Antigone & Shooting an Elephant

An underlying, yet crucial theme in Sophocles' Antigone, George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant", and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance's Southland were the difficult decisions inflicted upon the main characters in their quests for a 'good life'. These decisions were ultimately the direct cost of their individual ideas of the 'good life', and cost some of the characters more than just their aspirations. The word 'cost' in this context is best defined as 'to cause loss or expenditure'. Antigone paid this cost when she made the decision to stand up for what was morally right, despite the demands of a higher power. The young Englishman who narrates Orwell's essay is forced to make a decision based on what was popular, but not necessarily right. And sadly, the young black man depicted in Southland made the fatal decision to check on the injured white woman as she lay unconscious, in spite of the warnings of his friends. All three of the main characters are compelled to make imperative decisions, both because of and in spite of the demands of others, and these decisions become the cost of the 'good life' for all of them. Antigone and Southland both possess the shared importance of making morally sound decisions as the cost of the 'good life', despite the potential repercussions that accompany them, while "Shooting an Elephant" contrasts this by posing the issue of making decisions based on what is popular, although not morally just.

The character of Antigone is symbolic of moral justice in Sophocles' play, while King Creon stands for the law of the State. Creon thought that by setting Polynices as an example, he would be able to demonstrate the power of his reign and show that traders are not taken kindly to in his kingdom. Antigone disagreed with Creon's decision to disrespect the body of her brother, and blatantly disobeyed Creon's demands. Creon responded by giving her a cruel death sentence, but Antigone committed suicide before it could be carried out. As a result, Creon's son, who was engaged to Antigone, also committed suicide and Creon's wife, recognizing that the blood was on her husband's hands, killed herself as well. Creon was therefore left with little respect from his kingdom and the guilt of knowing that he cost three family members their lives by his decision to be forceful. Although Antigone's decision to properly bury her brother ultimately led to her own suffering, making that decision was an attempt at finding her idea of a 'good life'. King Creon's decisions to disrespect Polynices' body and to punish Antigone also led to his own suffering, but also caused great suffering in others due to his immense pride. Creon may have thought that he was making these decisions in favor of finding a 'good life', but they ultimately worked against him because they were not morally sound ones, costing him his 'good life'.

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