Similarities And Differences Between Martin Luther King Jr And Antigone

Both were oppressed by laws that they had no control over, and both fought against those laws with the reasoning that morality is more important than the words of men. Rather than obeying Creon’s decree, Antigone chose to display the respect she had for her brother. King placed his political and social goals for equality in America over his personal safety. Consequently, both Antigone and King paid the ultimate price for their actions and beliefs—with their lives. While Antigone’s motive for breaking the law was more personal, and King’s was more politically inclined, the ideas they shared in regards to the morality of breaking such laws were similar: a morally unjust law is not truly a law at

Civil disobedience is defined as the refusal to obey the demands or certain laws of a government/ occupying power. Without resorting to violence or active events of conflict, it is typically used in the form of a peaceful protest. Civil disobedience has been seen in historical context as a main approach and philosophy of nationalist movements in Africa, India, and also in the American civil rights movement. It can also be a useful tactic in labor, anti-war, and other social movements occurring in numerous countries around the world. In both Sophocles’ Antigone and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, the author describes two very different displays of civil disobedience. Antigone disobeyed “man’s law” and buried her brother. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the other hand, fought to change the law for the rights of a large group of people. For this reason, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s efforts were more admirable than the efforts of Antigone.

On the other hand, Antigone fought and rebelled against the conduct expected from her and explored the reality of who she is and how she felt. Freeing her true self and being unapologetic about it. This left her standing alone on her rebellion and with several people against her. Fear did not stop Antigone from defying what was socially correct, even if it meant challenging a man or even a king. The need Antigone felt to follow her beliefs was greater than the

There were many circumstances in the life of Socrates and Marin Luther King which reveals their approach towards changing the world. They took several measures to improve the lives of people but the worst thing is that there end was not good. They both died in the hands of injustice. Socrates said that people should believe on their own caliber and follow the truth rather than following the majority. MLK on the other hand elaborates the topic of just and unjust law and how it is related to the unjust law. Their approaches were not similar but their intentions were same. Now the main question is ‘Is there any way we can response to those various instances of social injustice? What are unjust law and application of unjust law and how should we

Within Letter from a Birmingham Jail, MLK describes the four-step plan one must follow to carry on a nonviolent campaign. Antigone’s actions throughout Antigone carefully mimic those steps. Throughout the story you can consider Antigone’s actions to be part of a nonviolent campaign. MLK says that, “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action” (paragraph six). Antigone determined there was an injustice committed when Creon’s edict decreed that no one would be able to bury her brother Polyneices or they face a punishment by death. Antigone finds this to be an injustice, when she asks for help from her sister Ismene she says, “…And now you can prove what you are: A true sister, or a traitor to your family.” (Antigone 26-27). Once captured by the Sentry she negotiates with Creon, attempting to appeal to him so he is able to understand her reverence for the dead is what god wants (lines 355-420). Within self-purification Antigone undergoes strong emotions that could be alluded to feelings of suicide and depression. All she wants is to bury Polyneices and not let this injustice go unnoticed. She is willing to go to great lengths to fight for what she believes in and the extent she goes to stand up for what she believes is the act of self-purification MLK talks about. Her direct action is

Antigone too was a hero, however, in a different way. While displayed a message, she did good, and had purpose, it was all slightly different than Gilgamesh. Antigone stood against the King, Creon, her uncle, who ruled tyrannically. With this, her message shared some parallel to Gilgamesh, suggesting that if a Tyrant is in power, change is needed. She criticized her uncle for not being a king of the people, as he made it illegal to bury one of her brothers. Despite Creon being king, she expressed, “But he’s no right to keep me from what’s mine” (Antigone line 60). Antigone actively expresses that being a king does not give one absolute right over every person. Through this, she is able to send the a message that, there are humanly rights one can not

From the monarchs of the ancient era to the democracy of today, order has been maintained by means of rules and regulations known as laws. Compliance with these laws is enforced through punishments ranging in severity according to the crimes committed to reduce violence and misconduct from individuals within a society. However, just as citizens consent to abide by the laws of the state in which they reside, one is compelled to preserve justice and condemn the unjust decisions of man when the social contract contradicts the laws sanctioned by God. Approaching this conflict between natural and manmade laws in a non-violent manner is called “civil disobedience”.

In Sophocles’ Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used resistance against powerful leaders to follow their morals and make a statement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s approach towards the reconstruction of society’s cultural understanding of segregation by speaking truth to power used civil disobedience in a more public and large-scale approach, whereas Antigone’s use of civil disobedience defied the law in a much more private, small-scale way to do what she believed what was right. In addition to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s advocacy for equal treatment and Antigone’s dedication to obey the gods, they used their determination to refuse to obey the laws of the land in order to stand behind their own morals.

The first step in Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolent campaign is collection of facts to determine whether injustices are alive, which is what Antigone does when hearing about the death of both of her brothers.

In Sophocles’ Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used resistance against powerful leaders to follow their morals and make a statement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s approach towards the reconstruction of society’s cultural understanding of segregation used civil disobedience in a more public and large-scale approach, whereas Antigone’s use of civil disobedience defied the law in a much more private, small-scale way to do what she believed what was right. Compared to Antigone, Dr. King’s approach was more strategic and planned out. In addition to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s advocacy for equal treatment and Antigone’s dedication to obey the gods, they used

This play is ultimately concerned with one person defying another person and paying the price. Antigone went against the law of the land, set by the newly crowned King Creon. Antigone was passionate about doing right by her brother and burying him according to her religious beliefs even though Creon deemed him a traitor and ordered him to be left for the animals to devour. Creon was passionate about being king and making his mark from his new throne. Although they differed in their views, the passion Creon and Antigone shared for those opinions was the same, they were equally passionate about their opposing views. Creon would have found it very difficult to see that he had anything in common with Antigone however as he appears to be

Antigone defies the law of King Creon to honor her brother with a proper burial. She willingly goes against the King to follow the law of the gods’ regardless of the consequences, doing what she believes is right. Similarly, Martin Luther King travels to Birmingham to march and protest the injustices towards Black people because he believed it is the right thing to do. Although Antigone was not afraid to die for what she believed in, Martin Luther King’s method of civil disobedience was more effective because Antigone failed to promote negotiations and just accepted her punishment freely. King believed that to properly have a nonviolent approach towards injustice you must be able to speak peacefully to gain understanding for negotiation. Urging people to create tension in the form of civil disobedience to promote awareness of the injustices.

In both circumstances Antigone and Rosa fight for their rights as a human being. In the play Antigone, Antigone’s brother Polynices tried to defeat the city of Thebes where Antigone lives. On the other hand her other brother Eteocles was defending Thebes. Through this conflict Polynices and Eteocles ended up killing each other which made their uncle Creon the king. Creon told the city of Thebes, “Eteocles, who fell fighting in the defence of the city, Fighting gallantly, is to be honoured with burial And with all the rites due to the noble dead. The other - you know whom I mean - his brother Polynices… He is to be left unburied, left to be eaten By dogs and vultures, a horror for all to see.” (Sophocles 131). But Antigone has the right as a sister to honour her family even through wrongdoings.

Even though Antigone and Nelson Mandela weren't imprisoned for the same reason they were imprisoned for unfair reasons. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years by the South African apartheid government. ( website upworthy.com) He was imprisoned for Standing up against a government that was committing egregious human rights abuses against black South Africans. ( website upworthy,com)

Antigone is a major character and a key contributor to the tension throughout the conflict and impacts the play’s conclusion, influencing the audience perspective with her personality and actions. In the beginning of Sophocles’ play, Antigone is perceived as an outcast who is not to be associated with and was rejected among the people in the land of Thebes. Although Antigone exhibits good personality and morals, her past is crucial to the development of the play and impacts her portrayal to the people of Thebes. As her father, Oedipus, abandons the land of Thebes, it causes the people to despise Antigone and her entire family. The rejection of Antigone family is further intensified by the war between Eteocles and Polynices, passing down the history of destruction and negative perception to Antigone. However, through her actions, she is able to reclaim respect from the people of Thebes and from the audience as well. The first action Antigone takes to dispose of this negativism is by providing her brother a proper burial. Antigone’s strong sense of duty presents an inkling of hope in the people of Thebes and the audience that she might change the fate of the kingdom of Thebes. Furthermore, her steadfast determination exhibits her stance with her own belief as well as against Creon’s law. Although she knows wholeheartedly that her actions might result in her death, she is willing to risk her consequences and openly pursue her conscience and morals. With this courage and determination, Antigone perfectly fits the person Martin Luther King describes in his quote that “an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.” Since Antigone breaks the law in obedience to her conscience, while accepting her penalty, she impersonates a character that expresses the highest respect for the law. Thus, the readers maintain a high respect for Antigone and her morals throughout the play. Furthermore, Antigone uses her control over her own death to further differentiate the power between Creon and herself. At this time Antigone's