Antigone__How_Her_Dilemma_Compares_in_Today’S_Society

James Fife Dr. Malloy Hon Humanities I Antigone: How her dilemma compares in today’s society The protagonist in Antigone is a princess in the city of Thebes. Antigone goes against the king's authority to do what she believes is right. Antigone is a bold and stubborn character who had to choose between what she felt was right and what the law of the state said was right. A law that was made by the king stated that if any person was to attack against the city he or she would not have a proper burial but would be left whereever he or she was killed. Antigone's brothers killed each other in a fight for the throne. One received a proper burial because he was the current king and the other was left in the middle of the city to rot and to be eaten by the birds. Antigone wanted to bury her brother. According her beliefs this would be the right thing to do. Antigone was motivated by her personal beliefs. Antigone had a dilemma, had motivation to do what she believed was right, and similar sacrifices are still being made by people today. Antigone's dilemma was deciding whether to break the law and bury her brother or abide by the law set by the king, Creon. Creon believed the gods would not honor a bad person, so the people should not either. He ordered that no one pray for, weep for, or bury those who attack the city. Antigone's belief was that all men deserve a proper burial whether good or bad. She was even more troubled because her brother was the man involved. Antigone had a difficult dilemma to deal with but she chose to give her brother a proper burial, even though this choice could cause her to be stoned to death. Her motivation was strong enough that she was willing to risk her life. Antigone's motivation was clear. She chose to make a sacrifice to uphold her personal beliefs. Her belief was that all men deserved to be buried. She did not care about breaking a law to give her brother what she felt he deserved. She believed he was not only disrespected, but his soul would never rest without a burial. The people in the city of Thebes believed that the law of the gods was that if a person was not given a proper burial, his or her soul would not go to heaven. Antigone did not want this to happen to a family member, even if he made an attack on the city. With this as her motivation, Antigone decided to break Creon's law and bury her brother. Examples of sacrifice can still be seen in modern society. Antigone is not a literary anomaly. In modern society, people are still likely to sacrifice personal safety or disregard society's law for something they believe in. This can be shown by people looting for food in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. According to The Houston Chronicle, if people hadn't stolen food, families would have gone hungry. Looters broke society's laws in order to uphold beliefs that their families were more important than obeying the law. Another example is shown by mothers. According to The Advertiser, some mothers sacrifice time for sleeping, showering, and eating to spend quality time with their children. They believe this is the right thing to do even though it may be detrimental to ones well being. With a very tough dilemma, Antigone stuck to her decision to bury her brother knowing that this could cause her death. Many people today would make sacrifices for a loved one, even if it meant giving up personal safety or breaking a law. Antigone felt she was making a good decision and that the gods would think she did the right thing. The burial of Antigone's brother was more important to her than life. Antigone had a dilemma, had motivation to do what she felt was the right thing to do, and sacrifices of life and law are still being made by people today.