Love as the Highest Law in Antigone and Death of a Salesman

Love is a flash of light that gives meaning to the life of an ordinary man. It is bright as the sun, delicate as the shimmering lunar glare, deep as a bottomless ocean, and great as a boundless spring sky. Many artists have been trying to analyze the feeling, as well as find the answer to the eternal question – what is love? The following paper will discuss two plays – Antigone and Death of a Salesman. Despite the fact that Antigone and Death of a Salesman were written in different times and societies, they can be compared, since the engrossing love for family is the main aspect of both plays. In Antigone, a brave girl, Antigone proves love to her brother, sacrificing her life for the sake of love. In Death of a Salesman, Linda proves her love to Willy and Biff, forgetting about her life, feelings, and desires. However, I believe that love is about selfless giving and protection; it is the highest law in human lives.

Being written many centuries ago, Antigone is the play that gives the useful lessons to the modern generations, because the little but brave girl challenges the society, demonstrating the endless love towards her brother and sister. The society determined Antigone`s fate. She had to choose between obeying the law and following her heart. For Antigone, a law is no more than just a set of rules, while love is the feeling and the energy that exists beyond the rules. The feeling is not predictable, and it cannot be subordinate. The tragedy begins when Creon refuses to bury Antigone`s brother Polynices, because the law sentenced him to a shameful death. Under the possible punishment by death, Antigone decides to bury her brother by herself. She believes that everyone should have the right to be buried as a human, especially her brother. Creon was very angry at her, and he decided to bury Antigone alive for her “crime”. Indeed, Antigone acted out of love and devotion. The love killed her. Antigone is shown for the readers as the light, which is a guarantee that the humanity is not doomed to the hopeless darkness. The world, where a sister can stand for her brother, cannot be hopeless. From the very beginning of the novel, the audience sees Antigone as a strong woman, who is strict to herself and the surrounding world. However, till the end of the play, the reader understands that she is tender inside. In her final monologue, Antigone says that she loved the joy of the sun, the streams, and the trees. She loved her parents, her unborn children, and her sister, who did not support her decision at first. However, most of all, Antigone loved her brother. In his drama, Sophocles is trying to say that no human being can find the strength to die without love in his heart. Antigone`s soul is overflowing with love. An intimate tenderness is inherent to the nature of a loving woman. The deep affection, the fiery, and almost reckless love made her strong before the face of death.

Death of a Salesman is one more perfect example of the endless love to the family in the world literature. The protagonist Willy Lomen has many illusions, and he does not have the life that he always wanted to have. He is not a perfect family man. He does not treat his wife as a beloved woman, and has affairs from time to time. The family life lies on the shoulders of a tender woman, Willie’s wife, Linda. She provides understanding and support for her husband and two sons. Willy is the most important man in Linda`s universe. The woman is the example of understanding, support, and patience. She is a good wife and a mother, even though everyone tries to test her limits of patience. Being an ideal woman, Linda demonstrates her lifelong attention to her husband and romanticizes their relationship. She does not see the flaws of Willie`s behavior considering him the best man in the world. However, some aspects of her behavior are wrong. Indeed, a woman should provide support for her man, but she should not blindly follow his every word. Sometimes, a man can be mistaken, and there should be somebody, who can point to his flaw and give some advice. Linda tries to be the best woman so that her husband feels comfortable and safe. I opine that sometimes Linda just wanted to escape from the problems. Even noticing that her husband plans suicide, she does nothing to stop him. Linda has the great heart that allows her forgetting all the offences. No matter how Willy treats Linda in different situations, she never shows her dissatisfaction. Undoubtedly, man and woman should be close friends, who can always help each other. Linda’s ability to comfort and satisfy Willy leads him to create the world of illusions. Eventually, the man finds it difficult to accept the unpleasant reality. To weaken the tension, Linda fails to help her husband to see the world. Moreover, she refuses their sons to help with their problems and sins. Besides being a loving and faithful wife, Linda is also a caring mother. She does not have strong ambitions towards their children as her husband does. She accepts them as they are - not very successful and determined people. Perhaps, only a mother can love her children in a devoted manner. Unlike her husband, she understands that Biff and Happy are her kids, and they will always be the main reason for her pride, no matter what potential they have. Unfortunately, Linda has to be a judge in the family, where children and father accuse and offend each other. However, the woman expresses loyalty, patience, and submissive nature that make her the most sympathetic character in the play.