Essay, Research Paper: Antigone

Antigone
A crucial question in Antigone is, “When someone makes a law that is
known by the public to be morally wrong, should the public break his/her
law? Or should they collaborate with that person by obeying? Antigone felt
that the law (no one was supposed to bury her brother Polyneicies) should
be broken so she took what she thought to be appropriate measures. This
is called Civil Disobedience. Another question is “Is Civil Disobedience
morally and ethically correct?” The Nazis say one thing, and the Vietnam
war veterans say one thing.
The Nazis did not believe that Civil Disobedience was ethically or
morally righteous, because of there inhumane acts upon the Jews in the
1940’s probably led some Nazi officials to think about Civil Disobedience,
after all the were told to do a job and if they didn’t they would have been
killed. As Adolph Hitler showed the world, just because one idiotic person
thinks something is right that doesn’t make it right. The Nazi officials
parallel Ismene, because there is a law that they both knew to be wrong but
they are so afraid to step up that they just collaborate with it. Another
parallel is that the Jews and Polyneicies’ soul. The Jews were caught up in
the middle of the officials, the liberating nations, and Adolph Hitler. As was
Polyneicies’ soul caught in between Creon, Antigone, and Ismene. Also, in
that they both had to undergo extreme pain, torture, and horror. Lastly the
invading nations parallel Antigone in that they both fought against the law
in both their times. Antigone fought to save her brother’s spirit, and the
invading nations fought to save the Jews.
Civil disobedience is wrong even though it might not go with any
religious beliefs, but for Christians, laws are established by governments,
governments are established by God, so what is there to go against besides
God’s own law? Laws are made for the communities own safety, or own
good. If a law was passed not to stay outside because of serial killings how
many would stay outside late at night, not to many. A law was passed not
to steal, how many people are arrested and convicted every week because
they stole something. So laws are for the benefit of that area, in order to
uphold that law there must be a price of punishment.
During the Vietnam conflict there was a military draft, some ran to
Canada in order to save their own life. Our dear President William “Bill”
Clinton ran to Canada to avoid having to go to war. If you live in a country
with equal rights you at least owe that country something. The Vietnam
veterans think this example of Civil Disobedience, is exceptionally wrong.
“When someone makes a law that is known by the public to be
wrong?” Then they should be collaborated with. The Jews would say it is
alright to break this particular law. The Vietnam veterans would say it is
not acceptable to break that law. The real answer is that there is no real
answer, because some say it is alright, and some say it is not right.





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