Civil Disobedience In 'Antigone'

In the story of Antigone, Eteocles and Polyneices are both fighting to be the king of Thebes. They both die in the fight but Eteocles is buried while Polyneices is left to the vultures. Antigone is both Polyneices and Eteocles’ sister, With both brothers dead the throne was given to their uncle Creon, who believes Polyneices is a traitor and should not have a burial. Antigone strongly disagrees with Creon, thus sneaking out and giving him a proper burial. This action was considered punishable by death.

In the play, Antigone by Sophocles when a new man Creon becomes king he forbids a traitor's body to be buried so that he would be an example, this man being Polyneices, Antigone’s brother. Antigone, fearless in her actions, will not let her brother's body rot in the street even if it's against Creon's rules, but Creon due to his pride will not listen to anyone including Antigone. This will lead to pain and suffering for Creon later in the story. The main character Creon is foolish, for killing Antigone for trying to give her brother a burial. Because he would not hear out Tiresias or others.

Well, Jesse Jackson experienced that, and he strongly believed it shouldn’t have been that way. Jesse Jackson showed potential to get rid of racial divides since he was little. Growing up, he was a very serious student, and athlete, who believed in all people having equal rights. Jackson is still a very important person today. He was on the balcony, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot.

“‘You come against me with hatred, repression, and violence. I come against you in the name of god’” as Bree Newsome illegally removed the confederate flag from the capital of South Carolina. The confederate flag symbolized racial segregation and Newsome was a colored woman who did not appreciate that the flag supported this. She then acted on what she desired was going to lead to equality among the diverse citizens of America.

After Antigone’s brothers Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other in battle, King Creon has only Eteocles properly buried but proclaimed regarding Polyneices: “No Burial of any kind. No wailing, no public tears. Give him to the vultures, unwept, unburied, [to] be a sweet treasure for their sharp eyes and beaks” (Sophocles 2-3). Despite Creon’s direct orders and threat of stoning, Antigone covers Polyneices’s body in a layer of dirt as a sign, similar to the process described in “Ancient Greek Burial Customs.” When Ismene, Antigone’s sister, asks why she is so willing to risk her life for the dead, Antigone reasons that she “must be good to those [who] are below” because she “will be there longer than with [her]” (Sophocles 4).

Martin Luther King Jr. uses references towards historical and political figures to show his stance on the United States Government during his time. In a nut shell, Martin Luther King Jr. is describing his beliefs in just and unjust laws in his writing. An unjust law, as stated by Martin Luther King Jr., is “one that is a mode that is out of harmony with the moral law.” St. Augustine said, “An unjust law is not a law at all.” Martin Luther King Jr. uses this quote to justify his case and to establish credibility within his argument in how he backs up his beliefs with that of St. Augustine on an unjust law.

The sisters of the dead brothers, Antigone tried to convince Ismene to assist with the burying of the brother’s body, against the edict of the king but Ismene did not concede as she was afraid of the death penalty and still could not dissuade Antigone from doing the deed herself. The Chorus of Theban elders pledged their support on the king’s edict of disposing Polyneice’s body but at that time it was reported that the body has been buried. It was found out that Antigone was responsible and she was questioned but she did not argue or deny her involvement and responsibility. She was made to pay for the disobedience and was put in the under cave. Creon was warned, given the words of wisdom by the gods to let go of Antigone or he will be punished.

Would you follow a law if it serves no purpose to you or others? or if you felt that it was wrong to a certain group or ethnicity? Many people know the story Antigone by Sophocles, a kingdom set in ruins as two brothers end up killing each other over a land given to them by their father. As said in lines 165-175 Creon states “Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, unburied.” Being as how both brothers fought fighting for their beliefs they should both get a proper military honored burial as believed by their sister Antigone.

Polyneices was declared a traitor and anyone that was found burying him would be sentenced to death. Antigone, despite the penalty, sneaks out and gives her brother the proper burial she knows that he deserves...and then

51 It’s a cold December day in 1773 as the Sons of Liberty prepare make history. The Sons of Liberty march up the docks of Boston to make the ultimate act of defiance against the newly established laws and taxes implemented by the tyrannous British. The British sought to tighten their tyrannical control on the colonies with unfair laws and taxes, however the Sons of Liberty weren't so willing to be forced to follow these limitations. In revenge, they dumped 92,000 pounds of British tea into the ocean.

A Letter From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. is a name that will never be forgotten, and that will go down in the books for all of time. He was foremost a civil rights activist throughout the 1950s and 1960s. during his lifetime, which lasted from January of 1929 to April of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and a social activist and was known for his non- violent protests. He believed that all people, no matter the color, have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and to take a direct action rather than waiting forever for justice to come through and finally be resolved. In the Spring of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stated in a speech that Birmingham was among one of the most segregated cities in the world.

The burial of Polyneices is viewed nobly, yet Antigone is not faultless in that act. One of Antigone’s largest mistakes is that she burns bridges with those that care about her. Pleading with Antigone, Ismene laments “why would I care to live when you are gone?” (548). Antigone dismisses this heartfelt plea by deferring Ismene to Creon, thus isolating herself from her only kin.

The Man with a Dream Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” He was one of America’s most influential civil rights leaders to ever exist. He was very passionate about his progression of nonviolent protesting and raised plenty awareness towards the media of racial inequalities eventually working towards a significant change that would change the world forever. Martin Luther King Jr. positively affected the world by becoming the leader of the civil rights movement and bringing racial acceptance to the U.S. through nonviolent protest. King was very inspired by India’s revolutionary civil rights leader, Gandhi.

He grew up with a deeply rooted determination to obtain equal rights for all American citizens. He led many protests and gave extremely motivating speeches that eventually made him the most known Civil Rights leader. “Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as the head of a movement for justice and equality that branched out from Montgomery and swept through the south” (ramsees7). This established the success in his accomplishments within the marches

The search for justice is never ending. Justice may be delayed, denied, or postponed, however, the search is timeless. To be just is to argue for fair rights for all. It is to be someone that will help the people of the community. However, many times justice is not sought and not given to those who need it most.