How Is Antigone Civil Disobedience

For Creon, this matter’s really serious. Anyone who acts against the order will be stoned to death before the city.” (pg. 454. Lines 25-44) This quote will help me support my analysis as it will demonstrate to the reader the basis of the origins of why Antigone killed herself.

The ancient Greek play Antigone has many similarities with modern controversial issues ranging from the rights of Native Americans to the awareness to African American problems to how students are allowed to dress. These popular issues that connect to Antigone creates many different arguments that are able to be drawn from and explained; overall, creating a way to connect modern times to important historical

In the Greek play, Antigone the consequences weak leadership by using Creon's disrespect for the gods and his selfserving personality and values. There were three conflicts Individual vs. State and Conscience vs. Law; Moral or Divine law vs. Human law. Individual vs. Society Antigone fights against the government, her Uncle to show how unfair his decree is. She is fighting her Uncle and also society who says women are weak and should not fight against men. Person vs. Peron first Antigone fights against her uncle to bury her brother. Second, Antigone fights her sister Isemene who won't help her bury their brother and Creon fights with his son Haemon and Teiresias about decision to put Antigone to death. Person vs. The Supernatural, Antigone's

t isn’t uncommon for the ruling power in society to create rules or regulations that are immoral and unjust. Civil disobedience is a useful method for protesting and declaring one’s opposition to unjust laws through nonviolence. Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr. both engaged in civil disobedience, but the manner in which they executed it varied. Out of the two, King is more deserving of sympathy due to his organizational skills in contrast to Antigone’s impulsive nature.

“Antigone”, a play written by Sophocles, tells the tale of Creon, the current king of Thebes, and his niece, Antigone, as she defies the king to shed honor on her deceased rival brother, Polynices. Despite being written many, many years ago, “Antigone” demonstrates several ideas such as morality, loyalty, different societal roles, and civil disobedience that are still struggling in our present day, and makes the play relevant for readers in any time period. Another timeless piece that is a solid foundation of morality taught to children is the golden rule: treat people how you want to be treated. This quote aligns with the central conflict of “Antigone”, and how many characters in the story face the consequences of their actions based on their treatment of others. This is shown

In the story, even though Antigone loses her life for breaking a law, she leaves the lawmaker, Creon, a broken man who is unlikely to ever create so unjust a law throughout the remainder of his reign (Anouilh Antigone 61). Even though this tragedy ends on a bitter note, justice was restored to a kingdom by Antigone refusing to back down. Antigone, by being brave and breaking the law, causes Ismene to also want to rebel and bring justice to Polynices (Anouilh Antigone 49). This spread of rebellion is just what Creon feared, and it reinforces the fact that he would have to address the problem that is Antigone. Through the conscientious objection of individuals like Antigone through the breaking of unjust laws, society will eventually change these laws in the future and promote the growth of the

You may notice this when Creon says “This girl here was already very insolent in contravening laws we had proclaimed. Here she again displays her proud contempt- having done the act, she now boasts of it. She laughs at what she’s done. Well, in this case, if she gets her way and goes unpunished then she’s the man here, not me (544-50).” This evidence supports my claim because it shows the characteristics Antigone brought of Creon’s character by her sticking up for what she did and not lowering her standards.

While both Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr. fought for their religious and human rights, I believe that Martin Luther King Jr.’s ability to use both religion and nationalism gave him the ability to achieve his goal of civil disobedience in ways that Antigone could not. Martin Luther King Jr. used his religious background to give his claim greater influence in the deep south, calling upon every one of the Christian faith to rally behind a Reverend in trouble. His call to nationalism gave him the ability to have the nation standing with him against the leaders of Birmingham, evoking a sense of pride and unity in the nation against this injustice. Antigone used her civil disobedience to fight for her religious right to bury her brother Polyneices body. While Antigone remained nonviolent throughout her protest, her lack of negotiation with Kreon shows that her civil disobedience was misguided. Antigone failed to rationalize with Kreon, instead choosing to blatantly disobey without exhausting all of her options. Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of religion, nationalism, and negotiation are why I believe that his civil disobedience was more effective than Antigone’s.

In the play, " Antigone," many characters go through a phase that includes tyranny, injustice and Civil Disobedience. These phases are sometimes portrayed as themes in the play but it plays a big role in it. Antigone suffers from Injustice and Civil disobedience because she feel as though burying her brother would be the right thing to do but according to Creon, it is a sin. On the other hand, Creon is King but he doesn't know how to use his power quite right.

The only crime is pride.” Despite Tiresias’ unsuccessful persuasion, and opportunities to correct his mistakes and let Antigone free, stubbornness and pride prevent Creon from doing so. Instead of recognizing his faults like a strong leader, he seals his fate, failing to back down, needing instead to look like a strong, unyielding leader, thus confirming Tiresias’s prophecy. Even Haemon confronts Creon arguing for Antigone’s life, and reporting the kingdom’s response to the injustice.

An action is considered just and reasonable as long as it doesn’t create more harmful and unjust states of being. Throughout the play Antigone, the character Antigone truly and efficiently qualifies to defend this certain concept of justice. One of these characters, Antigone, rebelled against the law by burying her brother, Polyneices. Antigone broke the law for this valid reason because Polyneices deserved to be honored by being given a respected and proper burial, despite the fact that Creon ruled against this action. This is a key encounter that presents the concept of how carrying out illegal actions is accepted when there is a greater end to meet and fulfill.

Throughout Antigone, Creon is portrayed as irrational and dictatorial, and is made to be the most blameworthy character. He is the only one who is told that he is wrong consistently. His dictatorial attitude and nature as a man is criticized repeatedly by multiple characters. Creon stresses his authority as a man in his treatment of Antigone. Hearing of her actions, Creon says “I’m no man- she is a man, she’s the king- if she gets away with this,” (499-501). He believes that if she gets away with her deeds, she will be the “man” instead of

Furthermore, to advance his reasoning that the rational laws of the state are higher than that of Antigone’s gods, Creon assembles both syntax and diction to move his viewpoints forward. As Creon made a law forbidding Polyneices’ burial, he tells the choragos to “give no support to whoever breaks this law” (198). The imperative tone of his word choice show his procrustean nature to those who disobey him, and that no amount of pity will prompt him to spare those that threaten his power. After discovering that Antigone broke the law, he tells Haemon to reject Antigone: “Let her find her husband in Hell! / Of all the people in this city, only she / Has had the contempt for my law and broken it” (217). Creon’s word phrasing and arrangement expose his cocky demeanor toward Antigone’s claims about the afterlife, reflecting on how he values the state over the gods or love; however, this is meaningless in the face of death. According to the chorus, “He [Creon] has made himself secure—from all but one / In the late wind of death he cannot stand” (204). This shows how Creon is blind to the ephemerality of life and how he cannot accept the inevitability of death, revealing his hubris. Sophocles shows inclination towards the moral law by contrasting the strengths of Antigone’s traits with the flaws of Creon’s, making them character foils of one another.

When a messenger comes to Creon, bringing the news that Antigone has buried her brother, he begins his arguments why Antigone has broken the law. He begins by stating that a man shows what he is made of by his "skill in rule and law." In other words, the law is everything and as a ruler, he must do everything for his country. He considers Polyneices an enemy of the city and a threat to the security of the city as well. Thus Polyneices will be called a traitor in life and in death and dishonored. The scene when Antigone and Creon face each other is the opportunity for both to defend themselves. Creon questions Antigone. She bases her responses on that the city laws proclaiming her as illegal are not the laws of Zeus or laws proclaimed by gods, but rather, laws made by a man that one day will also die. She will honor her brother's death because this is what the gods have proclaimed for all mankind. (lines 460-463)

Humanity is often faced with ambivalence towards law; at once, we find it a necessity in attempting to deal with a world which is constantly in some type of chaotic turmoil, and also as a glaring flaw in our society, which can at times result in more chaos than was originally had. This conflict is no more obvious than in Sophocles’ Antigone. Antigone, the character, represents half of the struggle between what the law says is just and what we inherently deem to be morally upstanding – Creon represents the opposing side which views law and power as the ultimate dictator of life’s unraveling. Though Antigone is ultimately thwarted, she is on the side of justice rather than blindly following the law. Antigone’s empathy while breaking the law