Civil disobedience is the refusal to comply with certain laws as a peaceful form protest, which the main character Antigone displayed by going against Creon’s wishes by burring her brother poloneicies. Antigone uses metaphors and her tone to show that civil disobedience is not always wrong if it was done for the right cause
Antigone uses metaphors to explain her civil disobedience. This is seen during the prologue when Ismene and Antigone are arguing about burying their brother. In the story, Antigone says “no one shall bury him no one shall mourn for him, but his body must lie in the fields a sweet treasure for carrion birds” This exhibits that Antigone can’t stand to think that nobody will even care for her brother and the only thing that will remotely have interest in her brother is the birds who will eat his flesh. Similarly, this is also revealed when Antigone says “but I will bury him and if must die, I say this crime is holy” Creon is not strong enough to stop me” This displays that despite the new law that Creon set Antigone would rather follow the law of the gods then the law of man.
Antigone uses her tone to display that she doesn’t regret her disobedience towards Creon’s law. This is indicated during scene two when Antigone got caught and was taken to the king Creon. It’s says “It was public. Could I help hearing it? As a response towards Creon’s question asking if she heard the new law. This expresses that Antigone has no care for Creon’s law and that whatever punishment she receives is worth saving her brother. Similar this is observed when Antigone say, “Then I beg you: kill me this is taking is a great weariness: your words are distasteful to me “This shows that Antigone has fully accepted her fate and no longer care for Creon or his long speeches
References
- Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement
- Amnesty International – Discrimination and Human Rights
- American Civil Liberties Union – Racial Justice
- History.com – Slavery in America
- YaleGlobal Online – Human Rights and Civil Disobedience
- United Nations – Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- JSTOR: “Civil Disobedience as a Psychological Problem – Stanley Milgram”
- Google Scholar – Civil Disobedience
