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Examples Of Martyrdom In Antigone

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Antigone, a play by Sophocles, was written thousands of years before some of the world's greatest rebellions and acts of martyrdom, such as Mohammed in Tunisia in 2010, yet it still portrays the same human nature of defying laws of the land.The main character, Antigone, rebels against the king of Thebes by burying her brother, knowing the harsh punishment for doing so, therefore making her a martyr for her personal beliefs. The news of her death sentence brings outrage to the people of Thebes, including those close to King Creon. In Antigone, Sophocles develops the universal theme of martyrdom and rebellion that is demonstrated through Antigone because of how the characters defy laws and react to her rebellion, which mirrors Mohammed Bouazizi’s case in Tunisia 2,500 years later.
There never was, and never will be, a time when every person agrees with the laws and restrictions of the land, and the cases of Antigone and Mohammed Bouazizi are quintessential examples. In ancient Greece, Antigone did not agree with King Creon's harsh law placed in order to prevent people from burying her late brother, giving him a peaceful afterlife. Similar to Antigone, Mohammed Bouazizi did not agree with Tunisia's government, taking a stand in 2010. Both of them pleaded for change and reform; Antigone pleads with King Creon after her conviction and Bouazizi pleaded with local municipal …show more content…

The real life story of Mohammed Bouazizi is only 5 years old, but it still relates to the universal theme of political martyrdom and rebellion found in Antigone. From the similarities of oppression to the influence of suicide, their two stories intertwine significantly. The human nature of defying the laws of the land does not go away over the span of a few thousand years, but continues to grow and evolve as the nations and governments change over

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