Essay on 'Antigone' Conflicts

The idea of conflict between the state and individuals and the theme of civil disobedience remains prevalent throughout society today. Despite 'Antigone' and 'Fahrenheit 451' being written nearly two thousand years apart, both texts share the same societal issues of conflict between the state and the individual but in different contexts. Both Sophocles and Bradbury are influenced by the political contexts of the period and thus the relationship between moral and religious law in conflict with constitutional law. Bradbury wrote his dystopian novel in the 1950s; a period which just saw atomic bombs dropped in Japan and conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. This issue of state conflict parallels the overarching threat of nuclear war in the novel set amongst the individual conflict which was suppressed by the state. It is interesting to note the contrast between the unconventional female protagonist, Antigone, and the male protagonist, Montag, and how they are both presented as powerful individuals. It could be argued that here Sophocles challenges gender norms. The tragic play 'Antigone' is a compact play that takes place over a day, set within a patriarchal society. It is important to recognize the significant role of tragedies in Ancient Greece during the Festival of Dionysus. During this festival, to demonstrate their appreciation for the Gods, plays, like 'Antigone', were performed to them. However, in increasingly secular societies today, where the importance of religious morals has decreased, the Gods have thus decreased in value. This could decrease the relatability in modern-day societies. Despite this in both texts it could be argued that ultimately the state overstepping its duty to society led to this tragedy in 'Antigone' and the unrest in society in 'Fahrenheit 451' which modern-day readers can resonate with.

In both texts, the state suppresses conflict committed by individuals through punishments and societal norms imposed on individuals, subsequently preventing conflict from developing into wider movements that restrict its influence upon society. In 'Antigone' Sophocles emphasizes providing the audience with the ideas of the collective thoughts of the citizens. Critic Professor Edith Hall argues that 'Haemon voices opinions that are closest to that of Sophocles. He demonstrates the political theory of a close colleague of Sophocles and philosopher, Protagorus, about hominoids. Haemon highlights the collective thoughts about the state suppressing free thought. This can be supported when Haemon states 'the man in the street-dreads your glance, he'd never say anything displeasing to your face..death?'. Here Haemon alludes to the idea that the citizens choose not to displease the state, in this case, Creon, for fear of the consequences. This idea can be reinforced by the connotations of the verb 'dreads' which conveys a reluctance to confront due to fear. Subsequently, this illustrates the state suppressing conflict through projecting norms in society to not confront. Sophocles' use of prolepsis when Haemon states 'rage your heart out, rage with friends who can stand the sight of you' emphasizes the thoughts felt and the conflict of thoughts between the state and individuals. The rise of the democratic system in Athens brought values imposed on citizens to follow. Despite citizens having the freedom to vote and speak as they wished, the laws meant that often people chose to comply for fear of not being buried in the city. This stems from high loyalty to the city and loyalty to the Gods. In contrast to Bradbury's novel, Sophcles additionally uses the chorus to make it clear to the audience what the citizens collectively think. Critics argue they are the 'embodiment of the city' as they change their thoughts to reflect the changing opinions of citizens which thus allows the audience to grasp a better understanding of how conflict is brewing as everything can be seen. This is a key trope in Greek Tragedy as it shapes events that take place in the play.

Conversely, in Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451' it could be argued that the reader does not learn what the citizens collectively think due to the sole focus on individual conflict such as the key protagonist Montag. Critic Don D'Ammassa argues that Bradbury's dystopia is not imposed by a 'small and powerful minority but by a large and thoughtless majority'. Similar to 'Antigone', Bradbury shares the same ideas of the state suppressing conflict through imposing a collective conscience enabling the citizens to subconsciously impose the rules of the state. Montag laughed 'That's against the law!' when Clarisse questioned the role of firemen in society. This denial emphasizes how individual conflict against the state is suppressed without confrontation. Bradbury's plays with conventional ideas of firemen and it is argued that Bradbury's inspiration for the state's censorship may have been inspired by censorship enforced under the Nazi government. During the 1930s and 40s the burning of books became a ceremonial affair where all books argued to be under 'Jewish influence'; in opposition to the Nazi party; promoting ideologies that were against their dictatorship were destroyed and burnt. Arguably this concept of destroying knowledge parallels the heavy censorship in Bradbury's novel. 'Fahrenheit 451' provides a modern form of censorship through the fire service and the media, in particular the television, blinding people to reality. Some individuals, such as Montag, resist censorship and ask 'Was - was it always like this?'. However, even small thoughts of conflict are suppressed by individuals who represent the state, for example, Captain Beatty states 'What kind of talk is that?'. Bradbury's use of italics here emphasizes 'that' in the speech. It is important to note that Beatty does not give it a name, alluding to the fact that it should be unspoken of. This concept is reinforced by the use of caesura and repetition of 'was' which illustrate the timid nature of his voice. One might argue that the same fear of questioning dominant ideologies is presented here.

Both texts present the state as ignoring moral laws. It could be argued that this lack of understanding of people's own beliefs is what drove individuals such as Montag and Antigone to resist. In Sophocles 'Antigone,' the concept of constitutional law versus divine law is represented through the conflict between the individual and the state. In 508 BC Athens introduced a democratic government to encourage the involvement of citizens in state policies. However, this became difficult when people's personal relationships and loyalty to the Gods came into conflict with the laws imposed. This conflict can be seen in the interactions between Tiresias and Creon. In Tiresia's last speech, he argues Creon 'robbed the gods below the earth, keeping a dead body here in the bright air, unburied, unsung, unhallowed by the rites'. Gods were placed in high importance in Ancient Greece. People-based their actions and thoughts on pleasing the Gods as they thought that the Gods controlled every part of their life. One can argue this is reinforced by the connotations of the verb 'robbed' which highlights that it was not his decision to make. Additionally, the alliterative 'unburied, unsung, unhallowed' places emphasis on these three words to evoke an emotional response. It may also be argued that this alludes to an idea of Creon enforcing these laws for his gain not to help his citizens, supporting their beliefs.

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Individuals defying the state in a movement towards positive change in society are present in both texts. Antigone provides a further example of the conflict between the state's leader and a citizen. Antigone's last words are with the Gods as her actions were 'all for reverence, my reverence for the Gods!' Here the pronoun of 'my' emphasizes the power she has, whilst the repetition of 'reverence' centers the idea of respect for the Gods as the root of her decision to conflict. It could be argued that Antigone conflicts with stereotypical expectations of women in a more passive role. Additionally, this could be linked to the traits of a Greek tragic hero. Here Antigone demonstrates the qualities of anagnorisis, when she accepts her fate, and peripeteia, when both the characters and audience are shocked by her unexpected death which highlights both the impact of conflict and the importance of loyalty to the Gods.

Conversely 'Fahrenheit 451' is written in the form of a novel, allowing the reader to gain a better understanding of the character's thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, in contrast to 'Antigone', Bradbury focuses on the conflict between moral judgement against constitutional law. In this dystopian society, religion does not influence the decisions of individuals. Fahrenheit 451 was written during post-war society and under the influence of 1950s politics. Society had been subject to dictatorship and the repression of free will, expression, and individual choice. Bradbury uses this concept in his novel where books are not just forbidden but knowledge is fatal, leading to certain individuals conflicting and questioning the state's views. The state ideology is shown through Captain Beatty who defies all moral laws. Additionally, Beatty shares a similar hubris to Creon. He believes that 'any man is insane who thinks he can fool the Government'. Here the connotations of the post-modifying adjective 'insane' continue this idea imposing the states on the individuals. Additionally, the verb 'fool' alludes to the idea that Beatty aims to deter people from conflict. Similar to Creon, he is confident that people will not conflict, however, fails at this.

In both texts, the idea of the state overstepping its duty to society subsequently results in the opposite effect. The idea of control of society is in place to reduce the likelihood of a state of anomie but it could be argued that the state's obsession with the power of leadership results in increasing the temptation of citizens to rebel for what is morally right. Lacan's view of 'Antigone' is in line with Goethe who argues that 'the conflict is between a representative of the state, who oversteps his bounds and tries to force even the dead to conform to the norms of civic life'. Creon alludes to this idea when his obsession with power and the conflict that he causes inevitably results in his downfall. Creon argues that being 'lucky tyrants' is 'the perquisites of power!'. This literary trope in tragic plays can be seen in famous plays such as Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' where the protagonist's obsession with power is what fundamentally leads to his downfall. Citizens question Creon 'Who on earth can say the ones below don't find this pure and uncorrupt?', the adjective 'uncorrupt' alludes to the perception that Creon is overstepping his role as leader, it is not for man to judge other men as it is difficult to know what the Gods deem wicked. However, others may argue Creon was born to rule due to the connotations of his name meaning ruler and at the beginning of the play his intentions are for the benefit of both himself and the citizens. Here, it could be argued that Sophocles aims to engage the audience into questioning their values in society and questioning what is morally right and wrong. Throughout the play, there is a constant debate between what is right and wrong, and often Sophocles makes links throughout his plays to the political situation in Athens. In Ancient Greece, theatre and politics had a clear relationship and playwrights would often create work in response to political debates. Some argue that these issues discussed then influenced political decisions made.

In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury highlights the conflict of one character against the state in particular. This leaves the reader to make inferences about the extent to which our protagonist is morally right or whether the state's laws are imposed for good reasons. It is interesting to note the comparison between the female protagonist, Antigone, and the male protagonist, Montag, in Fahrenheit 451. In Ancient Greek society, women were controlled by society and their husbands and were conditioned into remaining quiet. Antigone defies these expectations and stereotypes of women. Critic Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood argues that a male audience during the fourth century would have negatively perceived Antigone due to the male-female contact that takes place. Some may argue that Montag had more power than Antigone to conflict due to the authority of the male voice placed in higher regard, therefore making it easier for him. However, both characters, despite challenges, faced up for what they deemed morally right. It could be argued that leaders of both societies are overstepping their role, leading to conflict taking place. In the novel, Beatty states 'Sit down, Montag. Watch. Light the first page, light the second page. Each becomes a black butterfly. Here this quote alludes to control and abolishment of individuals' ability to develop. The idea of the state overstepping censorship can be seen through the repetition of imperative verbs 'Sit down. Watch..light'. Additionally emphasized by the monosyllabic sentence, 'Watch', which provides finality and does not allow a response from Montag. One can reinforce this with Bradbury's use of the oxymoron 'black butterfly'. The metaphor of 'butterfly' evokes connotations of freedom and hope which juxtaposes the connotations of 'black' representing the burnt paper and contrasting the beauty of a 'butterfly'. However, the director of a visual modern adaptation, Ramin Bahrani argues that 'Fahrenheit 451 serves as a crucial reminder to keep seeking knowledge'. The extreme control of the state is what inevitably leads to the intrigue of books for Montag, and the desire to seek knowledge.

Both Sophocles 'Antigone' and Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451' highlight the conflict between the individuals and the state and subsequently, the impact this has upon societal norms, the citizens, and the rise in collective movements for change. Despite both plays not being written at the same time they share the same ideas of the conflict between the personal and the private which still takes place in modern-day society. Particularly for 'Antigone' this has subsequently enabled the longevity of this play. Modern adaptations have been produced to suit more secular societies but continue the issues raised in the plot. To conclude, the most important link to make is how both texts raise issues that take place in human society and how readers should question their societies and rights for what is morally right.