Antigone Right V. Right

A famous German philosopher named Hegel claimed, “At the heart of the Greek tragedy is the spectacle of right vs. right.” The central idea of the tragedies was not about who was right and wrong, because those two would be effortless to separate from each other, but on who was considered the most right, which would many times be difficult to tell apart. Throughout the tragic play, Antigone, written by the ancient Greek playwright, Sophocles, Antigone was proven to be the most right. This can be verified since Antigone decided to follow the gods’ law over Creon’s law, and the punishment that she received from Creon was far too unreasonable. Antigone does what is ethical by pursuing what would be right in accordance to the gods, not in accordance to Creon. Creon believed that Polyneices did not deserve to be buried. Before Antigone is sent to dies, she tells Creon, “You will remember / What things I suffer, and at what’s men’s hands / Because I would not transgress the laws of heaven” (4.78-80). When it comes to order of importance, the gods should be more valued, because they always will know what is right for the people. Those who follow the gods’ rules more often will most likely make the better decision. As Aristotle once said, “...human reason is the most godlike part of human nature, a life guided by human reason is superior to any other.” Eventually, even Creon himself comes to the realization that he was wrong when he says, “The laws of the gods are mighty, and a man must serve them / To the last day of his life!” (5.108-109) The gods are a powerful force, and if more people are meant to follow them. Honoring the gods is something significant, especially during ancient Greece. Even though Antigone did make the decision of breaking Creon’s laws, her punishment was not at all fair. Even if one were to say that Antigone did the wrong thing, it is hard to argue that the penalty should not have been as brutal. When discussing this situation with his father,