ipl-logo

Examples Of Civil Disobedience In Antigone

955 Words4 Pages

The play Antigone, written by Sophocles in 441 BC, showcases contrasting ways humans believe they should live their lives. Just like in our lives, personal beliefs affect us and others around us. Not everyone agrees on what the excpetional precepts should be based on. Antigone expresses opposing virtues among characters. Sophocles illustrates the impact of a superior belief in civil obedience, in the Greek gods, and a persons’ loyalty to their family and ancestry. In the end, only one opinion of authority and power is decided morally correct. The significance of civil obedience is a reoccuring theme in the play. Headstrong rulers and impetuous subjects support it. The main conflict revolves around the questions of natural laws versus human …show more content…

A few characters, like Antigone, believe this from the start. Conversely, it takes another character, Creon, a great loss to come to this realization. The root behind the story of the play is Antigone’s yearning to tribute her family. Both of her dear brothers are killed and only one gets a proper burial. How is Antigone supposed to be okay with this? She isn’t. So, Antigone goes against civil law and authority to give her brother the appreciation he deserves. When she is caught by the sentry and Creon, she does not contest her conduct. At first, both Antigone and Ismene are accused of the burial and both set to be punished. Antigone takes all of the blame and does not let her sister suffer from her choices. Creon gives Antigone multiple opportunities to excuse herself through familial bonds but she refuses. She accepts the chastisement because she is proud of her dedication to her family. She exclaims: “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down” (Prologue.55-56). Family is more important than everything, even more important than law. Antigone risks her life just to give her brother an honorable burial. She stresses the importance of familial bonds until her death. Creon comes to this realization once his actions cause his family to be taken from him. His son and wife die and he is nothing but crushed and remorseful for being so harsh to Antigone. Creon recognizes that he is nothing without his devotion to his

Show More
Related

  • Antigone Quote Analysis

    837 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this growing world, people have learned to challenge rules and test boundaries to get what they want and to stand up for what they believe in. The play Antigone by Sophocles is an example of a story that tells an important moral of always doing what someone believes is right, despite the consequences. In the story, Antigone confidently gives her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial, despite her uncle Creon's wishes not to do so. Creon finds out and takes actions against Antigone and sentences her to death, resulting in turmoil for his family and city.

    Read More

  • How Does Antigone Criticize Creon's Law

    1470 Words  | 6 Pages

    Also, while Antigone is fully motivated to give her family a proper burial, Antigone also criticizes her family, Ismene, for being too much of a sissy and a conformist. For illustration, Ismene insists that whether they agree with or authorize Creon's action is fully inapplicable since Creon is the sovereign of Thebes, and thus, they must “ observe the bones who stand in power ”( Sophocles, 62). Ismene’s belief that simply following Creon’s law is the stylish course of action easily reveals the antipode between her and Antigone. While Ismene wants to bury Polynices just as important as Antigone does, she doesn't believe that burying her family is enough of a defense to simply ignore the law, and clearly enough to die for. This contradiction

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

    686 Words  | 3 Pages

    Antigone is the strong-willed and stubborn daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. Her argument is in opposition to her uncle, King Creon. Antigone is propelled by grief to unlawfully bury her brother. She argues that "I shall suffer nothing so great as to stop me dying with honor" (96-97). In her view, she believes that not burying her brother, dishonors both herself and her brother.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Creon In Antigone

    883 Words  | 4 Pages

    For example, when she puts aside her grave fear of consequence to traverse the bridge. Antigone is overwhelmed by her own stubbornness, which leads to a tragic situation. Antigone refuses to compromise with her sister, Ismene, whom when she first learns of her brother's death. Antigone's unrepressed emotions gives a voice of dissatisfaction with Creon’s. Ever since Antigone gets herself in that situation facing Creon’s wrath, but still she doesn’t make a decision on how to bury her brother.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

    399 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Greek tragedy Antigone, written by Sophocles, the characters Antigone and Creon evoke complex emotions of sympathy and empathy from the audience. The play explores the themes of duty, justice, and the consequences of one's actions. Through the characters of Antigone and Creon, the play generates a range of emotional responses from the audience, from sympathy to frustration to despair. Antigone is a tragic hero who evokes sympathy from the audience because of her unwavering sense of duty to her family and to the gods. She defies Creon's edict by burying her brother Polyneices, knowing that she will face death as a consequence.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices In Antigone

    1042 Words  | 5 Pages

    Antigone tries to persuade her sister by saying “ There it is, and now you can prove what you are, A true sister, or a traitor to your family” (Sophocles et al 190). Antigone tries get her sister to help her by telling her she has to make a choice between her family or let fear get in the way. Technically saying you’re with us or against us. Antigone knows that her sister Ismene will rethink her decision and take part in the burial. Antigone not only said that Ismene would be

    Read More

  • Should Religion And State Be Separate Regarding Women's Reproductive Rights In America?

    1773 Words  | 8 Pages

    Antigone believed that it was her moral duty to give her brother a proper burial, despite the king's decree prohibiting it. This conflict is evident in Antigone's dialogue with her sister Ismene: "Ismene, I am going to bury him. Will you come?" (Antigone, 86) " But how can I?

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Antigone

    957 Words  | 4 Pages

    As you mention in your post, Antigone supported her actions of properly burying her brother by referring to how Creon's decree was the law of man, not the law of the gods. It is through the law of the gods that Antigone states that all those who die deserve a proper burial, because in death there are no more grudges and hatred. Thus, when Creon called Antigone's actions as insulting to her dead, heroic brother Eteocles, Antigone summarized that Eteocles would not care as he has left the material world. Another point that you addressed in your post about Antigone that I found intriguing was how you also mentioned that while the laws of man can change, the laws of the gods will be eternal. This point clearly reflects the difference in values between men and gods, and it also portrays a sort-of universal concept to society about the proper burial of all deceased regardless of their actions.

    Read More

  • The Destruction Of Pride In Sophocles Antigone

    406 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the scene in which Creon will not allow her brother to be buried. This goes against her personal beliefs she confronts Creon when she says “if I had allowed my own mothers son to rot, an unburied corpse that would have been an agony.” Creon wouldn’t allow Antigone brother to be buried even tho Antigone felt it was the right thing to do. Antigone is talking to Ismene about burying her brother but Ismene tells her to keep the idea a secret but Antigone disagrees and says “But I know I’ll please the ones I’m duty bound to please.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Antigone And Letter From Birmingham Jail

    761 Words  | 4 Pages

    Antigone defies King Creon’s law and buries her brother as a way to help his soul find peace, while invoking divine law as a defense for her actions. A soldier catches Antigone in the act, but she does not attempt an escape or deny what she is doing. Instead, she simply accepts her punishment. Consequently, she is condemned to die. On another note, Antigone being female is a large factor in the story.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Antigone And The Lottery

    1104 Words  | 5 Pages

    She has a heroic and courageous personality. Throughout her quest to bury Polyneices, Antigone encounters many hindrances along the way. The death of her father Oedipus led to her greatest disputant being given power, her Uncle Creon. He would show her no mercy for breaking his laws, until it is too late. Even when her sister Ismene states “Our own death would be if we should go against Creon And do what he has forbidden!

    Read More

  • What Is Antigone Like Creon

    765 Words  | 4 Pages

    Antigone, however, feels that the laws of the gods should be obeyed above all others, especially when it comes to family. Although Antigone knows she is committing a state crime by burying her brother, Polyneices, she knows that the right

    Read More

  • Internal Conflict In Antigone

    759 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Antigone, there was two brothers who shared being the King and one of the brothers, Polynices, wanted to start a war with the kingdom because he wanted to be the main ruler. Polynices and his brother Eteocles fight and they both end up killing each other. Their Uncle Creon, who takes position as King when they are both killed, decides that only Eteocles will have a proper burial and Polynices will be left to rot. Antigone, Polynices and Eteocles sister, thinks that Creon’s decision is unfair and takes upon herself to give Polynices a proper burial. When their other sister Ismene finds out, she is stuck between helping her sister bury their brother and following Creon’s demands.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Antigone And Creon

    912 Words  | 4 Pages

    So Creon lost his wife, son, and niece and now he lives in loneliness having the feeling of sadness and regret for the rest of his entire life. Although Antigone had died, she died with everyone knowing that she was a hero. She buried her brother because she knew it was the right thing to do because of her loyalty for her family and she got locked up and died in attempt of doing it. Antigone was on a mission and she did not care whether she was going to die or not trying to bury her brother. Creon did not have a mission however, he did not mean to have all of this happen to him.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience In Antigone

    1353 Words  | 6 Pages

    Antigone’s actions are motivated by her allegiance to her family, moral conscience, and religion amid Creon’s political injustice and tyranny. Antigone’s actions motivate her to demand Ismene to prove whether she is “a true sister or a traitor to your family” (26-27). Antigone maintains loyalty to her brother despite his actions which threatened Thebes. Her inability to bear the thought of her brother’s corpse being picked apart by animals and not being honored with proper funeral rites forces her to act. Antigone’s fierce allegiance to her family is laid bare as she is willing to sacrifice her life to honor her brother and defy the law in an act that she believes is morally just.

    Read More

More about Examples Of Civil Disobedience In Antigone

Open Document