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Antigone: Morality Police, And Death Of Mahsa Amini

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In Antigone, a prominent theme that is demonstrated is law vs individual morality. This is still an issue today because especially in places like Iran and Pakistan where the law is morally questionable, it is important to decide whether one should follow the law or their morality if the law itself is not just. In Antigone by Sophocles, A sister decides to honor her brother by burying him at the risk of breaking the law and facing death. In the article Protests in Iran about the “Morality Police” and Death of Mahsa Amini by Cora Engelbrecht the experiences of women under the rule of the Islamic Republic are documented. As well as the attempts of the public to protest the unjust laws and policies that have been newly instated whilst endangering …show more content…

The play does so by showing how our protagonist Antigone decides to break the law against burying her brother Polyneices body, while her sister Ismene decides to abide by the law rather than following her morality. This is shown in the point in the play in which Ismene states “Dishonor them I do not, but nor am I strong enough to defy the laws of the land” (Sophocles pg 11). This quote displays the clear apprehension she feels towards the idea of breaking the law; To which Antigone responds by saying “ Live then; and live with your choice. I am going to bury his body” (Sophocles pg 11). This quote demonstrates her desire to follow her morality rather than the law and its harsh punishments. Later in the play Antigone is caught burying her brother and ends up being killed as a result. In Antigone, Sophocles shows how Choosing between the law and individual morality can result in severe …show more content…

The policies that were instated by the Islamic Republic require all women to wear hijabs in public and for women not to travel without the consent of their husband. The public being outraged by the oppressive nature of these policies towards women and the severe mismanagement of the country, held massive protests to challenge the law, the article stated “The protests were a culmination of the past five years where all facets of society — laborers, teachers, retirees, university students and average people everywhere — have been trying to call for an end to the crisis of impunity in Iran despite violent state repression” (Engelbrecht). Showing how the public was willing to follow their personal morality and protest the unjust laws and policies put in place by the Islamic Republic even at the risk of their personal safety. The article also stated, “They erupted last weekend after the woman, Mahsa Amini, died following her arrest by Tehran’s morality police on an accusation of violating the law on head scarves” (Engelbrecht). This quote mentions the story of a woman who was accused of

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In Sophocles’ Antigone, the protagonist, Antigone, possesses the characteristic flaw of blind passion. Antigone tells the tragedy of a recalcitrant woman’s agony due to a new edict declared by the ruling power of the state, King Creon. The young woman, Antigone, wants to bury her brother, Polynices, but Creon’s edict announces that anyone who does so will be punished in death. Antigone rebels against the law of the state because she is assertive in her decision to bury her brother in order to honour the gods and maintain family loyalty. She courageously decides to act upon her free will and is prepared to face the consequence of death that proceeds.

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She believed that God’s laws were higher than man’s laws so she was ‘pleasing those [she] should please most’ (Blondell, 23). While arguing with her sister, Ismene, about breaking the law, Antigone demonstrated her determination to bury her brother because she knew that it was the moral thing to do, regardless of the deadly outcome. She was willing to perform the ‘crime of piety’ (Blondell, 23) – the crime that was ‘honored by the gods’ (Blondell, 23). To her, following God’s laws was the most justified even if it meant that she had to break man’s laws, because the God’s laws were ‘not for now or yesterday, but live forever’ (Blondell, 38).

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761 Words | 4 Pages

Just as in King’s time where African-Americans struggle with gaining any say or power just because of the color of their skin, Antigone and other women in their own time battle social customs that assume women are the weaker gender compared to men. These men hold all the political offices, and therefore create the laws. Despite being a member of a royal family, Antigone has no real power over

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681 Words | 3 Pages

Antigone is a tragedy play written by Sophocles. In the story, Antigone, a young woman, had requested permission from Creon, the king at the time, to have a proper burial for her brother, Polyneices; even though he was a traitor and the law forbids mourning for him. Creon had denied Antigone's request for the burial of her brother, however, Antigone had still carried out the burial. Unfortunately, she had been caught in her act, by the king’s guard, and brought before Creon.

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623 Words | 3 Pages

History has shown that religious and personal beliefs frequently clash with societal norms and laws. An example of this is present in Antigone, a Ancient Greek play written by Sophocles in 441 BC. Antigone is a teenage girl(inferred) who was forced to decide whether to give her brother, Polynices, a proper burial or follow Creon’s edict which condemned Polynices’ body to be ravaged by nature. Eventually, Antigone chooses to uphold her beliefs and bury her brother even if it would lead to her death. Antigone’s immense dedication to her morals and her response to Creon’s edict help in understanding her views on moral authority and death.

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686 Words | 3 Pages

In the play, Antigone, the title character challenges the king when she decides to bury her brother, Polyneices, who has been named a traitor. King Creon, her uncle, has come to power after the death of Oedipus and his two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices. Creon takes his role as king very seriously as he works to be a pillar of morality and uphold the laws of the city. After he deems Polyneices a traitor, he forbids anyone to properly bury the body: "leave him, unwept, untombed" (line 29) allowing the body to be "a rich sweet sight for the hungry birds beholding and devouring" (30). Throughout this play, several themes, namely human law versus divine law, are at play.

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Evolution, in common terms, is descent through genetic inheritance, with change in physical and biological characteristics. Evolutionary theory attempts to explain why we see so many species in world that seem so diverse and yet, have enough similarities that imply a common origin. There are various mechanisms by which evolution occurs, including natural selection, artificial selection, gene drift, etc., but in the end, evolution is process by which every single species that exists today, was derived from the last universal ancestor. This perpetual system of change and advancement, shapes the both the biotic and abiotic aspects of the environment, and results in the creation and advancement of the complex communities that inhabit the biosphere.

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I am so afraid for you." (Ismene, 88) "I will not ask you, or if I do, you will not come." (Antigone, 89) Antigone's decision to defy the king's decree and bury her brother represents an act of civil disobedience, which challenges the authority of the state and raises questions about the limits of state power. Antigone's actions also represent the tension between personal beliefs and state authority, as she believes that her moral duty to give her brother a proper burial overrides the king's decree.

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1078 Words | 5 Pages

“Antigone” is a Greek tragedy that was written by the playwriter Sophocles. It is the final play of a trilogy that also includes “Oedipus the King” and “Oedipus at Colonus”. Throughout the play there are many lessons to be learned but none are as important as the concept of the relationship between individuals and the state. The problems within the play that relate to this issue are as present within our society today as they were during Sophocles’ time. The lack of influence in government from its citizens leads to injustice and cruelty because the government is following their own agendas.

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552 Words | 3 Pages

In the play "Antigone" by Sophocles, Antigone rightfully decides to bury her brother, Polynices, but when the king, Creon, finds out, she does not repent for her actions. She is a woman that stands for what she thinks is right, which in this case is that Creon is wrong for condemning the burial of her brother. She shows braveness with her actions because not all people have the courage to risk their own lives so that their brother can rest in peace. For instance, Ismene states "What? You 'd bury him – when a law forbids the city?"

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860 Words | 4 Pages

In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone, a woman’s individual conscience trumps state law when Antigone displays time and again that she values her divine motives higher than those of the state throughout the tragedy. Her continued defiance of the state’s authority marks the importance of her individuality through various scenes in Antigone. Knowing full well her role as a woman in a patriarchal society, Antigone goes beyond the powers of the common man to carry on morals of herself and family exceeding beyond immortality and death. Engulfed in the menacing misogyny King Creon set forth in the state, Antigone is determined to thrive and keep the sacred deeds of herself and family in tact despite the fate it bears. The character of Antigone exhibits

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3452 Words | 14 Pages

Antigone is a tragedy written by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles in around 441 BC. It is the third of three plays in Sophocles' Theban Plays trilogy, following Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. The play tells the story of Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, who defies the law and buries her brother Polynices, who has been declared a traitor by her uncle Creon, the new ruler of Thebes. Antigone believes that she has a moral obligation to bury her brother according to religious customs, and she faces the consequences of her actions, including punishment and ultimately death. The play explores themes of morality, justice, and the conflict between personal and state law.

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691 Words | 3 Pages

Another way this quote can relate to the book is Antigone goes through great sacrifice in order to bury her brother. For instance, if she gets caught Creon will punish he for the crime. During a conversation with her sister Ismene, Antigone says “I never did a nobler thing than bury my brother Polyneices”(Sophocles 32). This quote means that despite the fact that she can be punished, Antigone is still proud of what she did. Creon had threatened to bury Antigone to death but she did not let that stop her

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1113 Words | 5 Pages

She does not understand why she is being treated so unjustly for trying to do the right thing. The chorus in the play tries convincing Antigone that justice is behaving in accordance to Creon’s laws but Antigone is stubborn and sustains to her convictions. Even though Antigone ends up dying she dies achieving her goal of wanting to bury her brother properly. Mostly everyone in this play goes against what the main character feels is justly because they want to follow the kings laws and they believe she is acting immorally. Antigone is not acting immorally, she is doing the right thing to follow the law of the gods.

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1114 Words | 5 Pages

Antigone, by Sophocles, is a drama belonging to the Greek theatre, which revolves around the central character Antigone, who wants her brother Polynieces to be given a decent burial and decides to revolt against Creon’s dictum. The play portrays in an accurate manner of the social situations that existed in the ancient Greece, and how the people reacted to it. The drama begins with the death of brothers, Eteocles and Polynieces, who kill each other for the throne. By this act, Creon decides to give a decent burial to one of the brothers, Eteocles, while leave Polyneices corpse unburied and as a meal for the animals, as he was considered as a traitor for Thebes. This act taunts Antigone, and she decides to rebel against the dictator Creon and fight for the burial of her brother Polynieces.

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