Of John And In Sophocles & # 8217 ; Drama Antigone Essay, Research Paper
Light and Darkness Found Within the Gospel of John and in Sophocles & # 8217 ; Drama
Antigone
As a kid, my universe was enraptured by the fantastic Fisher-Price plaything
known as the Lite-Brite. By infixing multicolored small nog into their
matching slots on a elaborate usher, I could transform drab, dull, and dark
pieces of paper into fantastic plants of superb art. The visible radiation that filled and
transformed the plastic nog closely parallel constructs of visible radiation and darkness
found within the Gospel of John and in Sophocles & # 8217 ; play Antigone. The Gospel of
John focuses on the profound significance of the life of Jesus, whom he saw as the
manifestation of God & # 8217 ; s Word ( Son ) . Teiresias, of Sophocles & # 8217 ; play Antigone, is
a unsighted prophesier whose deficiency of vision does non forestall him from acknowledging the
truth. The words of John and the word picture of Sophocles, although
similar in many facets, differ in the extent to which their constructs of visible radiation
and darkness affect humanity. Sophocles & # 8217 ; visible radiation, in the signifier of Teiresias,
allows truth to pervade throughout one & # 8217 ; s life-time. John & # 8217 ; s light, as the
manifesta tion ofthe Son, nowadayss truth and enlightenment to humanity, but
besides ensures a canonized and joyous hereafter through Christ & # 8217 ; s redemption.
Teiresias, the voice of destiny and forerunner of truth in Sophocles & # 8217 ; play
Antigone, meekly enters the play by turn toing the malevolent Creon and saying
that he & # 8220 ; must walk by another & # 8217 ; s stairss and see with another & # 8217 ; s eyes & # 8221 ; ( Antigone,
102 ) . The wise prophesier was metaphorically declaring that he delivered the
message of a higher truth. This truth existed as Natural Law. Teiresias advised
his sovereign to take a different class in life. His godly vision more than
compensated for his deficiency of physical sight, for it allowed him to walk on a wise
and virtuous way. The sage shared the cognition and truth that he perceived
with others who were excessively caught up in conventional affairs to recognize the
being of a higher intent. Teiresias allowed those who stood & # 8220 ; on destiny & # 8217 ; s
thin edge & # 8221 ; ( Antigone, 102 ) to walk safely to a tableland of light. The
blind prophesier combated pride, haughtiness, and ignorance to present his message of
enlightenment.
John & # 8217 ; s message of the light and enlightenment provided by Jesus
is really similar to Sophocles & # 8217 ; Teiresias. John explained that & # 8220 ; In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God & # 8221 ; ( John 1:1 ) . The
Word or Logos that John is mentioning to manifested itself on Earth in the signifier
of Jesus Christ. The prophesier states that Jesus is & # 8220 ; the light [ that ] radiances in
the darkness, and the darkness has non overcome [ him ] & # 8221 ; ( John 1:5 ) . Harmonizing to
John, Jesus had redefined the Judaic compact with God and allowed all people
recognize the truth. By following the illustrations of Christ, one can see actions
and faith define a virtuous life, non actions-in-themselves. Jesus carried with
him the Godhead message of God and shared his words with everyone. All people,
from the despised cocotte to the aged blind adult male experienced a fraction of
God & # 8217 ; s glorification through interaction with Christ. Like Teiresias, Jesus allows
people to go from the iniquitous way of secular ingestion to step upon a
more virtuous way. Jesus allowed people to walk within the footfalls of the
Lord.
Light and darkness both play built-in parts in the Gospel of John and in
Sophocles & # 8217 ; pl
ay Antigone. In both literary plants, a individual serves as a Godhead
tool who delivers the message of a higher intent to the ignorant multitudes
engulfed by darkness. Although the intents of these couriers are similar, a
huge difference exists between them. Teiresias offered and gave advice to
persons to let them to populate a virtuous life while on Earth. The Gospel of
John illustrates that Jesus came to earth to convey more than enlightenment.
Jesus came to convey redemption to the multitudes. In Sophocles & # 8217 ; Antigone, Teiresias
provinces that & # 8220 ; honest advocate is the most invaluable gift & # 8221 ; ( Antigone, 103 ) . John
disagrees with the words of the secular sage, for with Jesus it is shown that
human actions pale in comparing to the Acts of the Apostless of God. Jesus condemns the
opinions of work forces in stating & # 8220 ; You judge harmonizing to the flesh, I judge no 1.
Yet even if I do justice, my judgement is true, for it is non I alone that justice,
but I and he who sent me & # 8221 ; ( John 8:15-16 ) . Although the judgements of Teiresias
may look to be wise and virtuous, they seem dull and corrupt when compared
with the holy glow of God. To John, the most invaluable nowadays is that
which God fondly gave. To John, the greatest gift to humanity was Jesus
Jesus who shared his holy message to non lone persons but to the full
universe. Jesus proclaimed that & # 8220 ; I am the visible radiation of the universe ; he who follows me
will non walk in darkness, but will hold the visible radiation of life & # 8221 ; ( John 8:12 ) .
The Gospel of John and Sophocles & # 8217 ; Teiresias in his play Antigone shared
many common constructs sing visible radiation and darkness. Both emphasized that the
truth and enlightenment could non be found with worldly agencies. Teiresias, the
blind prophesier, and Jesus Christ, the low Messiah, shared the message of a
higher being with people who had non yet experienced the visible radiation. A
difference exists in the fact that while Teiresias attempted to follow the way
of virtuosity, the bounds of his human head and actions could non supply
redemption for the nescient multitudes. Jesus carried with him a Godhead intent that
non merely enlightened but saved. Jesus did non entirely stress on the physical
being, but besides explained affairs belonging to the kingdom of the Godhead.
Teiresias & # 8217 ; s message made profound alterations in the lives of persons. Jesus & # 8217 ; s
message broke through the barriers of ethnocentricity and engulfed the full
universe in its visible radiation. In the ways that the Gospel of John and Sophocles & # 8217 ; play
Antigone are similar, they are besides different. The really way to righteousness
that makes the two literary plants comparable makes them different. While both
allow people to ship on the way of visible radiation, merely the Gospel of John carries the
secret to ageless redemption. In a manner similar to a kid playing with a Lite-
Brite, the Gospel of John and Sophocles & # 8217 ; character Teiresias allow rainbows of
visible radiation to be in a universe devoid of colour. While both allow the being of a
signifier of the truth, it is merely the Gospel of John that provides a elaborate usher
that will let a individual to happen order in their truth. Through such truth and
enlightenment, an abstract universe of pandemonium and ignorance can be engulfed by a
universe full of order and wisdom. Realms of beauty and glorification can attest
themselves to persons who accept the truth and the kernel of visible radiation as a
message from a higher being. Great joy and pleasance shall come to the kid
who can happen beauty and order in a black universe full of ignorance and emptiness.