In Antigone, by Jean Anouilh, the character Antigone best represents the ethical idea of the ethic of duty. The ethic of duty, according to Immanuel Kant, is that “we recognize our duty to behave morally toward all humanity and act accordingly,” (Ethical Ideas 292). This means that no matter what, people find a way to treat others right. Throughout the play, she continues to want to go bury her brother since she knows that is what is right. No matter how many times her Uncle Creon tried to talk her out of it, she continued to defend her decision.
One example of Antigone following the ethic of duty was in the first few lines of this scene of the play. It described a back and forth between Antigone and Creon about whether or not she should have …show more content…
Creon: I had forbidden it. Antigone: I owed it to him. Those who are not buried wander eternally and find no rest. If my brother were alive, and he came home weary after a long day’s hunting, I should kneel down and unlace his boots, I should fetch him food and drink, I should see that his bed was ready for him. Polynices is home from the hunt I owe it to him to unlock the house of the dead in which my father and my mother are waiting to welcome him. Polynices has earned his rest,” (Anouilh 296). She had always loved her brother, so she knew she had bury him so that he found peace in the afterlife. Even with Creon trying to uphold his edict, she continued to defend her decision. She believed that it was her obligation to bury him, so that is what she …show more content…
There was something about the conversation that made her feel the need to continue to listen to what he had to say. At one point, he wanted to tell her the story of her brothers, and even though she did not want to see them any differently, she still listened. “Antigone: What story? Creon: The story of Eteocles and Polynices, the story of your brothers. You think you know it, but you don’t… Antigone (In a mild voice): Why do you tell me all this? Creon: Would it have been better to let you die a victim to that obscene story? Antigone: It might have been. I had my faith,” (Anouilh 302, 303). After hearing this story, she had conflicted feelings about her brother. For a few minutes after, she was in a daze and was susceptible to whatever Creon said to her. All of this falls under the ethic of duty since one of Kant’s main views was the idea of duty, or obligation. This part of the play shows how she had some sort of obligation to listen to what her Uncle had to say, even if she didn’t want to hear
One example of Antigone following the ethic of duty was in the first few lines of this scene of the play. It described a back and forth between Antigone and Creon about whether or not she should have …show more content…
Creon: I had forbidden it. Antigone: I owed it to him. Those who are not buried wander eternally and find no rest. If my brother were alive, and he came home weary after a long day’s hunting, I should kneel down and unlace his boots, I should fetch him food and drink, I should see that his bed was ready for him. Polynices is home from the hunt I owe it to him to unlock the house of the dead in which my father and my mother are waiting to welcome him. Polynices has earned his rest,” (Anouilh 296). She had always loved her brother, so she knew she had bury him so that he found peace in the afterlife. Even with Creon trying to uphold his edict, she continued to defend her decision. She believed that it was her obligation to bury him, so that is what she …show more content…
There was something about the conversation that made her feel the need to continue to listen to what he had to say. At one point, he wanted to tell her the story of her brothers, and even though she did not want to see them any differently, she still listened. “Antigone: What story? Creon: The story of Eteocles and Polynices, the story of your brothers. You think you know it, but you don’t… Antigone (In a mild voice): Why do you tell me all this? Creon: Would it have been better to let you die a victim to that obscene story? Antigone: It might have been. I had my faith,” (Anouilh 302, 303). After hearing this story, she had conflicted feelings about her brother. For a few minutes after, she was in a daze and was susceptible to whatever Creon said to her. All of this falls under the ethic of duty since one of Kant’s main views was the idea of duty, or obligation. This part of the play shows how she had some sort of obligation to listen to what her Uncle had to say, even if she didn’t want to hear