Skip to main content
A Review of Antigone's Characterization from the Perspective of Freud's Notion about Justice
During confliction over whether men’s natural disposition is a confliction for the human relations or not. With assuming it is, these natural instincts must be taken under control by social regulations as Freud claims. At this point, the element of civilization begins since natural dispositions are changed by the society itself. Otherwise, a powerful man can dominate neighbors not only because of his death drive, but also his appetitive interests. The effort to avoid powerful individuals exists in the society. However, the effort becomes more effective if only if “the majority [of society] united against all separate [and powerful] individuals”(49). Laws are for the individuals, but they cannot be broken for the interests and benefits of individuals as they are made for the goodness of the society. This explicitly indicates that the term of justice is shifted from individuals to society since laws determine whether an act is justifiable or not, which means that justice must be applied to all members of the society disregarding separate individuals’ benefits. Hence, Freud differentiates between the concept of justice and moral values. The moral status and justice are completely different cases since individuals know there is no such restriction, but in order to regulate social relationships of powerful individuals, laws must be formed and practiced by everyone. Furthermore, the first requisite of the civilization begins with this notion since the term of justice does not include such an obligatory moral state, however, we will need justice to build the foundation of civilization. Therefore, It can be regarded as a primary step of the civilization.
Based on the characterization of Antigone, the play is anti-civilization in a Freudian sense because of Antigone’s identity. Antigone’s identity and the case of following her instincts what makes her different than other characters in the play. Antigone is more of a passionate person rather than Ismene, which plots some kind of a man motif. In Greek culture, we have seen that honor has a superior significance to be a real man and also the belief in the afterlife. This applies to Antigone as well since she jeopardizes her life without a second thought. This shows that gender is completely cultural paradigma which can be taken into consideration as a circumstantial state. In other words, sex is identified by the cultural values and determines the act of the person like Ismene. Briefly, the characterization of Antigone indicates that her behaviors are not affected by cultures of what civilization serves but it shows that she still is affected by the ancient Greek culture.
There are two types of laws in this play. One of them is a civil law, which is what we call the rules of the civilization. The other type of law is related to religion, which it can be readily observed in the characterization of Antigone. Antigone does not care human laws. She believes the real life begins after the death. Therefore, she utterly rejects the civil laws and denies Creon’s orders that are not to bury his brother, Polyneices. This approach does not fit with the concept of civilization in a Freudian sense since Freud claims that justice and laws are created by the community to regulate social relations of separate individuals’ benefits but in this case, it can be coherently observed that Antigone’s characterization and actions do not support Freud’s perspective, the decisive step of the civilization. In addition to this, as Freud’s notion about satisfaction is not applicable to this situation. According to Freud, laws, and justice are created by the community for regulating social relationships like instinctual behaviors as we said before. In Antigone’s case, however, it can not be seen any sign of a satisfaction she gets from the occasion of burying her brother. The main gear of the civilizations stops to work when it comes to the satisfaction since Antigone’s only wish is to bury his brother, nothing more. In this case, it is not needed to regulate Antigone’s behavior because she does not violate any other neighbors’ benefits. Hence, the reason for why the laws are created is not to validate the terms of Antigone’s characterization. To sum up, Antigone’s characterization is not only negating Freudian sense but also it distinctly opposes the main proposal of the civilization.
Based on the characterization of Antigone, the play is anti-civilization in a Freudian sense because of Antigone’s identity. Antigone’s identity and the case of following her instincts what makes her different than other characters in the play. Antigone is more of a passionate person rather than Ismene, which plots some kind of a man motif. In Greek culture, we have seen that honor has a superior significance to be a real man and also the belief in the afterlife. This applies to Antigone as well since she jeopardizes her life without a second thought. This shows that gender is completely cultural paradigma which can be taken into consideration as a circumstantial state. In other words, sex is identified by the cultural values and determines the act of the person like Ismene. Briefly, the characterization of Antigone indicates that her behaviors are not affected by cultures of what civilization serves but it shows that she still is affected by the ancient Greek culture.
There are two types of laws in this play. One of them is a civil law, which is what we call the rules of the civilization. The other type of law is related to religion, which it can be readily observed in the characterization of Antigone. Antigone does not care human laws. She believes the real life begins after the death. Therefore, she utterly rejects the civil laws and denies Creon’s orders that are not to bury his brother, Polyneices. This approach does not fit with the concept of civilization in a Freudian sense since Freud claims that justice and laws are created by the community to regulate social relations of separate individuals’ benefits but in this case, it can be coherently observed that Antigone’s characterization and actions do not support Freud’s perspective, the decisive step of the civilization. In addition to this, as Freud’s notion about satisfaction is not applicable to this situation. According to Freud, laws, and justice are created by the community for regulating social relationships like instinctual behaviors as we said before. In Antigone’s case, however, it can not be seen any sign of a satisfaction she gets from the occasion of burying her brother. The main gear of the civilizations stops to work when it comes to the satisfaction since Antigone’s only wish is to bury his brother, nothing more. In this case, it is not needed to regulate Antigone’s behavior because she does not violate any other neighbors’ benefits. Hence, the reason for why the laws are created is not to validate the terms of Antigone’s characterization. To sum up, Antigone’s characterization is not only negating Freudian sense but also it distinctly opposes the main proposal of the civilization.