Written Law vs. Moral Law in Sophocles' Antigone

              Sophocles made of Antigone his tragic hero by defending his conscience to death; and made of Creon Antigone's antagonist by defending in any ways the written law of his royalty. Sophocles then used other characters such as Ismene, Haemon and Tiresias to show the public how valuable the principle of moral and the respect of the civil law were in the society of Thebes. Moreover, demonstrates how the protagonist Creon and Antigone were confident on their point of view.

              Ismene had a huge significance to the play. She was the first to elucidate to the reader that women were marginalized in this society of Thebes. We catch her saying: "You ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men" (Ismene 70-71). She also demonstrates how the average people won't sacrifice themselves or their family to embrace moral law. Ismene had loved Polyneices as Antigone had, but just didn't have the same courage to "transgress against the sovereign's decree and power" (line 69). This proves how courageous and disobedient Antigone was. Furthermore, Ismene help us discover howt Antigone was such a wise person with an honorable character. Ismene knew that Antigone was a noble woman who doesn’t hide behind her action, that's why she asked her sister:" at least do not speak of this act to anyone else" (Ismene 97). However for Antigone, Ismene should "shout it out" (Antigone 99) so that everyone would have witnessed a true act of moral.

              Haemon and Teiresias were primarily interacting with Creon in the play. They were respectively creon's close family and friend. They tried to convince him to veto his law but he wouldn't listen. He was a typical fascist monarch. Speaking to Haemon he said: "Must I rule the land by someone else's judgment rather than my own?" (Cren 792). In his conversation with Haemon, we could understand that Creon could not digest that the offense was made by a woman. It is clear that he wanted to teach his son that "we cannot give victory to a woman" (line 729). Teiresias on his part advised Creon to respect the moral law by burying the dead corpse of Polyneices. Haemon and Teireses were two people that understood the importance of the writing laws but have begged Creon to dismiss the case for a better cause.

              The character Ismene, help to understand how Antigone was humble to moral law and Polyneices and Teiresias show Creon respect to the state law. Furthermore we realize that since the ancient Greek people have started questioning the laws imposed by the authorities.