Essay about Religion vs. State in “Antigone - 820 Words

The play â€Å"Antigone† is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the reader parts of the form through different characters. In the play Creon goes against the Gods by making it illegal to bury Polyneices, Antigone’s brother because he is deemed a traitor. The burying of a dead body is seen as a necessity by all of†¦show more content†¦Antigone retaliates by saying that his law is not that of the Gods so it does not stand. He wants to have Antigone killed, but his son his her fiancà ©. He tries to explain to the king that the gods would have wanted Polyneices to be buried and that Antigone did the right thing that she should not be punished for it. Creon’s hubris however comes out yet again. He will not even listen to a word his son has to say; however now he does not want to kill her, but to send her away into a tomb, where the Gods can determine her fate. After everyone else has failed to convince Creon that he is wrong about sending Antigone away, and old, fervid Prophet comes to visit him. Teiresias is a blind old prophet who tells Creon that the gods are angry at Thebes and will curse it if Creon does not change his arrogant ways. â€Å"All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong†¦ The only crime is pride† (232) At first Creon is stubborn still, and insults the skill of prophets, but Teiresias goes on despite the king’s words. Teiresias eaves with a final warning saying if he does not heed the God’s word, he will be punished. A fter consulting his chorus and hearing Teiresias’ speech Creon finally recognizes that he was wrong. His moment of recognition is â€Å"Oh it is hard to give in! but it is worse to risk everything for stubborn pride.† (235) Finally giving up on his hubris and listening to the Gods, it seems poor Creon may still have aShow MoreRelatedDivine Law Vs. Human Law1510 Words   |  7 PagesWritten Assignment Divine Law vs. Human Law West Islip High School Là ©na Seltzer 003996-0069 May 2017 1472 Words Religion and State have historically battled over value of importance. For centuries, laws have been set forth to further the separation between the two. While good intentions were utilized in the creation of these statutes, it is challenging to shift the mindset of civilians who have worshiped religion above the state their entire lives. 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