Natural Law and State Law In Antigone
Uploaded by littleindian on Jan 11, 2007
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International Baccalaureate English 11 Period 1
9 January 2006
Natural Law and State Law in Antigone
In Antigone, one of the meanings Sophocles presents is State Law versus Natural Law which do not always agree. Sophocles uses characterization to show the conflict between the two ideas. State Law is defined as a translation of Natural Law into “concrete norms governing peoples and nations” (“Natural Law Theory”). Natural Law is the assertion there is a “natural order to the human world” that is good, should never be violated, and is eternally true (“Natural Law Theory”, Passudetti). Ideas relating to 'natural law' predate Christianity. In Greece and Rome, 'natural law' was “invoked” in conflicts when what a ruler or judge decreed and what natural law dictates disagree (“Natural Law”). Sophocles, a Greek playwright, was the first to write about an “immutable and eternal” law in the tragedy Antigone (“Natural Law Theory”).
Sophocles portrays the concepts of Natural Law and State Law through characters in the play. The effect this creates is to make the conflict between Natural Law and State Law easier to understand for the audience. After analysis, the character Creon is characterized most closely with State Law and Antigone is associated with Natural Law (Young 2). There are several occasions where Sophocles hints that Creon represents State Law. The first occurs in Creon's first dialog on page seven through page nine, “Sirs, for the ship of state- the Gods once more,/After much rocking on a stormy surge, Set her on even keel (Young 7).” In this quote, Creon is saying how the State and its laws are the ship and the Gods are the ocean (Passudetti). Creon's mindset is that he is the driver of the ship and even though admits he does not have total control as the Gods do, he believes his “will” overrides the Gods' (Passudetti, Young 8-9). Sophocles reiterates this ship concept in the chorus on page thirteen and fourteen. This belief is a representation of State Law because State Law is a specific application of “eternal law in the realm of the nature”, meaning that it's a human interpretation of the Natural Laws which could be interpreted incorrectly (“Natural Law Theory”, Young 18). This incorrect interpretation is characterized through the way Creon deals with the burial of Polynices. It was customary in...