Justice in Antigone

Antiquity and the 19th Century (Ulfers) William Rauscher Thursday, 930AM Justice in Antigone In Sophocles Antigone, two nonions of jurist are granted, which conflict with each other. Creons recoil of justice rewards the loyal Eteocles and punishes the traitor Polyneices, by refusing to give Polyneices neat burial rites. This traffic pattern of justice directly conflicts with Antigones idea of justice, which doesnt differentiate between the wicked and the just. These two conflicting thoughts on justice illustrate two uncorrupted philosophies.Creon represents a Paramenidean debate of justice, weeny-arm Antigone represents a Heraclitean have of justice. Paramenidean thought splits the world into two systems, where Being is primary and Becoming is secondary (Ulfers, Lecture). To Paramenides, Being is associated with the idea of oneness and timelessness, while any Becoming or process is an illusion produced by the senses. This dualistic world deal simplifies everyday occurrenc es and thoughts into opposites, which are unchange competent. In contrast, Heraclitean thought presents Becoming as primary, while Being is secondary (Ulfers, Lecture).Heraclitus regards change and temporality as ultimate in a perpetual process of Becoming. Heraclitus goes on to argue that opposites are simultaneously present in a state known as chiasmic unity. Chiasmic unity constitutes a paradoxical unity of opposites, which binds opposites together and keeps them apart. Heraclitean thought favors the logic of both(prenominal)/and, which violates the Paramenidean logic of either/or. Antigone presents a Heraclitean view of justice in a conversation with her sister Ismene abut Creons proclamation that their brother, Polyneices, will ot receive proper burial rites. Antigone determines that Creon has no authority to dictate burial rites It is not for him Creon to keep me from my own (Sophocles, 163). By choosing to defy Creons decree, Antigone accepts her fate as a criminal-but a religious one, revealing that she wants to make her act of defiance a public example. Antigone does not fear Creons threat of punishment because she follows a different form of justice based on a higher religious authority.Religion functions in a chiasmic structure, where the opposite values of wicked and just, lose their oppositional aspects (Ulfers, Lecture). Antigones committedness to a Heraclitean view of justice allows her to defy the sovereign, yet keep her honor No suffering of mine will be enough to make me put across ignobly (Sophocles 165). In contrast, Ismene chooses to follow Creons interpretation of justice because he is the current ruling power, whose authority is unquestioned. She is not able to see past the either/or logic Creon has imposed on his people.As a wiser, older sister, Ismene warns Antigone about disobeying Creon, pleading with Antigone to come to her senses and see how miserable our demise shall be if in the dentition of rectitude we shall transgress against the sovereigns decree and powerExtravagant action is not sensible (Sophocles, 163). Ismene determines that Antigones intended action is flawed because it goes beyond the simplicity of following the sovereigns law. Despite these warnings, Antigone is compelled to defy Creons proclamation as a result of her Heraclitean view of justice.Creon confronts Antigone for defying his decree. In contrast to Antigone, Creon represents the Paramenidean view of justice, which is based on an oppositional order of wicked and just, punishment and reward (Ulfers, Lecture). Creon extends these distinctions to the realm of the dead My enemy is still my enemy even in death (Sophocles 181). Creon believes that by extending the intolerance of treachery into deaths realm, he will set an example that will dissuade any future uprisings against his rule.Antigone shows no remorse for her actions, believe that Creons rule does not extend to the realm of the dead it was not Zeus that made the proclamatio n nor did Justice, which lives with those below, enact such laws as that, for mankind. I did not believe your proclamation had such power to enable one who will someday die to override Gods ordinances (Sophocles 178). Antigone disagrees with Creon, since death is inevitable and is uncomplete considered a punishment nor a reward. In this sense, judgment is suspended in the realm of death.She feels that the mortal Creon cannot make a proclamation that governs the realm of the dead. Antigone embodies a law that revolves around the chiasmic unity of the opposite values of honor and dishonor attributed to Etocles and Polyneices, respectively (Ulfers, Lecture). She will not give allegiance to the temporal rules of Creon, since she will be in conflict with the higher authority of the gods regarding the realm of death The god of death demands these rites for both (Sophocles 181).As a result of Antigones public display of noncompliance toward Creons rule, Creon believes that he is forced t o fulfill the justified punishment of death on Antigone. In order to uphold his authority as a approximate ruler, he feels that he has to rule with intolerance toward disobedience The man the city set up in authority must be obeyed in small things and in just but also in their opposites (Sophocles, 187). In Creons mind, creating a victorious rule means inflexible justice, order, and discipline.This unchanging mentality of a strict separation of being either loyal or disloyal and receiving either reward or punishment represents a Paramenidean view of justice. His form of justice is devoid of leniency and mercy, only seeing his own perspective on justice. Creon finally realizes the true injustice of his law only after the tragic deaths of his son, wife, and Antigone The mistakes of a blinded man are themselves rigid and laden with death (Sophocles, 209).His inflexible decrees blinded him from true justice by locking him into a rigid Paramenidean view of the world. After facing unpara lleled tragedies, he ultimately has gained insight into Antigones justice. Creon has switched from the Paramenidean separation of opposites to the chiasmic unity of opposites Everything in my hands is crossed (Sophocles, 212). Creon is now able to comprehend that not everything can be categorized into separate distinctions to be judged, seeming to accept the Heraclitean view of justice.Creon sees the error in his notion of justice, but he is too late to prevent the tragedy that befalls him. His absolute power of ruling combined with his pride and arrogance leads him to be blinded to Antigones beliefs. At the end of the play, Creon gains wisdom from his unwelcome fate realizing that he should have kept the old accepted laws (Sophocles 204, 212). This realization bestows upon him the knowledge to rule in favor of the both/and Heraclitean view of justice, rather than the either/or Paramenidean view of justice that he once followed.