Theme Of Justice In Antigone Vs Creon

Merriam Webster defines justice as the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action. Humans believe that they should have the right to justice, fairness and proper treatment. A common theme found in much of the Greek literature we’ve read over the course of this semester is the seeking of justice by many characters in an attempt to procure the vengeance they believe they deserve. When these characters feel wronged, they believe that it is up to them to acquire their own justice by any means necessary. However, this attempt to achieve their justice ultimately results in much more tragedy and bloodshed. Both Antigone and The Odyssey contain plots driven by justice and revenge and both of these stories uniquely display that the cycle of revenge cannot be stopped. These
These themes are universal and can be employed in various different structures and plots to shape the character dynamics and set up intense conflicts and relationships amongst different characters.
The concept of justice is a tricky one and thus it comes as no surprise that the differing views on what is morally right between Antigone and Creon result in the tragedies of Antigone. In Antigone, Antigone and her sister Ismene return to Thebes after they discover that their brothers were waging war against one another to determine who would rule Thebes after the death of their father, Oedipus. When Antigone returns, she discovers that her brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, already killed each other. These deaths result in Creon becoming the king of Thebes. Upon his rise to the throne, Creon declares a law which holds that those who oppose the state cannot receive a proper burial with formal rites. King Creon specifically notes the importance of keeping the city honorable and thus enforcing this new law, “Such are the rulers by which I will guard this city’s greatness; and in keeping with them is the edict I have published touching the sons of Oedipus.