Breaking The Law In Sophocles's Antigone

Antigone decides to bury her brother because she knows that he’s good, and that his soul deserves to rest in peace. Creon believes that Polyneices is a traitor, and that he has a negative spirit which doesn’t deserve peace so “[Creon] will condemn to death anyone who attempts to bury Polyneices.” (37-38). Creon, passes a law that says no one must touch the ‘traitor’s body’ which infuriates Antigone because her brothers mistake does not define him as a person. Burying Polyneices is the right thing to do because he is a simple human being that made an error, that caused conflict, but Creon would argue that he is a traitor “[and] to bury him is a crime, not an act of grace.”

Antigone and Creon are two characters that may be considered too similar in personalities, which causes some commotion. Both are confident and persistent in their beliefs and will do what they believe is best in their mind. Antigone is guilty in the eyes of the law because she buried her brother, Polynices, a traitor to Thebes, against Creon’s ruling. Creon has banned Polynices’ burial because he fought for power against Thebes and his own brother, Eteocles, who also died in the battle. Eteocles was granted a proper burial for dying in the name of Thebes, but Polynices was not. Antigone is worried about his burial rights because it is her job as a woman in the family to make sure that her brother is buried so he can get to the afterlife

Law, principles, and regulations are established in a community in order to create peace and order for the people. But is every law placed- morally correct? Is there anytime when breaking an unjust law is acceptable? Through Sophocles novel, Antigone, he illustrates to his audience regarding to breaking an unjust law and that no matter how high a ruler might see himself as, the Gods will always be stronger and higher than the mortals. He designs one of the first examples of a conscientious objector, Antigone, one who breaks a law that is, to her, unjust. Defying Creon’s law with her beliefs that god's law overrules man's law, she goes against him by burying the body of her deceased brother, Polynices. In spite of the fact that Antigone knew the consequences that had the power to threaten her life, she still decided to honor her brother’s memory and satisfy the gods. When being captured by the guards she had not deny the fact that she was indeed burying Polynices, in fact she stated that she did and took the consequence, even though her life was at risk. To her burying her brothers body meant more than her own life, restoring moral balance and satisfying the gods led her to disregard a law created by man. Many should consider that breaking an unjust law is not wrong, a law that is morally unjust. The law was created to protect the people and their beliefs, yet as we see through the three Theban plays we learn that one's beliefs and morals go against the law, but it's not the

Everyone has been guilty of some type of wrong in their lifetime, whether it was cheating on a test, lying, or not listening to someone when they are told to do something. Even those considered heroes are guilty of doing wrong and in this essay, the play Antigone by Sophocles will be analyzed. The play takes place in Thebes in 441 B.C. In the play, Antigone buries her brother, Polyneices, who Creon decreed to not bury. Creon then finds out about what Antigone did and punishes her “even though she claimed” to have done the will of the gods. I will explain how each character was guilty of doing something wrong. Transition, Antigone was put on trial for burying Polyneices, however, Antigone, Creon, and the gods are all guilty of doing some type

In Antigone, the conventional value that rules should be obeyed because they were made for a reason is challenged numerous times over the course of the entire book. The first example of this value being challenged is after her brother is killed, she wants to bury him so that he can have a proper burial. Meanwhile, her uncle Creon saw Polyneices as a traitor and didn’t want to give him a proper burial, as he would rather leave his body out to be eaten by the dogs and crows. The next example of rules being broken is when Creon orders his son to let Antigone die and not fight for her life. Creon very plainly says “I will kill her” (Sophocles 24). Earlier on, Creon orders his son to obey him and let his bride die because he will not allow any traitors.

At the beginning of the play Antigone decides that her morals are more important than civil law. When the play starts off, Antigone’s brothers have just died in battle against each other. One of her brother’s Eteocles has been given full military honors in his burial. While on the other hand, her brother Polyneices has been decreed a traitor. Creon declares that no one is to bury Polyneices or they will be sentenced to death.

What do people do when their personal beliefs conflict with the laws of their society? Most people have their own opinions in relation to the laws placed in their society. Whether one supports or opposes a law due to their personal beliefs coming into conflict with it, the person has the decision to do something or to do nothing. Within the ancient Greek play Antigone by Sophocles, multiple characters had to chose if they should do something about an unjust law that went against their person beliefs; the law enacted made it illegal to bury Polyneices, a previous partial-ruler that tried to retake the throne of Thebes. The consequence of breaking the law was death by stoning. Most decided to follow the law in fear of Creon, the King of Thebes, and their belief to follow the laws of society regardless if it was moral or not. However, there was one brave enough to break the law because it went against their personal beliefs; this person was Antigone, Polyneices’ niece. Antigone believed this law was unjust and unsacred to do so, for the people of Thebes had strong beliefs in their gods. To connect, the ancient play Antigone as well as modern controversial issues in the world today, both have a related underlying argument: When people feel their personal beliefs are in conflict with the laws of their society, most of the time they will defy authority, protest and/or simply follow the law.

Individuals with little power are willing to pursue what they believe in no matter what. People will do what they believe is right even when others think it is wrong. In Antigone by Paul Roche, Antigone is a woman that isn’t very powerful but decides that she must disobey a King’s edict. She is doing this because she believes it is what she must do for her brother. Through her actions, Antigone demonstrates that her understanding of justice is that if you have no power or are controlled by someone more powerful than you, you must still do what you believe is right. She provides a proper burial for her brother even when there was an edict that did not allow it, Antigone takes full responsibility for what she did and does not regret it, and she

It is quite another to break the law of the land and threaten to shoot officers of the law if all they do is their duty to uphold it. " This line represents Antigone`s mistake by breaking the law by burying her brother because she was not allowed by the law causing her to not have a good reason to protect her and her rights against the

Most of the story of Antigone involves either breaking the rules, or being punished for it. The story is that Antigone breaks her uncle who is the king’s, rules, and is severely punished for it. Even though she is wrongly accused of breaking the rules for fame and glory, she is in fact breaking the rules for the act of love. The rule she broke stated than nobody was allowed to bury the body of Polyneices, Antigone’s brother. The theme of punishment for rule breaking is all throughout the play.

Antigone chose to give her brother Polyneices a proper burial even though it was against the king’s law. She tried talking her sister Ismene to join her on her quest because Polyneices was both of their brothers, but Ismene did not want to disobey Kreon’s order (Blondell 19-24). This left Antigone to handle this on her own, which takes a lot of courage and dedication to what she believes in. Antigone went on with her plan to bury Polyneices and his body was eventually found by a guard (Blondell 30). When the guard brought the news to Kreon he was furious and the Chorus had suggested it was a Gods doing, which led me to believe that they did not think anyone one else was willing to risk it all by not listening to their kings orders (Blondell 32). A good lesson to learn from Antigone is that even if you break the law you have to admit your doing especially when you know what you did was morally right and what you stand for as an individual. When Antigone was accused of breaking the law and burying Polyneices she did not even hesitate saying, “I don’t deny it; I admit the deed was mine.” (Blondell 38). She even goes on to tell King Kreon that his choice to not allow the burial of Polyneices is morally wrong and how he is disobeying the God Zeus who is offended by improper treatment of a corpse (Blondell 38). Though Antigone knows the consequence for disobeying the king, she continues to fight for her brother’s honor and makes sure to point out the king’s foolish decision. Even in her last words she questions what kind of men can make suffer and then gives her respects to the town, gods, and rulers.

Like Creon, Antigone also never falters in standing up for what she believes in. Although Creon fights for stubborn pride, Antigone is trying to promote what is right and shows her higher reverence for God’s law rather than for Creon’s laws. In the eyes of the townspeople, Chorus, Choragos, and Haimon, Antigone is sacrificing herself to give her brother Polyneices the rightful honors due to the dead. Many side with this brave, honorable girl because she would rather suffer persecution and even death rather than give into Creon’s illogical demands. In the play, the chorus says about her, “You have made your choice, Your death is the doing of your conscious hand”. Antigone knew of the consequences before she acted and in doing so she chose her fate. At the time, she pleaded her sister Ismene to help her bury Polyneices but was rejected. Despite being alone in trying to rebel and perhaps she may have been afraid, Antigone goes out of her way and puts her life on the line to bring her brother respect.

When motivated by the same principles and desire to oppose unfair and immoral actions by a ruling power they are in fact acts of resistance. Despite its scale, small acts of civil disobedience can be the spark of large resistance movements. Such instances occur not only in the works of Plato and Sophocles but also outside literature in history. Sophocles presents his play Antigone, where Antigone buries her brother despite the order against it by Creon. The intention was to honor the ancient Greek burial rights, respect the dead, and in doing so, she disobeyed.

Antigone’s argument with her sister about her plans to defy the king is the scene that opens the play. From the start, she appears certain that burying Polynices will restore justice when she says, “even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory (Sophocles 86).” She was so sure of the immorality of Creon’s law that she was willing to go to any means necessary to keep her brother from becoming a cautionary tale. In the philosophical statement made by Martin Luther King Jr., he says that, “An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.” Antigone stood alone in defending her brother's honor, and did not waver from her beliefs at any point. She went to great lengths in order to convey her belief that Creon had been unfair in the conviction of Polynices. In doing so, she attempted to awaken the consciences of the other Thebans and prove to them that even though Creon was their leader, they had the ability to voice their concerns about

Antigone knows that she has every right to defy the law in order to do what she thinks