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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