Morality versus Law
Sophocles said, “It is the brave man’s part to live with glory, or with glory die.” However, in his tragic play Antigone; he proves that a woman could be braving similar to a man. The scene is laid in ancient Greece. Antigone’s two brothers kill each other in a war. The new king, Creon, proclaims, “Eteocles will be buried and receive all honors,” but “Polynices will be neither buried nor mourned by anyone” (lines 197-208). This decree makes Antigone’s heart break, so she determines to bury Polynices in cret. However, Antigone is caught, and Creon orders to execute her. Antigone believes that she did right thing, so she desires to die for defending the gods’ honors. For thousands of year, Antigone is looked at as a heroine who maintains humans’ morality and right. In the play Antigone, Sophocles us paradox, personification, and irony to demonstrate that laws of conscience are more important than civil laws.
Sophocles us paradox to convey Antigone’s views of law in this situation. Antigone says, “I will lie dear to him, with one dear to me, a holy outlaw” (74-75). Antigone names herlf a
“holy outlaw” becau she believes that burying her brother is a “holy” activity even though she will be an outlaw of the kingdom. Sophocles us “outlaw” paradoxically to emphasize Antigone’s “holy” action. Furthermore, Ismene express that Antigone has “a hot heart” for “chilling matter” (89). “A hot heart” and “chilling matter” are paradoxical. Tbehaveshe “chilling matter” signifies Antigone’spretend什么意思 dangerous activity---- to bury adPolynices’s body. If she is caught, she will be punished with the full rigor of the law. As Ismene says, “—think how very horribly we will die if we go against the king’s decree and strength outside the law” (60-63). However, Antigone has a “hot heart” to do it becau she has to maintain family’s glories and the gods’ honors. A“hot heart” also means Antigone pay a lot of energy and enthusiasm to hold the cret burial. 丝绸之路英文Sophocles us 多才多艺英语“chilling matter”mypleasure paradoxically to stress Antigone’s “hot heart”. sharp是什么意思Antigone knows the result of being caught to break Creon’s decree, but she thinks “logically with everlasting death rather than with fleeting and temporal life” (Susan W. Tiefenbrun, 41). Indeed, sticking to bury her brother so she is a defender of human morality. Paradox shows that the laws of conscience are more significant than civil laws.
Personification is ud to show Antigone and Sophocles’ thoughts about laws of conscience and civil. Sophocles shows his view of “Justice” (460). He writes, “[Justice is the] companion of gods below”, and “establish such laws for humanity” (460-462). In Paperback Oxford English Dictionary, “Justice” is a noun that means the quality of being fair and reasonable or inactivethe administration of the law or authority in maintaining this. However, in Sophocles’ play, he vividly describes that “Justice” is a god or a person who is the companion of the gods below, and establishes such laws for humanity. Also, the first word of “Justice” is capital, and it is similar to a proper noun. In the play, Antigone defines that Justice’s laws are “unwritten” and “ever-lasting”. Creon’s laws are “being mortal” that cannot override Justice’s laws (462-465). For the reasons, Sophocles us personification to illustrate that justice is the only norm to judge what is legally right becau “Justice” establishes the unwritten lows. Conquently, Sophocles us personification to prove that justice is above man-made laws.
Sophocles us irony to illustrate the importance of laws of conscience. In the play Antigone, Haemon pasquinades Creon, “You’d be a good monarch for a dert” (751). Th
e “monarch” is a head of an organization, but the “dert” usually is desolated and uninhabited. Sophocles writes that Creon will be “a monarch for a dert.” It means if a king does not respect citizens’ opinion, he will be utterly isolated in his country. Also, Haemon says, “Doburst you hear how rush and young you sound?”(747). It is a rebuttal for Creon’s opinion, and it is another irony. Creon believes that Thebes should be ruled by himlf, but Haemon disagree with him. Haemon pasquinades Creon rash and young becau Creon thinks that at his age, he does not need young people to teach him. Writer us irony to stress Creon’s authoritarianism and Haemon日语翻译培训’s democratic consciousness. Moreover, Sophocles writes, “This city does not belong to one man!” (749). There is a famous old Greek proverb,” the voice of the people is the voice of God " (Pocket Oxford Latin Dictionary). It refers to the idea that the king or the government ought to pay attention to the voice of the people. Therefore, citizens’ voice is the sign of laws of conscience. Kimber Cowell-Meyers says, “[Creon] He does not open himlf to the concerns of the people of Thebes and conflated issuing orders with political leadership” (348). In the father-son debate, Heamon believes that Creon’s law tramples t
he honors of the Gods. In Heamon’s view, irony is ud to exhibit that citizens’ voice is more important than king’s order.
In conclusion, paradox, personification, and irony are ud to prove laws of conscience are more valuable than civil laws. In the play, Antigone breaks king’s decree to bury her brother’s body, but she is caught. She argues with the king, Creon, about the laws of conscience and civil lows. Then, Creon puts Antigone to death, but he is reprobated by the gods. Finally, Antigone is dead, and Creon los all his family members. In this tragic play, Sophocles paradoxically conveys human morality is prior to civil law. Also, he us personification expression to show the relationship between justice and law. Moreover, Sophocles ironically demonstrates the significance of citizens’ voice – democracy. Antigone maintains laws of conscience, so she protects human morality, social justice, and democracy. She is a defender of all the positives of human society. Antigone is worth to receive such honors and respects for thousands years.
