Unwritten Moral Laws In Antigone

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Do the state laws or the unwritten, moral laws come first? Antigone by Sophocles is a tragic play about a girl defying the state laws made by the King. Antigone buries her brother, Polyneices, because of her beliefs, even when Creon forbids it. Since her other brother, Eteocles, received proper burial rites, she thinks it is only fair that Polyneices receives the same. Creon, the king of Thebes, corrupts the world around him, resulting in the deaths of three of his family members Antigone, Creon, and his wife, Eurydice. Antigone’s actions to disobey Creon and bury Polyneices were justified due to her love for the gods and respect for her brother and his rights. Antigone shares a love for the gods that justifies her defiance against Creon’s ruling. Antigone would rather impress the gods over Creon. When talking to Ismene outside of the gates she said, “I must please those below a longer time than people here” (Socrates 16). She knows she will be with the gods after she dies, so she wants to impress them now. She believes the gods support her and tells Ismene when discussing Polyneices’ burial, “you, though, dishonor the gods’ commands” when she refuses to help (16). …show more content…
Creon allows Antigone’s other brother, Eteocles, to have a proper burial, yet regards Polyneices as a traitor. When expressing her anger about Polyneices’ burial to Ismene outside the gates, Antigone states, “Creon gives honorable burial to one, but dishonors the other” (14). Antigone thinks both brothers are worthy of burial rites, and since Creon will not allow it, she goes against him. To prove her point to Ismene, Antigone states outside the gates, “he has no right to keep me from my own” (15). Creon forbids Antigone to bury her beloved brother, and Ismene urges Antigone to let it go, but Antigone will not. Antigone does not care what Creon says, she acts out of bravery and respect for her brother, so it was justified to go against
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