Antigone Research Paper

Antigone’s Civil Disobedience: Moral Code and Loyalty to Family Since the beginning of society, leaders with authority have made laws for civilians to obey without a second thought. Without considering morals and specific biases of people, laws are meant to be followed, or there will be consequences. In some instances, laws can collide with people's morals, forcing them to make an impactful choice. Following one’s morals may push the boundaries of an unethical law, leading to severe punishment. In order to follow their beliefs and principles, they must betray the state and vice versa. For a crime to be genuinely justified, the broken law itself must be corrupt or unjust. Antigone, the sister to Eteocles and Polyneices, encounters this situation …show more content…
While Creon believes Antigone should be rebuked for her rejection of his power, Antigone confidently follows through with her defiance, believing her actions are righteous. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone’s act of civil disobedience is justified through moral reasoning and the support of others. For Antigone, moral codes justify specific crimes against unreasonable laws. When Creon hears from the sentry that the culprit is Antigone, he is enraged. As he confronts Antigone about her defiance of his edict, she confidently admits to committing the crime, believing she made the right decision. Antigone has “no twinges of regret” for her crime, and states that if she took no action and left her brother unburied, “that would hurt!” She continues, criticizing the “fool is [the] judge” instead of her (211). Antigone remains loyal to her family because it is one of her moral values. To fulfill her universe of obligation by paying respect to her brother’s body, she must disobey the state. She emphasizes her virtue by feeling no regret, and in a remorseless tone, she further criticizes the state's stubbornness by stating the judge of her actions is the true

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