The first two scenes in this
play present three different
values which are bound to clash in the following scenes. However sorry she may feel for her
dead brother, Ismene regards the
law superior to the value of respect for the dead. While Ismene is afraid to “transgress the law and defy our king” (p.128), Antigone considers the laws of
morality as more important. Antigone displays the dilemma by telling Ismene to “live and defy the holiest laws of heaven” (p.128). As for Creon the king, he considers the country and the city above anything else. Being aware of the risk she takes, Antigone decides to abide by the law of morality. In two dialogues, one with the kink and another with Ismene, Antigone clarifies her standards of morality, which tragically conflict with those of her sister and Creon. While the latter two compromise and give up their principles sooner or ater in the play, Antigone constantly insists on hers and sacrifices her life to them. By passing a death sentence on Antigone, Creon inflicts tragedy upon his own son, whose promised bride happens to be the guilty party. He has a long conversation with Haemon, where once more the conflicts are displayed. The end is irrevocable: Antigone is led to a cave and jailed there. Only after hearing a prophecy, Creon realizes his mistakes, but it’s too late: Polyneces’s body is already corrupted, Antigone is dead, Haemon commits suicide and so does his mother. The dramatic dialogue between Creon and Haemon depicts two different notions of the concept of a state. Whereas earlier in the play it seems to be Creon’s most sacred value, at the end it is clear that what he really admires his his status of a king. His words are pure arguments in favour of monarchy (p.146). Haemon, however, argues for what appears to be his notion of a
state – a certain kind of democracy – when he asks: “a one-man state? What sortof a state is that?” (p.146).
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