allusion terms to invoke a kind of Grand feel along with polysyllabic words. The introduction of
rhetoric Logos by Creon and Ethos by Antigone all give an added prestige to this conflict
between Moral integrity vs. State law and which one should be followed.