The Extremist In Antigone

“But my fate is my own, to die”, Antigone cries as she is lead to her final grave. As we are confronted with Antigone's harsh truth, the readers wonder if there was a way that her death could have been avoided. There are many different paths that Antigone could have taken with an infinite number of possibilities and outcomes. She could have done nothing, but Antigone would not have let that happen. The choices she made seem very rash and extreme. Maybe that is exactly what she wanted. All of the crimes that she commits are just because of how she falls into the stereotype of an extremist. Her actions match with what Martin Luther King Jr. describes of an extremist for love. In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, she acts as an extremist for love rather

Much like Martin Luther King Jr., Antigone finds the unjust oppressions that are placed on her loved ones and peacefully breaks the law that she believes are unjust. She does this by burying Polyneices. Both Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr. had been moved and committed to an idea and moved to the point where they had decided to take action that was seen as extreme. Their actions were labeled as extreme only because of their challenge against the status quo. Just as Antigone had faced doubt and resistance in her movement with her sister, Ismene. Martin Luther King Jr. had faced resistance and doubt with the clergymen. The clergymen had written to King, “We do not believe that these days of new hope are days when extreme measures justified in Birmingham.” The clergymen are trying to explain to Martin Luther King Jr. that their so called “days of new hope” are not days for King to make a difference with his protests. Just like the clergrymen, Ismene asks of her sister, “Now us, sisters, two alone, / And all the easier destroyed / If we spite the law and the power of the king. / No, we should be sensible” (23). Both King and Antigone are asked to be sensible and told that the time of their rebellion was not the right for what is going on around them, whether it be the social issues with the clergymen or the emotional pain felt by both

But this is not true. She acts out of love. Her actions are described through Martin Luther King Jr. as acting as an extremist for love. She does not rebel to hurt others or for revenge, but for her love for Polyneices. She had to break some laws to achieve her justice, just as Martin Luther King had. It is easy to see that there is justice to be found in seemingly unjust