The Poor Decision of Antigone to Bury: an Analysis

Sophocles' play "Antigone" spins around this tragic story of a young woman named Antigone. She goes against the king's orders to bury her brother Polyneices, which is like breaking the law big time. Her choice leads to a chain of bad stuff happening and ends with her own downfall. So, why's Antigone so bent on burying Polyneices? In this essay, we’re gonna dig into why she makes that call, looking at things like duty, family loyalty, and divine law. By checking out what her actions mean, we can get a better grip on her complex character and what comes from her choices.

'The Not-So-Great Choice of Antigone to Bury: An Analysis'

Antigone's actions seem driven by a super strong sense of duty to her family and the gods. Right at the start, she shows she's all in to bury her brother. She says something like, "I'll bury him myself. And if I die doing it, well that's glorious" (Sophocles 63). That line really shows Antigone’s rock-solid commitment to doing what she thinks is right, even if it costs her life. The whole burial thing ties into ancient Greek beliefs that said you needed a proper burial for your soul's trip to the afterlife.

On top of that, burying Polyneices is also Antigone’s way of flipping off King Creon's unfair rules. He bans the burial 'cause he sees Polyneices as a traitor. But for Antigone, family loyalty and divine law trump whatever the king says. It’s like she’s rebelling against an unfair government because of her deep sense of duty to her brother and what she believes is morally right.

Topic Sentence: Another motivation behind Antigone's decision to bury Polyneices is her unwavering family loyalty.

Antigone’s unshakeable family loyalty also pushes her to bury her brother. As Oedipus' daughter and sister to both Polyneices and Eteocles, she feels this heavy obligation towards her kin. For her, family ties are more important than any social or political duties.

Plus, by burying Polyneices herself, Antigone bucks against societal norms that put men first in families back then in Greece. Women were pretty much sidelined with little power. By defying Creon’s rule and taking action herself, she challenges gender norms and claims her power as a woman. Her move can be seen as empowerment and standing up against a male-dominated society.

Topic Sentence: The final motivation behind Antigone's decision to bury Polyneices is her adherence to divine law.

A huge part of why Antigone wants to bury Polyneices is because of divine law. She argues that godly laws come before human ones. When debating with Creon, she says something like "I didn't think your orders were so strong that you could overrule the gods’ eternal laws" (Sophocles 85). This shows how convinced she is that godly laws never change while human ones do.

Her devotion to divine law reflects her religious beliefs and deep faith in the gods. She thinks disobeying them would bring worse consequences than anything Creon could dish out. So in a way, laying her brother to rest was an act of piety coming from her steadfast belief in divine order.

Conclusion

Wrapping it up here: Antigone's choice to bury Polyneices ties back to duty, family loyalty, and sticking with divine law over man-made ones. Her actions go against societal norms while challenging unjust laws and standing up as a woman in control of herself too! Looking into why she made these decisions helps us understand just how complicated they were—and just how strong-willed she was through all this messiness around standing firm with convictions against unfairness everywhere possible nowadays still relevant today somehow reminding us again about timeless themes like responsibility & loyalty clashing between different sets guiding principles within society at large generally speaking overall situation being faced generally today likewise seems fitting enough anyway considering everything involved logically speaking etcetera et cetera suffice say...

Bibliography:

• Sophocles. "Antigone." Translated by Robert Fagles, Viking Press, 1984.
• Ehrenberg, Victor (1954). "Sophocles and Periclean Athens". Blackwell Publishing.
• Kirkwood G.M., (1969). “A Study Of Sophoclean Drama”. Cornell University Press.
• Segel Harold B., (1995) “Twentieth Century Interpretations Of Oedipus Rex”. Prentice Hall.
• Winnington-Ingram R.P., (1980) “Sophocles: An Interpretation”. Cambridge University Press.