Antigone Theme

Human law vs. divine law is something most people struggle with, internally or otherwise, and is shown to cause many conflict today. Many consequences result when choosing divine law over human law in today’s society for everyone seems to have a different religion with different rules or even no religion at all. In Antigone’s time it seems that this is also something they struggle with for it is a common theme without the story. Antigone seems conflicted on whether to honor her brother and the divine law that all must be buried to enter the afterlife or honor Creon’s law that her brother is not allowed to be buried for he is not considered a honor as his brother Polyneices is. Throughout the story Antigone and even her sister Ismene struggle with the choice between human law and divine law but their morals lead them to different choices that play a key factor in the plot. The play begins with the debate between the sisters Antigone and Ismene about which law comes first, human law or divine law. Antigone invites Ismene to join her in burying their brother Polyneices, though the king, Creon, has forbidden his burial. Ismene reminds Antigone that burial is against the king’s law. She says, “I yield to those who have authority” (line 67). Antigone denies that Creon has authority in the matter of burial, since it is a sacred duty she feels bound to fulfill. She protests, “He has no right to keep me from my own!” (line 48). She explains she is willing to die to do her duty to Polyneices, for “I have to please the dead far longer than I need to please the living; with them, I have to dwell forever” (lines 74-76). Antigone knows that when she enters the afterlife she must answer to them for the rest of eternity and therefore believes it is in her best interest to please them rather than please the king. Though Ismene does not agree, Antigone fears the wrath of the gods far more than the wrath of Creon and decides she will give up her life if it means