Social Obligations and the Inner Self in Antigone and Siddhartha
Humans are social beings, and they naturally feel the need to fulfill obligations to other
people. However, humans are also individuals with an inner sense of truth and wisdom that
help to encompass their lives. This disconnect is something many people struggle with,
and it is clearly portrayed by the characters in Antigone by Sophocles and Siddhartha by
Hermann Hesse. The characters in these two novels are motivated to achieve the “good
life” by different things; they are inspired by their families, the concept of self
enlightenment, and justice. However, they reach their ultimate destination of what they
define their good life to be. These influential individuals deal with the battle between
social obligation and their inner sense of truth and wisdom by wisely considering the
elements of the situation and making sacrifices of their family or their inner selves.
Although these social obligations conflict with one’s conscience, the characters do a great
job of still remaining true to themselves.
Haimon in Antigone carefully considered the just and unjust aspects of his father’s rule to
reach a resolution concerning the fate of his fiancée. When Kreon condemned Antigone to
death for defying his order, Haimon tried reasoning with his father. He had to decide
whether it was right to obey his father’s law or to assist Antigone in honoring her brother’s
death. Haimon said to his father, “since in justice I can see that you are wrong” (line 743).
Although Kreon has the authority over the land, Haimon realized that his father’s decree
was unjust. Motivated by justice, he decided that it was right to help Antigone by
attempting to sway his father’s decision.
Siddhartha analyzed his father’s and his own reasoning for the journey of enlightenment.
Even though Siddhartha’s family did not agree with his choice of joining the Samana, he
trusted his gut and felt that the right thing was to follow through on his decision and chase
enlightenment. Siddhartha was unhappy, and he “did not bring joy to himself, he did not
delight himself” (Hesse, 4) He decided for himself that a journey to reach enlightenment
was more important than satisfying the obligations of his family. He “had started nursing
discontent within himself. He had started feeling that his father’s love, and his mother’s
love, and also his friend Govinda’s love would not make him happy forever and always,
not please him, gratify him, satisfy him” (Hesse, 5) Although he had so much love in his
