Family In Antigone

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In “Antigone” by Sophocles it can be argued that family morals overpower the law on mankind. This is exhibited through three main factors. The first factor takes place when Antigone tries to give her brother a proper burial even though this has been made illegal and the punishment is death. The next factor are the gods. The law of the gods is that different of mankind and believe that Polyneices needs a proper burial. The final factor is the prophet. As Antigone is caught Antigone, Eurydice and Haemon commit suicide exhibiting that without family, one has nothing. Antigone risks her life and the lives of others exhibiting that morals are more important than the law of the land.
Eteocles and Polyneices are Antigone's brothers and are in line to rule over Thebes however, Eteocles refuses to step down to …show more content…

Creon believed in the law of man and that the traitor should not receive a proper burial but the gods believed that every man deserved a proper burial. Antigone knew that it would be impossible to follow the law of both human and god. She knew that to follow the law of man was punishable by death but to break the law of the gods was the worse of the two. “She followed her heart and sought to uphold the laws of the gods”(Bunce 1). Antigone knew she must do what was right for not only her brother but to honor the gods who have power over mankind. Antigone tries to recruit Ismene to help her fulfill the wish of the gods, but Ismene refuses. Ismene follows the law of man and even tries to talk Antigone out of breaking the law of man. Antigone refuses and states “human beings, themselves, are imperfect, so the laws made by the king are also imperfect; only the laws made by God are perfect”( ). The crime Antigone was to take part in is punishable to death and she knew this but she also knew that to break the law of the gods was far worse than to break the law of

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