Antigone's Sacrifice Essay

Antigone Essay

Greek drama grew out of ancient religious rituals honoring dianysos, the god of wine and fertility. During these celebrations, worshipers danced around the alter of the god, singing hymns to the wild, passionate accompaniment of the flute. It was against the law, for instance, to help Jews escape the Nazis in Germany and Nazi occupied Europe. Antigone was part of a long story that was as familiar to Athenian audiences as stories about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln are to us.

Anitgone's law shoud prevail because she offered herself to be killed. She also said that Creon is not strong enough to stand in her way. They were fighting over whose Creon's sister. Antigone wanted to bury the brother, but Ismene (Antigone's sister) didnt want to help even tho she was the sister of him. Ismene got mad at her sister for making that decision of hers not to help and they gave them the bad news when there brother died.

Choragos was also in this because he said no happines where there is no wisdom, but in submission to the gods big words are always punished and proud men in old age learn to be wise. Antigone wants Creon and Ismene to stop help out to bury her brother and Ismene wanted them to kill her because she told them too. They said that the law forbids it. Polyneices said that the crime they had done was holy, and that Ismene was doing the right decision and right thing.

Antigone critics have tended to choose sides. Some argued that Antigone is right and that sacred matters, the laws of the gods, always take precedence over the laws of the state. Others have argued with equal strength that Ceon is right and that the good of the city must come before any higher laws for it is in the city that man must live. Man should obey the state or the gods.

Antigone returned to Thebes, where her two brothers had agreed to rule in alternate years. After the disasters, Creon took over as regent of Thebes, and after several years he decided to exile Oedipus. Accompanied only by his daughter (Antigone), Oedipus had died also. This is why I think Antigone law should prevail because of all the things they have done to her and tried to do.