Study of the conflict at the Burial at Thebes The WritePass Journal

Study of the conflict at the Burial at Thebes Study of the conflict at the Burial at Thebes Introduction The conflicts between the major characters in The Burial at Thebes are concerned mainly with three important issues that continue to be relevant to different times and cultures. When we look at the meaning of conflict we can say it can be defined as ;   the struggle or clash between opposing forces,or opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible wishes or drives, sometimes leading to a state of   emotional tension Collins English Dictionary 2005.p355. When we look at the play itself, the major characters are Antigone, her sister Ismene and Creon the King of Thebes. The play revolves around the burial of Polyneices, brother of Antigone, who was killed in battle and the observance of specific funeral rites that were the custom of the that time. It was a decision, by Creon of how this burial was to be   carried out that caused the conflict   between these major characters,   although the issues underlying this conflict ran much deeper than that. Antigone,   would not accept the decree of King Creon, who said that Polyneices would not be allowed a normal funeral with full honours , as befitting a soldier dying on the battlefield, because he had declared   him a traitor and enemy of the state . His body would be publicly dishonoured by being   ;- dumped, disposed of like a carcass, left out for the birds to feed on, if you so much as throw him the common handful of clay youll have committed a crime,and whoever breaks this law,Ill have them stoned to   death.   Seamus Heaney 2004 ,The Burial at Thebes p.2,and 3. Although in ancient Greece at that time women were not   allowed to speak in the Council and had hardly any civil rights they did   have certain funereal roles regarding laying to rest and lamentations for   the deceased . Therefore, Antigone had some justification in her assertion that her remaining   brother should have proper funeral rites. However, Creon a newly appointed King   was not in a very secure position and had to assert his authority over his subjects by being a firm ruler. The crown being thrust upon him as he was next in line and having declared Polyneices a traitor would not change his mind. Thus the area of conflict ensued, and both being characters of very strong wills neither would back down. Therefore the issues that have arisen between these major characters can be summarised as the following:- Firstly, is the question of conscience for Antigone, concerning personal and family loyalty against   obedience to the King and Country, and which should take precedence. In this instance should Antigone go against the Kings wishes and bury her brother with due dignity, on penalty of death, or obey the decree of King Creon and allow him to be publicly dishonoured as a traitor?. In this instance she justifies her position as being in accordance   with the law of the gods to honour the dead which is above that of of the King and the law of the land. It   therefore raises a conflict of loyalties between   public morality over private duty, and which should prevail.   Secondly there is the issue of womens rights and gender issues when living   in a male dominated society , as highlighted by  Ã‚   Ismene   saying;-   two women on our own faced with a death-decree. Women ,defying   Creon?.Its not a womans place. Were weak they are strong. Seamus Heaney ,The Burial at Thebes 2004 p.5. Ismene in this instance is portraying the weaker compliant feminine position while Antigone could be seen as showing the stronger masculine side . This issue is also highlighted several times later in the play when Creon referring to Antigone says;-Have I to be the woman of the house and take her orders?. No woman will dictate the law to me and women were never meant for this assembly,from now on theyll be kept in their place again Seamus Heaney Burial at Thebes 2004 p22,24,27. The final area of conflict involves excessive pride or hubris and nemesis or retribution as a result. This   is an area of great interest for the Greeks and often featured in their literature. In the play Creon disregards the advice of the fortune teller and the pleas of his son, and with his stubborn character insists on carrying out his decision despite the consequences to have Antigone punished. The punishment is death for disobeying his orders and Creon refused to rescind this   until it was too late, thereby paying the ultimate penalty of losing his wife ,son and future daughter in law, as a result of his actions. These conflicts between the the major characters with Creon representing the state and inflexible government and Antigone embodying individual freedom, championing justice and individual rights and the urge to rebel. While Ismene representing the softer subservient side conforming to the rules especially as a woman in a male dominated society, have similarities with issues that continue to be relevant to different times and cultures. When Antigone was performed in France in 1942 it was surprisingly not banned by the occupying Germans, despite the fact that Antigone could be seen as representing France championing individual freedom when   Creon could be seen as portraying the occupying German forces and Ismene the Vichy government. The situation in Northern Ireland was also seen as an example of how the individual characters of Antigone and Ismene   could be used to illuminate the conflict;- that is in individuals as well as in society,representing two   opposing influences that often co-exist :the impulse to rebel and the impulse to conform for the sake of a quiet life OBrien C.C. (1968) The Listener ,reprinted in AA100 The Arts Past and Present Cultural Encounters Book 3 p221. Further comparisons can be made when after   9/11 regarding a new sense of the plays relevance Heaney said;-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There was the general worldwide problem where considerations of state security posed serious threats to human rights. Then there was the   obvious parallel between George W. Bush and Creon AA100 The Arts Past and Present Cultural Encounters Book 3 p.222. This comparison was further enhanced when considering the invasion of Iraq and the â€Å"war on terror† when George W. Bush and the   White House   Administration asked if you are in favour of state security or not ? If you dont support the eradication of this tyrant in Iraq and the threat he poses you are on the wrong side in the war on terror Heaney (2004) Progamme note,for Abbey Theatre Production of the Burial at Thebes, 2004.   AA100 Cultural Encounters, Book 3, p227.   This can be likened to the situation with Creon when he addresses the Citizens of Thebes and says   in effect that if you support   me you are a patriot but if you support a woman who has disobeyed the   law this in itself is a traitorous act so you, therefore in turn become a traitor, which becomes an either/or choice. Whoever isnt for us      Is   against us in this case. Heaney (2004) The Burial at Thebes,p3. The final example of the relevance and conflict of its characters  Ã‚   when Nelson Mandela was in prison where   they put on the play Antigone and he played the part of Creon. Mandela saw the character as somewhat of heroic figure, as he would not give in, even under the most trying circumstances and   used the conflict between Antigone and Creon as an inspiration for his own struggle for freedom. When we look at the reasons why the original play was enacted in Ancient Greece, we can confirm that it was put on for primarily a male audience and no slaves or women were allowed. Females took no part in public life at that time and were seen as second class citizens as witnessed by the attitude of Creon. The audience were also members of the assembly or court and had to attend as part of their   civic duties and going to the play as a duty showed them how it was relevant to their life at that time by putting the audience in the shoes of the characters. The actors wore masks to i dentify their personalities by typifying an expression and the whole production was designed to educate in a moralistic way, and also teach about leadership and democracy. The subject of the play is a tragedy , where a major figure or hero   has apparently everything but then falls from grace mainly due to a flaw in his (or her)character , in a conflict of the mind and cannot escape from their beliefs. In Burial at Thebes the stories of Antigone, Creon and Ismene can be seen as tragic   raising issues with conflicts of loyalty, duty, individual   rights, divine law and justice. These conflicts also moulded by a style of leadership which can be seen as patriotic, but merciless and blindly inflexible and are all human issues that continue to be relevant as much today as well as in the passage of time since the original play was written in the 5th century BCE. Bibliography Collins English Dictionary seventh edition   2005,Harper Collins,Glasgow. Seamus Heaney (2004) The Burial at Thebes, Faber and Faber,London. Hardwick,L.(2008) Cultural Encounters in R.D.Brown(ed) Seamus Heaneys ,The Burial at Thebes, (AA100 Book 3) , Milton Keynes, TheOpen University,pp 183-235.