Pub #1

 John Exarhos

Professor Brady

English 102

22 February 2024

Pub#1 Antigone Written Law vs Moral Law

Written law is a set of rules enacted and enforced by Creon the King of Thebes. Moral law is a set of rules set by ethical principles and values.  In this case, Antigone holds these values towards death. In the play, Antigone, there is a huge rivalry between Creon and Antigone because of their dead brother. Creon and Antigone are fighting because one follows civil law and another follows moral law, and those laws conflict with each other on whether Antigone's brother should be buried. Creon embodies civil law placing law over everything including his nephew. Where Antigone believes in the moral law, which to her means burying and honoring her brother no matter what based on her beliefs and morals. Antigone and Creon believe in different laws which causes lots of conflict throughout the play Antigone and causes many tragic events to occur due to what they believed in or who was in the wrong. Antigone and Creon show their differences through civil and moral laws regarding the death of Polyneices.

Written law is described as laws made by a leader or a body of government. For example, speed limits on highways are made by the government to make sure citizens drive safely. These written laws are what are supposed to be followed and are not laws based on morals or feelings. The moral law is based on someone's belief of right or wrong. An example of a moral law is respecting people's elders whether it is an older person or a relative. Another could be following authority whether it's people's parents or teachers.

Creon in the play Antigone is known for following the written rules no matter the circumstance. A real-life example of following written laws no matter what is when a man is driving on the highway and the speed limit is 55 mph and cars around him are doing 65 the man still proceeds at 55mph.The written law that he enforces the most and fights about with Antigone is when he says “ I here proclaim to the city that this man shall no one honor with a grave and none shall mourn”( Sophocles 221-224). This quote explains that the man should not have a funeral or a headstone and should not be cared for. This quote refers to how he made a written law that nobody shall bury Polyneices. Creon believes that his family member Polyneices shall not be buried nor honored and makes it a written law that he follows and is firm about with his kingdom, especially Antigone.

On the other hand, Antigone is a firm believer in moral laws, unlike Creon who believes in written law.  Antigone believes in what she feels is right and what is wrong, not what laws are written to be followed. For example, someone has a moral law whether it's towards someone or exams or assignments. The one moral law that she follows that starts the rivalry between her and Creon is when she declares “ I will bury him. It will be good to die so doing” (Sophocles 81-82). This quote demonstrates that she wants to bury Polyneices and does not care about the consequences of breaking Creon's written law. This quote also demonstrates how she morally believes that it is right that she buries Polyneices to honor her memory because she truly cares about Polyneices. Antigone’s moral law to bury Polyneices though is seen as a good act resulting in so much death including herself. Even though these people died she died believing in her moral laws no matter what happens to her or others. 

Antigone and Creon have a debate on moral and written laws throughout the play because of their feelings towards Polyneices. As a result, this debate has caused lots of death and regret. This debate proved that  Creon regretted the written law he made and the anger behind enforcing it and Antigone felt to die in honor of her morals by burying Polyneices. This play has shown that sometimes written law is not always agreeable with everyone and sometimes even the enforcers.   that Creon realized how the written law that he made was not right. This debate of moral and written laws has shown how laws can tear a family apart and also how driven one another can be towards their types of laws, whether it is right or wrong.

Work Cited 

Sophocles, et al. Sophocles. University of Chicago Press, 2013. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1s_1D12ZPabM-imslm3UuP2cvR60pcLOV