Theme Of Loyalty In Antigone

Loyalty was probably the most important value of ancient Greek civilization. It was embedded in everything the Ancient Greeks did. They believed in loyalty to the family, to the community and obedience to the will of gods. In Antigone, we see many situations where loyalty to family is shown, especially by Antigone herself. However, there is another form of loyalty shown in the play, loyalty to the law or state which we can see in Creon. .

Creon declared that Polynices was not to be given his burial rights and those that went against his law were to be put to death. His reasoning being Polynices went to war against Thebes for the right to rule after Eteocles, his brother, broke the pact between them and sent Polynices in exile.That - in the eyes of Creon - amounts to treason. It was a case of fratricide as well. When Antigone acted against the specific order of the king, by putting dust over the dead body of Polynices, accepting that while Polynices had killed her other brother, Polynices himself was still a part of her family and thus deserved the same buries rites as Eteocles. Creon had to act.

Antigone however, was concerned with her duty in properly treating the body of Polynices even though he killed her Eteocles in battle and had no fear of the repercussions it would bring. She went to her sister Ismene and after explaining to her the situation asked her one thing. “And now you can prove what you are: A true sister, or a traitor to your family.”. It is at this