Greek Tragedy In Antigone

Antigone written by Sophocles is a prime example of a Greek tragedy. Antigone is fighting against the law made by the king, Creon. His justification to why she should not be able to bury her brother is that he was a traitor. Antigone believes, as do all citizens of Thebes, that she should have custody over the body to give a proper burial. Her belief lies in the law made by gods, as if the body is not properly buried the soul with drift in purgatory or the underworld forever. Antigone’s right to bury her brother are set in the laws of the gods, and the law of man should not be in the way of her pursuit in her brother’s wellbeing in death. Antigone wanted her brother Polyneices to be buried with honor. She and the citizens of Thebes follow the law of the gods to

Without this they believed that the soul of the diseased would wonder aimlessly through the underworld. Antigone’s goal was to give Polyneices the same burial as her brother, Eteocles. Eteocles was buried in honor as a soldier from the orders of King Creon, but being labeled as a traitor, Polyneices was left dead in the fields to be eaten by the birds. Antigone was only trying to follow the law and rights she has as a person of her beliefs. To guide her brother’s soul and lead him to a heaven known in their time. The only thing that stands in her way is Creon. His man-made laws that go against the law of the gods keep Antigone from retrieving her brother’s body without arrest. Antigone also has the right of her brother being deceased as an account of her property. An example of how Antigone is acting can be portrayed in The Iliad, written by Homer. After Achilles, had killed Hector and desecrated his body, Hector’s father Priam wanted his son back. He wanted his son to grant him the proper burial of a soldier. Achilles knew well of this cultural event so he had