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This essay explores the character's understanding and pursuit of justice in Sophocles' Antigone, highlighting the conflicts arising from differing perspectives. It examines the importance of justice and its elusive nature in human life, as portrayed by Sophocles.
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Oedipus/Antigone Essay (2011 prompt) AP English IV
Do Now: Wednesday, August 24 • True or False: What do you know about MLA? • On you own paper, rewrite ALL true statements. Correct the false statements. • 1. MLA requires 1” margins on the left and right sides of the paper, but not on the top and bottom margins. • 2. MLA formatting does not require proper pagination (Smith 1) in the top right hand corner of each page. • 3. Essays that are correctly formatted should be double spaced within each paragraph but tripled space between paragraphs. • 4. Times New Roman 12 point font is the required font style/size. • 5. Formatting can have an impact on length, which can effect whether or not one fulfills the minimum requirements of the essay. (Remember papers that do not meet the minimum word/page expectations will not receive a grade higher than 65).
The prompt • There are three separate parts of the prompt. All must be answered in the introduction. • Define the character’s understanding of justice. • Is the character successful in his/her pursuit of justice? • Why is this pursuit important? What does Sophocles seem to be saying about human life, the pursuit of justice, etc. (this is where you offer an argument).
Sample Intro • The notion of justice is a concept that is often defined by circumstance, time, and the way in which an individual views the world around him. While many civilizations have attempted to define justice through the legislation of law and civil propriety, the notion of justice remains an ambiguous idea at best. In Sophocles’ Antigone, the titular character moves swiftly in her pursuit of justice—and yet this justice runs counter to that of Creon and, thus, conflict ensues. Determined to bury her brother and adhere to her sense of justice, a strict adherence to the laws of the gods, Antigone finds herself at odds with Creon who maintains the importance of preserving the state. Arguably, Antigone’s quest for justice is not clearly successful. While she succeeds in getting Creon to change his mind, that reversal comes after it’s too late. As one follows Antigone on her path towards justice, it becomes even more clear that justice is elusive in a world where humankind is consistently thrown up against forces outside of his or her control. Thus, Sophocles’ retelling of this ancient narrative illuminates the unknown variables of justice, perhaps reminding us again that justice is little more than an ideal which human beings notoriously fail to reach.
Notice how…. • The intro started with a general statement about the big idea (Justice). • Then it moved to introducing the work and the author (context) • Provided a brief reference to plot • Concluded by making a claim about the meaning of the work as a whole.
