Question

Citing specific textual evidence from Sophocles' Antigone, was Antigone wrong to break Creon's law when his law interfered with her religion and the well-being of her family member? Why or why not? What does this play tell us about societal values in Ancient Greece? file:///C:/Users/solma/Downloads/Sophocles,%20Antigone%20(1).pdf

Answer 1

This has to do with the conflict between the physical, or enforced law, by higher orders, to enforce justness, and personal/familial well being to preserve honor. As Antigone broke Creon's law, which was to leave Polyneices on the ground, she went against the law that was put in order to serve justice; as Polyneices had betrayed and fought against his own people, he was meant to be left without proper funeral rites; a punishment for his actions. Creon was acting on a scale of his entire state, as Polyneices had had a lot of wrong to the state. Antigone did not see a betrayer, she saw a family member, and wanted to protect his honor, and thus got in trouble for it. This shows the moral codes of Ancient Greece, and the honor code aswell. If someone chooses to betray their own people, and seperate themseleves from their people, they will not be treated the same as those who contributed to the socety. The societal values at the time were about the state as a whole, not about induvidual wantings.