Ethical Issues In Antigone

Antigone is a Greek tragedy about a young lady named Antigone who tries to save the justice of her died brother by giving him a proper funeral after he passes away. Antigone’s uncle, Creon, also known as the new king of Thebes, writes a new law stating anyone who dishonors the city of Thebes will no longer be allowed a burial in his honor. Antigone does not believe it is fair for her brother Eteocles to have a burial in his honor while Polyneices is left for the birds and other wild animals to eat his dead body. Through motivation, love, and determination Antigone fights against Creon and buries her brother Polyneices. We see a few minor themes throughout Antigone such as determination, power, and mortality; however we also see one main theme, human law versus divine law. While Antigone believes it is the god’s

Creon believed and strongly discouraged burial rights to anyone who had betrayed the City of Thebes. The question the lies is who’s the hero in this tragedy and who’s the threat? Antigone may be portrayed as a hero because she fights for what she believes in, however, I strongly believe she is partially a threat to a patriarchal government. To start, Antigone says “He has no right to keep me from my own” (Fagles, 1984, p.61). In this line of Antigone, she shows right away that she is going to rebel against the king of Thebes not matter what the law says. Rebelling against the king and government of Thebes is a threat because you are going against the divine law and falling your own law. This thought by Antigone is the prime reason I strongly believe she is