Justice in Antigone

Antiquity and the 19th Century (Ulfers) William Rauscher Thursday, 930AM Justice in Antigone In Sophocles Antigone, two ideals of justice are presented, which conflict with each other. Creons convention of justice reciprocates the loyal Eteocles and punishes the traitor Polyneices, by refusing to give Polyneices puritanical interment rites. This form of justice directly conflicts with Antigones idea of justice, which doesnt disunite between the arch(a) and the just. These two conflicting thoughts on justice illustrate two classic philosophies.Creon represents a Paramenidean batch of justice, while Antigone represents a Heraclitean medical prognosis of justice. Paramenidean thought splits the world into two systems, where Being is primary and Becoming is indirect (Ulfers, Lecture). To Paramenides, Being is associated with the idea of oneness and timelessness, while any Becoming or assist is an illusion produced by the senses. This dualistic worldview simplifies everyday o ccurrences and thoughts into opposites, which are un deviateable. In credit line, 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 k directlyn as chiasmic unity. Chiasmic unity constitutes a paradoxical unity of opposites, which binds opposites together and handles them apart. Heraclitean thought favors the system of logic of both/and, which violates the Paramenidean logic of either/or. Antigone presents a Heraclitean view of justice in a chat with her sister Ismene abut Creons proclamation that their brother, Polyneices, ordain ot receive proper burial rites. Antigone determines that Creon has no laterality to dictate burial rites It is not for him Creon to keep me from my own (Sophocles, 163). By choosing to deny Creons decree, Antigone accepts her fate as a c riminal-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 play alongs a different form of justice based on a high religious authority.Religion functions in a chiasmic structure, where the opposite values of wicked and just, lose their oppositional aspects (Ulfers, Lecture). Antigones commitment 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 die 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 go to her senses and see how miserable our end shall be if in the teeth of lawfulness we shall transgress ag ainst the sovereigns decree and powerExtravagant fulfill 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 make its 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 forthcoming uprisings against his command.Antigone shows no remorse for her actions, believing that Creons rule does not extend to the realm of the dead it was not Zeus that made th e proclamation nor did Justice, which lives with those below, consecrate such laws as that, for mankind. I did not believe your proclamation had such power to enable one who will someday die to subvert Gods ordinances (Sophocles 178). Antigone disagrees with Creon, since death is inevitable and is neither considered a punishment nor a reward. In this sense, judgment is suspended in the realm of death.She feels that the mortal(a) Creon cannot make a proclamation that governs the realm of the dead. Antigone embodies a law that revolves close to the chiasmic unity of the opposite values of honor and dishonor attributed to Etocles and Polyneices, singly (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 perfections regarding the realm of death The god of death demands these rites for both (Sophocles 181).As a result of Antigones public viewing of noncompliance toward Creons rule, Creon b elieves that he is forced to fulfill the justified punishment of death on Antigone. In order to uphold his authority as a good 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 as well as in their opposites (Sophocles, 187). In Creons mind, creating a victorious rule convey inflexible justice, order, and discipline.This unchanging mentality of a strict separation of organism either loyal or disloyal and receiving either reward or punishment represents a Paramenidean view of justice. His form of justice is devoid of pampering and mercy, only seeing his own perspective on justice. Creon finally realizes the unbowed injustice of his law only after the tragic deaths of his son, wife, and Antigone The mistakes of a blind man are themselves rigid and laden with death (Sophocles, 209).His inflexible decrees blind him from true justice by locking him into a rigid Paramenidean view of the world. After facing unparalleled 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 go to pieces 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 impregnable power of ruling combined with his pride and arrogance leads him to be blind 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.