“If you believe you must,
cast out these principles gods themselves honor.”- Pg.24 lines 96-7
This is the action which the gods wish for, so they must be taken place. Their laws must be followed because gods are superior amongst all human beings.
The moral laws which Antigone values are essential in this case because Kreon shows many negative qualities which make him appear as a tyrant king. He misuses power and abuses power. Kreon considers that a state belongs to the most powerful man, which in this case is him. He says:
“Nations belong to the men with the men with power.
That’s common knowledge.”- Pg.50 lines 888-9
He assumes that he is always correct and is inflexible. He does not listen to other people’s suggestions even if they are right.
“Men our age, learn from him?”-Pg.50 line 875
This is very dangerous because it can bring forth a corrupted government where king is the only man who has the power. Nations should belong to the citizens, not the king. This excessive pride of him blinds him the truth, and it is too late when he realizes his mistake. Kreon also disrespects the gods and holds hubris. When Teiresias the prophet foresaw the future, Kreon did not believe in him and called Teiresias as a “fortune teller”. Teiresias is the messenger of the gods. This means that by offending Teiresias, he is also insulting the gods. He also says that he values his laws more than the god’s laws.
“No, not if the eagles rip him for food,
not if they carry him to the throne of Zeus!”- Pg.61 line1202-3
He sees himself equal or more important than the gods.
Kreon is strong-minded to keep his state safe and in ordered. He believes that the state and its laws must be valued over anything else.
“And he who cherishes an individual beyond his homeland,
he, I say, is nothing.”Pg.28 line-222-3
A person who sees themselves and their moral laws more important is considered as “nothing” to Kreon because he is eager to keep the state controlled as a king. Kreon also treats people equally as a king.
“My niece, or let her be closer than any who pray at my home hearth,
she and her kin cannot prevent their doom.”Pg.40 line592-3
He thinks that anyone who broke the law should be punished, no matter who he/she is. Even if it was his niece, the punishment would not differ from other people. This shows that he sees the citizens equal.
The political laws that Kreon values are necessary in this case because Antigone presents some traits which shows that she took the actions as a result of her selfishness. She buried Eteokles because she wanted a good cause for her death. Living a very hard life, Antigone felt like her soul was already dead although she was physically alive. So, she wanted to die but she didn’t want to die without a reason. This is why she buried Eteokles.
“No suffering could be so terrible as to die for nothing.”-Pg.25 lines 121-2
She carried out the burial for herself, not for her brother. Also, she wanted the fame and glory by burying her brother. Since Antigone lived a tough life, she never had a time in her life when she was admired by others. She wanted to achieve the fame and glory at least once in her life.
“Still, was there a way for me to win greater fame or glory than by simply taking my own brother to his grave?”- Pg.40-41
This also shows that she took the actions for her self.
The political and the moral laws are not usually in opposition, but Antigone and Kreon are confined in a situation which the laws come up against. They are both too determined in their belief, and lack the ability to consult with each other so neither of them can back down. This leads to the death of Antigone, Haimon, and Euridice. It is the situation which causes the tragedy, neither Kreon nor Antigone. The conflicts between the two laws are still seen today. In theory, the political law should be made according to the moral laws and in this case, the conflict would not occur. However in reality, this is not always the case. For example in the time of the W.W.II (1939-1945), the Nazis ruled Germany. The Nazis which was led by Hitler had no morality in their laws that they passed out. They would discriminate and execute people just because of their color, religion, or ethnic group. They made their judgments according to how they felt about the certain groups of people and not according to how the people behaved. This meant that you have to have strength in your belief, and to go against the ridiculous laws. But many common people followed the laws that were passed out because of the fear of being punished. In Antigone, Ismene plays the part of the common men, not being able to be determined which law she would follow, the political or the moral. On the other hand, Kreon and Antigone were determined on which law to follow, and they played their role as the representative of the political and the moral law. I think that they are both right because they did what they thought was good for their own position.