Should one be guided by the man-made laws or the individual laws? This quandary is one of the main aspects of many literary works.
In Antigone, written by Jean Anouilh and A Doll House, written by Henrik Ibsen this dilemma is addressed. Should Antigone and Nora follow the rules made by society or should they follow their own edicts? Both the plays have highlighted the conflict between societal morality and individual ethics. The presence of this conflict in one's mind not only shapes the character in both the plays but also the paths that the character chooses by the end of the plays. Therefore by analyzing the presences of the conflict between societal morality and individual ethics, one can gain the insight of what the writer is trying to convey to the audience. This paper will compare the conflict arising between societal morals and individual ethics in both the plays.
In Antigone, the female protagonist Antigone believes that individual laws hold a high reverence than the societal laws. She feels that the laws of oneself should be obeyed above all other laws. This belief of hers is manifested in her action of burying her brother Polynices, which is against the orders of Creon. Antigone believes that she is "bound to go out and bury her brother"1 as she "owns it to him"2. Despite the fact that this action will mean death, she is still going to do it.
Furthermore, the way in which Antigone's character is depicted to the audience also illustrates that she is a follower of individual ethics.During the course of the entire play, once can easily see that she is "wanting her own stubborn way in everything"3. Moreover her disowning to "at least try to understand"4 "what Uncle Creon mean"5 and not "wanting to be right"6 give an idea to the audience that she is not going to adhere to the societal laws. Antigone also curses "the fact that she is a girl"7 because the ideal societal law is that "it all very well for men to believe in ideas and die for them"8 but not for girls.
This shows how Antigone is antagonistic to almost every human law which is above her individual ethics. By the end of the play Antigone is condemn for burying his brother Polynices and is immured.In A Doll House, Nora who is the female protagonist portrays the same attitudes as Antigone. "Her final rebellion against the social order represented by Torvald takes on the aspect of Antigone."9 Nora since the very beginning of the play is shown as a submissive character being dominated by the male protagonist Torvald. However, she too believes that individual ethics hold a high reverence than the societal law which is known to the audience by the end of the play.
Initially, Nora fulfills the customs of the society which are set for women. Her role in the entire first part of the play is restricted to activities such as keeping the house clean and beautiful "doing tricks"10 of her husband and children. She is circumscribed to the laws made by the society and Torvald.The first time that the audience become acquainted with the fact that she is a believer of individual ethics is when Nora breaks the rule of eating macaroons. "Macaroons were illegal"11 in their house however Nora used to "hide the macaroons"12 from Torvald. Furthermore in the play, Nora's conviction of individual ethics is accentuated more when she is talking to Krogstad.
She says "Doesn't the daughter have the right to spare her dying father from worry and anxiety? Shouldn't a wife have the right to save her husband's life? I don't know the laws very well, but I'm sure it must say somewhere in there that these things are legal"13This action of Nora does not conform to the laws of the society as she believes that "the motives"14 of going against the law should also be taken into consideration. And the laws that do not obey to this are "very bad laws."15 Moreover, during the completion of the play, Nora's ideas of Individual ethics emphasized the most. Nora decides to "leave"16 Torvald because she believes that the "most sacred duties"17 are "duties to her.
"18 She believes that "first and foremost she is a human being"19 than "a wife and mother."20 And the fact that towards the end she chooses her own rights and forbids the societal law shows that she strongly believes that individual ethics hold a high reverence in Nora's life.On the contrary, Creon in Antigone and Torvald in A Doll House are guided by societal laws. Creon is the male protagonist in Antigone; he is guided by the societal laws as he is the King of Thebes.
Creon believes that civil law is above all law. Creon imposed an edict that Polynices should not be given a proper burial because he is considered as a traitor of Thebes. Creon felt that if a person acted against the state he or she loses the right to live. This clearly shows that Creon does not believe in individual ethics.
Moreover, Creon admits the fact that he is "master under the law and not above the law."21This shows that he is a follower of societal laws and not individual laws. This point is further proven when Creon orders guards to "take Antigone away"22 and accepts the fact that "she had to die"23 because Antigone was going against the societal laws. By doing so he is denying the individual ethics and supporting the societal laws.
Creon does not only deny the individuals laws of Antigone but also that of Haemon. Creon saysThe nation will say that I am making an exception for her because my son lovers her. I cannot.24This line indicates that Creon believes that individual laws hold less importance than the societal laws and in case of refusal of following the societal law a punishment should be set.
Similarly, in A Doll House, Torvald is a guided by the man-made laws. The society at that point, valued money, contracts, desire and respect over any other values. Torvald also believed in the same values. The society at that point did not consider women as a high authority figure, and hence Torvald was always the dominating figure in the house. At times when Nora seemed to deny the societal laws, he used to make her realize that she should "agree to her husband.
"25 The point at which his believes are highlighted in the play is during the end, when he reads the letter that Krogstad had written telling the truth about Nora.He considers her as a 'criminal"26 because she violated the societal laws even if it was for his life. He chooses societal laws above his love for Nora, which proves the fact that his decisions are guided by society. Till the point Nora was his "doll-wife"27 he used to love her, but as soon as he found out that she too is a criminal he expresses that "no one gives up his honor even for the one he loves."28 Throughout the beginning of the entire play, Torvald has been a dominating figure, but in the end Nora chooses her individual rights over all the societal laws and leave Torvald and her children.
In conclusion, the conflicts between societal morality and individual ethics are evident in both plays A Doll House and Antigone. Creon and Torvald are guided by the social laws, whereas Antigone and Nora are guided by the individual laws. There are other characters as well in the play which are either inclined towards individual ethics or societal morality. The author has used this approach to not only describe the character and their behavior but to also address the social frame work during that time period.
