Laws Within Society

Laws within Society
Characters, such as Antigone, Teiresias, and Creon try to change laws within their society by using authority, logic, and emotion in their actions. For example, while discussing her plans to bury Polyneices, Antigone says to Ismene that she is going to bury her brother and that “Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way” (39). Antigone is not afraid of breaking Creon’s laws because she knows it is for her brother; therefore, family comes before the laws of society. Her use of authority in here helps set the basis of this authoritarian role she demands to have for herself instead of Creon controlling her life for her by his set of laws. Additionally, Creon is a cruel King by sentencing Antigone to be brought out to the wilderness and left there to die. This action is inhumane and against the laws of the gods. Creon had no right to put that kind of punishment on Antigone because that was a punishment that the gods would have right too. Creon tries to change the laws of society here by using his authority as King to make his actions seem right. Lastly, Creon is a very controlling and prideful man. He does not listen to Teiresias when he states that, “yourself have brought this new calamity upon us… the gods are deaf when we pray… I beg you… you should be able to yield for your own good” (72). Teiresias is using logic and emotion to get to Creon to tell him to consider the chaos he is putting his people in and to stop thinking selfishly for once. Creon’s pride is causing his people to suffer. Teiresias is letting Creon know that if he doesn’t let go of the crime of Antigone burying her brother then he will hurt more people. This use of logic and emotion was smart on Teiresia’s part because it opens Creons eyes up to his faults and could help him alter the punishments he so wrongly set upon Antigone. In conclusion, throughout Antigone the use of ethos, pathos, and logos are demonstrated through the actions of Creon, Teiresias, and Antigone.