Antigone’s Courage

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Antigone’s Courage In the play “Antigone” by Sophocles, Antigone’s character strongly demonstrates that family loyalty is a higher law than the laws of the city Thebes. She makes a decision to follow her religious beliefs rather than following the rules decreed by her uncle, King Creon. Antigone and Creon bump heads when Creon introduces to the kingdom, a law stating that if anyone attempts to bury Polyneices, he/ she will be sentenced to death. What matters is whether a person is given a proper burial or not, however, it is believed that there is only one afterlife for both good and bad. Those who are not given a proper burial will rot where they are left and be eaten by dogs in disgrace. Although Antigone was right for wanting Polyneices to have a proper burial because he was family, Creon was trying to take that right way from her as one of the few things women were allowed to do was mourn the dead. Creon abused the power he had and in the end, he only hurt himself. Creon’s order offended some people which made many citizens think of him as a power hungry tyrant. Creon sternly states “Polyneices,” he says, “is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, unburied; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like” (1329). The citizens of Thebes knew that he did not have the power to bring forth this edict, but he still went forth with it and everyone had to abide by them. The people disagreed with him because they knew he was going against the gods, however, they knew they had to abide or pay the consequences. After it is revealed that Polyneices has been buried, Creon puts a death sentence on the head of whoever has disobeyed the laws of Thebes. In his eyes, he believes that only his laws are to be obeyed and no one has the right to dishonor them. Creon

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