Choices and Consequences “Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart, the absolute principal of self sacrifice “-Woodrow T. Wilson. This is certainly true of Antigone, in Antigone by Sophocles. Antigone’s brothers, Etocles and Polynices, killed each other in war. According to their father, Thebes was to be ruled by the brothers, but in their absence,Creon came to power. Antigone, the sister of the two brothers, saw no fairness in Creon’s decision to not give Polynices a proper burial.
Antigone is more justified in her actions because she puts her life on the line, follows the laws of the ods, and shows extreme loyalty to her family. To Antigone, family devotion is very important; she even sacrifices her own life for her brother Polynices. In the prologue, Antigone says,”But I will burry him, and lie down with him in death , and I shall be as dear to him as he to me…. “(55-61). Here Antigone explains how she is motivated to go through with a proper burial for her own beloved brother. This illustrates how not even her uncle, who is now the king, or death upon itself will get in the way to uphold her family values.
Furthermore, Antigone is more Justified in her actions because she willingly follows the laws of the gods. Antigone states, “But all your strength is weakness, itself against immortal unrecorded laws of god”(2. 59-61). ln this quote Antigone describes how the gods’ laws mean more to her than the laws of Creon . This is significant because it shows how it is her strong sense of duty to the gods that drives her to disobey Creon’s laws. Certainly, Creon has the right to enforce the laws he creates, otherwise people will believe he is a weak leader.
However, Antigone fights to preserve family values by breaking state laws, but remains an active member of society by taking an active role in the religious practice of burying the dead. Therefore Antigone is more Justified in her actions. She declares, “l have longer to please the death than please the living here” ( ). Antigone is explaining how it is her belief that propels her to be true to her values and to serve her brother by preforming the burial rights Creon denied. This demonstrates how Antigone is certain that she will be rewarded in the afterlife for her loyalty all along.
While others might argue Creon is more Justified in his actions because he aims to uphold the laws of men rather than the gods, Antigone shows nothing but loyalty to her family. She also makes the right decision to sacrifice her own life for her beloved brothers. Understanding Antigone’s devotion to giving her brother a proper burial helps the readers realize how family should be above all else. Now, people of Thebes, I hope you to find Antigone more Justified because she died knowing what was right, while Creon’s misguided concept of leadership causes the loss of all he loved. antigone essay By delilahxo
