Moral Law vs. Political Law in Sophocles’ "Antigone"

She reminds Antigone that they are on... ... middle of paper ... ...assistance, resolves to give their brother a proper burial. Ismene feared helping Antigone bury Polyneices but offers to die beside Antigone when Creon sends her to die. Antigone, however, refuses to allow her sister to be killed for something she did not have the courage to stand up for. The position of women is an important theme in this play. Gender has an impact on Antigone and her actions.

In the end Antigone chooses to obey the gods and “loving and loved [she] will lie by [Polynices’s] side,” (Sophocles 3). By burying her brother she not only obeys divine law but her familial duty to her brother. Antigone’s desire to obey the gods shows that she understands the importance of divine law. Ismene, however, fulfills her familial duty to Creon and the state instead. By standing with Creon as a united front against the populace she is ensuring her family remains in power and tells Antigone that to disobey Creon “’tis wrong to attempt at all.” In this instance she chooses to obey the state over the gods and as well her duty to her uncle over her brother.

Elizabeth Bobrick’s Sophocles’ Antigone and the Self-Isolation of the Tragic Hero declares “the heroic code may be summarized as follows: I protect my philoi—a term that includes family, kin, loved ones, and loyal community members—and they honor me. To hate my friend is to hate me. To help my enemy is to harm me. Being dishonored by my philoi is the equivalent of death. I will either kill them, or myself, or both.” This can explain Antigone’s excessive desire to bury her brother and even further be supported in lines 25-28 when Antigone challenges her sister’s loyalty.

Antigone goes to bury her brother so his afterlife will be better. She does it in spite of the law that Creon has made. “It is the dead, not the living, who make the longest demands” (192) She tries to explain to her sister, Ismene, that they must bury Polyneices, but even that close relationship has trouble because of the law. Ismene is unwilling to suffer the consequences of the law, to save her brother’s soul “Forgive me but I am helpless: I must yield to those in authority” (192) Even the two sisters who have just lost both of their brothers have different views on the matter. One will not stray from the law and what is deemed right by their king, while the other will accept any punishment, even death just to do what she believes is right.

In the play Antigone, the character Antigone, chooses to obey the laws of the God's rather than the laws of man. Antigone risks everything, including her life, but her convictions are unwavering. Antigone's beliefs were never conflicted. From the beginning of the play, the reader sees a steadfast woman, when Antigone tries to persuade Ismene to help bury Polynices. "Will you lift up his body with these bare hands / and lower it with me?"

For example she says: "I love my brother and I'm going to bury him, now." -Pg.24 lines 100-1 Antigone's motivation towards her brother causes her to take her actions. She considers that one's family love is the factor that must be valued over every thing else. Antigone is also extremely determined, and is not easily convinced by other people. At first Antigone asks her sister, Ismene to join her in the burying but after Ismene refuses to take part in the action, she immediately makes her mind to carry out the burying on her own.

Antigone is telling her sister to do her own life, and that she will do what she wants to bury her brother. Antigone preferring the god's laws to man's, disobeys Creon, to bury her brother Polyneices. After her uncle found out what Antigone did, he punished her with death. However, when Creon discovered that what he did was wrong; it was too late. Antigone is already dead, and Creon is punished by Heaven with the suicide of his own wife and son.

Antigone begins by telling her sister Ismene it was her duty as a sister that she should bury her dead brother. It is a duty she owes to her family. She also expresses that the king will not "keep me from my own." In other words, duty to the family is above her duty to the city. Antigone also tells Ismene that she is willing to become a criminal and die for her beliefs.

But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down With him in death, and I shall be as dear To him as he to me [...]” (Sophocles !!!). A further example of Antigone’s relevance to modern life is the ongoing efforts by women to not be oppressed, as seen in the character, Antigone and as subverted by her sister

says Lady Macbeth, trying to change her husbands mind. She shows Macbeth that if they follow her plan exactly and show remorse for the kings' death. They would not fail, "Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our greifs and clamor roar upon his death?" Towards the end of the play, Lady Macbeth shows weakness and guilt for her evil plans, and begins to go crazy. "Out damned spot!