Examples Of Civil Disobedience In Antigone

Civil disobedience is the refusal to comply with certain laws. Antigone by Sophocles has a majority of examples of civil disobedience. A few examples that stand out is when Creon does not believe Polyneices deserves a proper burial, but Antigone believes that is human right to have one. Another example is when everyone in Thebes believes that what Antigone has done is not wrong and stand by her. One last example of civil disobedience is when Antigone knows it is against the law to bury her brother, but she knows and does the right thing for her brother. Civil disobedience is displayed all over the country. There are many examples of civil disobedience throughout history, for example, when Rosa Parks refused to sit in the color section of the bus. Another example is when Saudi Arabia women believe it was their right to drive because men can, therefore why can’t they. One last example, the Palestinian women and children wanted to leave because of the way they were treated because of their religion. Civil disobedience is an important role in a majority of peoples lives. The examples of civil disobedience in Antigone and the examples in the articles are similar because Antigone and the articles have one common goal they believe and stand for what is right and just.

In our society filled with social injustice and violence, is it safe to protest unjust actions by the public? As seen in many current events and fictional representations, the world around us still suffers many social issues. When people are faced with injustice, every individual has the should protest and fight for their rights, but not without considering the consequences.

While both Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr. fought for their religious and human rights, I believe that Martin Luther King Jr.’s ability to use both religion and nationalism gave him the ability to achieve his goal of civil disobedience in ways that Antigone could not. Martin Luther King Jr. used his religious background to give his claim greater influence in the deep south, calling upon every one of the Christian faith to rally behind a Reverend in trouble. His call to nationalism gave him the ability to have the nation standing with him against the leaders of Birmingham, evoking a sense of pride and unity in the nation against this injustice. Antigone used her civil disobedience to fight for her religious right to bury her brother Polyneices body. While Antigone remained nonviolent throughout her protest, her lack of negotiation with Kreon shows that her civil disobedience was misguided. Antigone failed to rationalize with Kreon, instead choosing to blatantly disobey without exhausting all of her options. Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of religion, nationalism, and negotiation are why I believe that his civil disobedience was more effective than Antigone’s.

Disobedience always comes with a reason, some do it to go against something that is wrong others do it for attention or because they do not care about the situation. When there is an unjust law that is putting someone down or is oppressing it, people will begin to go against the law and not stand around while everyone including themselves gets hurt. Just Laws are to help and to keep everyone safe and unjust laws are made for minorities to stay away from the high-class group who want nothing with them. Sadly today there are still unjust laws to put people down but they are not standing around to let it happen. Martin Luther King could not watch his brothers and sisters be constantly put down so he went against unjust laws to stand his grounds. Antigone shared similarities when she went against king Creon rules rule to not bury her brother Polyneicês, she knew the consequences but paid no minds and stood her ground and kept doing what she has planned to do.

It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar [sic] (The Chaldean king of the Non-Babylonian Empire, who reigned 605 BC – 562 BC), on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience. (A Letter from Birmingham Jail I4)

In the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, King Creon created a law that denied proper burial rites to anyone who invaded or betrayed the city of Thebes. Antigone defied this law by burying her brother, Polynices, after he was harshly accused of being a traitor. Both Creon and Antigone showed a tenacious passion toward their perception of justice, unwilling to accept that honoring the law and honoring the individual conscience were both justified in different ways. The stubbornness that they shared led them both to meet their downfalls, which conveyed the idea that being too proud to accept guidance from others ultimately leads to dire consequences.

”Unjust law is no law at all.” In face of unjust laws, merely tolerance and obeying could be detrimental not only to personal rights but also to the well-being of the society. Therefore, it is indeed every people’s responsibility to disobey or even resist them. As we know during the sixties of America a number of citizens decided not to obey the law which itself is unjust and wrong any longer. Without their resistance, there wouldn’t have been the civil rights movement, anti-war

In Sophocles, Antigone, translated by Ruby Blondell, the main character, Antigone, rebelled against the unethical treatment of her brothers, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also rebelled against the unethical treatment of African Americans in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. Both Antigone and King Jr. sacrificed their lives to highlight the unethical and unjust treatment in their societies. However, King Jr. uses civil disobedience to achieve his goals to end inequality for African Americans in the United States and is assassinated, while Antigone uses her religion as motivation to bury her brothers and ultimately commit suicide as she so strongly disapproves the actions which the King of Thebes, Kreon. King Jr.’s tactics were more effective than Antigone’s as King Jr. was able to pave the way for equality for African Americans in the United States, while Antigone’s tactics only left Creon to feel guilty and led to no change in her society.

In the play Creon goes against the Gods by making it illegal to bury Polyneices, Antigone’s brother because he is deemed a traitor. The burying of a dead body is seen as a necessity by all of

Exploration of Civil Disobedience in Sophocles' Antigone, King's Letter from Birmingham Jail, and Plato's From Crito

Civil disobedience is the purposeful violation of a law to show that it is unconstitutional or morally defective. In the plays, Antigone and Trifles, the female main characters commit an act of civil disobedience. The plays are respectively written by Sophocles and Susan Glaspell. Antigone, the main character of Antigone, protects her dead brother's honor as she disobeys the laws of King Creon. Mrs. Hale, the main character of Trifles prevents a neighbor from being charged with homicide as she breaks the law in front of two lawmen-The Sheriff and the County Attorney. Both characters' crimes are similar; however, their differences lie in how they handle their violations. Antigone

Why should people take action? In the play “Antigone” by Sophocles Antigone takes action by burying her brother which no one was supposed to do. She did it because she felt it was only right. People should take action whenever they feel ,there are various reasons such as their feelings emotionally , fairness, the good well being of others, or just whenever they deem morally correct.

The law also stated that going against this law would result in death. Despite the consequence, Antigone went against this law and buried her brother because it was against

One perspective of oppression in Antigone is demonstrated through the conflict between Creon and Antigone regarding the burial of Polyneices, Antigone’s brother. Creon is the king of Thebes, and constantly has to assert his power, even if it means suppressing others’ opinions. When Antigone disagrees with his decree of allowing the burial of only one of her brothers, she defiantly performs a burial ritual for the other. Creon is outraged and issues the punishment of death upon Antigone, and condemns her sister Ismene for the same crime “for they are but women, and even brave men run when they see death coming” (Sophocles 460-465). It is clear that the main issue is not about Antigone breaking the law; but that she is an inferior woman who is expressing her opinions against someone of a higher standing. Creon oppresses Antigone for her gender and refuses to acknowledge her perspective because he would rather “lose to a man, at least”

The civil war in Syria has caused as many as four million refugees. Trying to restart, many are living in camps of the neighboring countries. There is a drama camp making many express their feelings through acting. One Greek drama, Antigone, tells the story of a young woman who decides to bury her dead brother. He had been left to rot out on the streets for being a bad example. Knowing it was punishable by death, she still did it anyways. Many of the refugees had lost loved ones, so Antigone was one many could relate to. Even though this camp provides release for many, it is very overpopulated and dangerous. They must have decided to soothe the soul more than the body.