The trio of classical Greek texts, The Last Days of Socrates, Antigone, and The Eumenides, all create a contrast between public and private morality. In each work a person carries out an unpopular action in which he alone believes, and will then have to justify the result which, although deemed unsatisfactory by the general public, he deems necessary for his own private conscience. For Socrates, philosophizing about his version of the truth was his private responsibility that was despised by the public. Antigone's loyalty was to her brother rather than to the state which had decreed that he should not receive a proper burial. Orestes sought revenge against his mother for killing his father, even if it meant committing a heinous crime that he knew would not be well received. Each hero challenged the absolutist notion of justice and shifted the public's attention to a more relativistic interpretation by appealing to common sense rather than entrenched archaic tradition, and each of them valued the word of the gods over that of their human rulers . plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the Apology, Socrates defends himself against the charge of "...committing an injustice, in that he inquires into things under the earth and in the heavens, and causes the weaker reasoning to defeat the stronger, and teaches the others to follow his example." (19b) In other words, he is accused of delving into supernatural matters for which others rely on the gods, is a sophist, and corrupts the youth. To justify his role as a philosopher, Socrates first reminds his accusers of the oracle's proclamation that he is the wisest man in the world. Although he erases some of the obvious immodesty from this statement by attesting that the oracle really meant "The wisest of you men is he who has realized, like Socrates, that in comparison with wisdom he is truly useless", (23b) the appeal to that of the gods is a technique of justice that Socrates knows to be infallible; no mortal can refute the opinion of the deities. Socrates supports his claim about the necessity of his proselytizing in his cross-examination of Meletus, a system in which he asks leading questions with which he knows the examinees will agree, thus allowing him to construct a counterpoint opinion while exposing the fallacious logic employed by the his opponent. For Socrates, justice comes in the scientific form of deduction, not in random points thrown in haphazardly. Socrates asks Meletus "...who is it that makes young people good?" (24d) to which Meletus ultimately agrees that everyone in "Athens has a refined effect on the young, except [Socrates]; and [Socrates] alone corrupts them." (25a) This is an easy point for Socrates to refute since this time, instead of invoking the claim of a god, he uses an analogy between horse trainers and horses to derive the logical claim "...that the ability to improving [horses] belongs to one person or a very few people, who are horse trainers, while most people, if they deal with horses and use them, do them harm?" (25b) The syllogism is a cornerstone of Socrates' argument, because only through irrefutable logic, and not an emotional appeal, can he exonerate himself. After many more inferences in the hope of absolution, Socrates finally argues that his allegiance is to God over his fellow mortals. He is a firm believer in perseverance, as he states "Where a man has once taken a stand, either because it seems best to him or in obedience to his orders, there I believe he is destined to remain and face danger... This being the case , that would be a shocking inconsistency on the partmine... when God appointed me... to the duty of leading a philosophical life... abandoning my post." (28d,e) He feels that he is the chosen one and that he must continue on his path regardless of the punishment. He would even deny the compromise of absolution with the reservation of ceasing to philosophize, because "I owe greater obedience to God than to you...I will never stop practicing philosophy, exhorting you and indicating the truth...because I spend all my time trying to persuade you...to make your first and chief concern...the utmost welfare of your souls..." (29d,30b) This stubborn feeling is what ultimately leads to Socrates' punishment with death, but his point sounds clear: justice should be interpreted logically, rather than emotionally, and the edicts of the gods and personal beliefs contain more substance than the orders of an unwise and unjustified public. Sophocles' Antigone begins with the two cursed daughters of Oedipus, Antigone and Ismene, who discuss the public decree forbidding the burial of their brother Polyneices, who was a traitor to the state. Antigone sees disobedience to this law as admirable, and tells the hesitant Ismene "you will soon show yourself noble both by nature and birth, or yourself vile, though of noble parentage." (42-4) Antigone believes that one's actions shape one's character and that lineage plays no role. Ismene tries to calm her sister's anger in a monologue of self-submission: "You should understand that we are only women, not destined by nature to fight against men, and that we are governed, by those who are stronger, to obedience in this and even more painful matters… I will surrender to the authorities.” (70-3.77) Ismene believes that justice is, in the words of Thrasymachus, the advantage of the strongest. The inferiors should bow to their leaders, no matter how unfair the situation may seem. Antigone is a much more independent woman and holds the immortal to a higher standard than the mortal: "The time I must please those who are dead is longer than the time I must please those of this world. For there I will lie for always, if you want, you can bring shame on what the gods have honored." (86-9) Like Socrates, she values ​​the gods and her personal beliefs more than the fickle orders of her rulers, and will therefore perform appropriate death rites that the gods would approve of for someone she loves, even if it means certain death. Creon soon. he enters history as the leader who prohibited the burial of Polyneices. His philosophy regarding the character of a man is outlined in a speech to the choir: "It is impossible to know any man...until he shows his skill in government and law. I think a man supreme ruler of a whole city, if he does not seek the best advice for her, but keeps his tongue locked out of fear, I judge him the worst of all..." (195.97-201) He believes that justice is what helps the city the most; in this case, justice involves punishing a traitor and honoring a good citizen, as this encourages good behavior among his people. When Antigone is brought to him as the culprit of the burial, he cannot fully believe that she would break his law, to which she replies "Yes, it was not Zeus who made the proclamation; not even Justice... I did not believe your the proclamation had such power to enable those who will one day die to ignore the ordinances of God... They are not of today and yesterday, they live forever... I know I will die... But if I dare leave the man dead ; ...dead and unburied, this would have been a real pain. The other one wouldn't." (494-501, 504,510-2) Her reiteration of her beliefs that the immortal and the personal prevail over the public does not embarrass Creon, who stubbornly condemns her to." (1072,6,80-5).