Theme Of Protest In Antigone

When is it Okay to Protest the Law?

“Ismene, I am going to bury him”(Sophocles 752). The play, “Antigone”, written by Sophocles, started out, when Antigone states that she is planning on burying her dead brother. She shows the readers what it is like to stick up for your beliefs and also for what is right. In addition, Antigone shows that no matter the consequences, you should always stick to your personal beliefs. Similar to this play, two different articles, one about school dress codes and the other about an oil pipeline debate, also show the same concept. Together, these stories show that your personal beliefs top all, even the law sometimes. A question then emerges as to when is it right to protest and go against the law? After examining

In the play “Antigone”, Polyneices and Eteocles, who are her brothers, have killed each other while in battle. Creon was an unjust leader, who has given Eteocles an appropriate burial for their religion, however, his proclamation stated that no one shall bury Polyneices. Antigone, a headstrong individual, then went against Creon 's proclamation, and gave the proper burial to her brother Polyneices. In the text, Antigone states, “Ismene, I am going to bury him. Will you come?”(Sophocles 752). In this quote, Antigone is informing her sister that she is going to go against Creon’s proclamation and bury her brother. Antigone feels that her decision is valid because, in her religion, if someone has not received the appropriate burial ceremony, they will not go to heaven. By burying her brother, Antigone is breaking Creon’s regulation, because the law goes against her personal religion. However, Antigone is doing it because she believes it is the right thing to do, regarding her religion. Similar to the play “Antigone”, students have been protesting their school’s dress code. In the article “Students Protest

In the same way the students went against dress code, Antigone and the Native American tribes do not follow the law, because the law is going against their personal beliefs. In the beginning of the play “Antigone”, she is talking to Ismene, her sister, about joining her in burying their brother. However, Ismene does not think it is the right thing to do because she believes everyone should follow the laws, no matter what. The author states, “You have made your choice, you can be what you want to be. But I will bury him; and if I must die, 55 I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down With him in death, and I shall be as dear To him as he is to me” (Sophocles 752). Through this, it is clear Antigone is expressing she does not care about the consequences that might occur, since she loves her brother and will do anything for him. By making this statement, Antigone is both attempting to persuade Ismene to join her and make her feel ashamed or remorseful that she will not stand up for her own brother. This indicates that Antigone believes Ismene does not love Polyneice,s since she will not help in the act of burying him. However, even with the consequences and her sister choosing not following her, Antigone still sticks to her beliefs and follows through on her plan. Similar to the play “Antigone”, the article “Showdown over oil pipeline becomes a national movement for Native Americans” is comparable to the way Antigone acted throughout the story. In this article, the