Ms. Peifer
10 IB English p. 5
26 November, 2008
Innocence
Antigone is innocent. She has honored the death of a family member, as anyone would be expected to do. Her brother disobeyed the law by fighting against his own city. He was refused a burial, and left out to be devoured by the sources of nature. Though her families honor may have contradicted the law, she was right to defend her heritage.
One may say that Antigone's brother, Polyneices, broke the law and should not be honored by a burial. He went against his city, his people, even his own brother. He was standing up for what he believed in, he was headstrong just like his sister. Without people like this, how would our world improve? Things would never change if people never took a stand, many issues would never be addressed. This is why it is important to recognize people who are independent and tenacious.
When the king decreed that Polyneices should not have a burial, Antigone was outraged. This is completely dishonorable to her brother. Regarding this the king said: "It hath been proclaimed to our people that none shall grace him with secpulture or lament, but leave him unburied, a corpse for birds and dogs to eat, a ghastly sight of shame." (Sophocles, lines 235-238). Antigone has values. She chose to stand up for her brother. She shows this when she says, "But if I'd allowed my own mother's dead son to just lie there, and unburied corpse, then I'd feel distress. What going on here does not hurt me at all." (Sophocles, lines 527-531). Antigone had the courage to stand up for her brother, and the virtue to know that she needs to do so. She has proven a very honorable character, and therefore much respect is demanded.
Works Cited
Sophocles. "Antigone" The Internet Classics Archive. (this is underlined) Trans. R.C. Jebb. 04 Oct. 2000. classics.mit.edu 25 Nov 2008
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