The Pros And Cons Of Civil Disobedience

In the Greek play, Antigone written by Sophocles, Antigone’s brothers Polyneices and Eteocles were at war between each other because Polyneices wanted to take over the crown fought against his own city and Eteocles was protecting his city and they kill each other The king, Creon which is also their uncle declared that Polyneices shouldn’t be buried because he is a “traitor”. Antigone did the right thing when she risked death for her brother Polyneices; she did so to honor family and her gods.

The play Antigone is about two brothers who kill each other in battle, one is buried one isn’t and laws are placed in order to prevent it from happening. A sister comes in to bury his brother despite the laws and risk potential death in the process. The person who put these laws into place is called Creon, who wants the person who buried the body to face justice. The sister who committed this crime is Antigone, who is also the character that I’m contrasting with Creon.

In Sophocles’s Story Antigone, the protagonist, Antigone has just learned that her two brothers have been killed in battle. One of them (Eteocles) received full military honors, and another (Polynesis) was named a traitor and was left to rot. Antigone wishes to bury her dead brother, despite Creon’s law, and the social norm of women being seen as property. Creon is insensitive, power abusive, and a leader who is naive about the obvious truth. These three deadly attributes are a recipe for disaster, and result in the destruction of the royal family, and his favor with the Gods.

In the book Antigone, “Antigone states, ‘...I will bury him myself. If I die for doing that, good: I will stay with him, my brother...’” (Braun, 23). This is the first part when which Antigone is trying to bring fair justice into her life. She decides to bury her brother even after her father said that he did not deserve a proper burial because pretty much because he was a disgrace to their family.

Antigone's loyalty to Ploynices makes her feel obligated to give him a proper burial. Antigone talks with Ismene, " The dead body of Polynices, miserably slain, they say it has been given out publicly none may bewail, none bury, all must leave unwept, unsepulchred, a dainty prize for fowl watch, gloating upon their prey!" (Sophocles 2). Antigone tells her sister that it is wrong for Creon to bury one of their brothers with honor and leave the other one as a meal for predators. Without her loyalty to her brother, Antigone would not have felt this strongly about his burial. This leads to Antigone disobeying the law. Her strong-will leads her to not caring if the burial of her brother goes against the king's orders, she believes in the more important Devine Law. Antigone answers Creon's question of why she disobeyed his law,"Because it was not Zeus who ordered it, nor Justice, dweller with the Nether Gods, gave such a law to men" (Sophocles 17). Antigone states that the law of the gods is higher than the law of the states. Her strong-will and beliefs lead her to disobey the law and stand up to Creon. But Antigone's self-image of loyalty, strong-will, and bravery kill her. She knows what she stands for and she will not let anything get in her way, even death. Antigone says to her sister, "You made your choice, to live; I mine, to die" (Sophocles 21). Antigone made her choice to die when she decided to bury Ploynices. In conclusion, burying her brother, breaking the law, and her own death, were all because of Antigone's self-image of

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.

In the battle of individualism versus society, Antigone chooses to bury her brother. With her brother’s burial, Antigone goes against her family plans; however, before Antigone buries her brother, she is stopped by her sister. Exclaiming that although the “penalty is death”, Antigone continues with her plans because Creon

In Antigone, the main character, Antigone, wants to abide by the law of the gods and bury her beloved brother. Creon, the king of thebes, has made his own law of the land that prohibits the burial of Antigone’s brother, Polyneices. Creon has an overwhelming amount of pride and ignores any wisdom brought before him. Because of Creon’s blindsided thoughts, Antigone is sentenced to death. Later in the story Haemon, Creon’s son, challenges Creon’s decision but Creon ends up ignoring Haemon’s wisdom because Creon thinks he is right.

In the play, Antigone states “[I] will bury him myself. And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory” (Sophocles, 63). Antigone, in this scene, had just heard of her brother’s death and that everyone was commanded by Creon the King not to bury him. Antigone would not stand for this disrespect of her brother and had such strong will and belief in the laws of the gods that she made sure her brother had a proper burial no matter the cost. Her action was suicidal in nature, defying the laws of Creon, but she still chose too rebel because it was against her personal beliefs and because of what she believed to be

Antigone’s conviction to bury her brother because her loyalties lie to family and the gods. She believes no human, such as Creon would have the right or power to keep her from her own family. Even if she had to die while burying, she will not dishonor the laws of the gods. Antigone believes that she must gratify the dead longer than she has to satisfy the living. Creon states “Anyone thinking another man more a friend than his own country I rate him nothing” (1556). Thus, he forbids the burial of Antigone’s brother on the grounds of that he did not place the good of his country. Creon says to epitomize this: “I would not count any enemy of my country as my friend because of what I know” (1556). This traitor will never be honored above the heroes. Creon’s is doing this for the loyalty of his country and he doesn’t consider the gods for one second on how they would feel about the body of a deserter.

justly. In Sophocles’ play Antigone, King Creon made a law that those who oppose the state do not deserve a burial. Hence, allowing Polyneices to rot without a proper burial (Ancient Political Theory reader). However, his sister, Antigone disobeys Creon’s law and instead finds it necessary for her to conduct a virtuous act which was to bury her brother. Other people abided to Creon’s law because they fear the consequences of disagreeing with him.

Imagine being put in a situation where honor towards your own blood opposes the law. In the city-state of Thebes, King Creon issues a law that bans the burial of Polyneices. The dead man’s sister, a young woman named Antigone, buries her brother against King Creon’s blessings. Antigone’s courageous actions lead her to her own fatal death. Sophocles emphasizes the importance of choosing family over authority in his play “Antigone”.

From early stages of life, we are taught that laws must be obeyed. In the beginning, we are forced to do what our parents demand. Later on, we obey our teachers, and when we enter adulthood, we must follow our government’s regulations. Some might say that laws are made to regulate society and prevent anarchy, but shouldn’t each individual question and in extreme cases break, laws which contradict with their conscience? Both Antigone and Civil Disobedience are opposing the cruelty and mistakes of the state. Their reasoning and actions are different, but they try to prove that individual decisions are more powerful than laws made by the state even though they might result in consequences.

The United States of America was founded with the remarkable purpose of unifying a multitude of states-homes to citizens all of cultures and beliefs-whom shared a similar goal of creating a life of freedom and prosperity. In order to secure structure and solidity within an entire nation, it has always been extremely vital to maintain a regulatory government with a strong constitution to represent its citizens as a whole. However, the government can often represent the character of the American man in a way which misinterprets his very intentions. When morals and ethics are found to be void within our governmental institution, and it then becomes a “corporation without conscious”, civil disobedience can be the vital key in awakening human emotions

Sophocles’ play “Antigone” illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The play opens after Oedipus’ two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus’ brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors, while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot away. Creon believes that Polyneices’ body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience and treachery against the city. Polyneices’ sister, Antigone, upon hearing this exclaims that an improper burial for Polyneices would be an insult to the Gods. She vows that Polyneices’ body will be buried, and Creon declares that anyone who