Antigone is an ancient Greek tragedy written around 442 BCE by Sophocles, one of the genre’s pillars. It centers on the story of a young girl Antigone, whose brothers Eteocles and Polynices have recently died fighting each other over the throne of Thebes. The new ruler of Thebes, Creon, orders to bury Eteocles as a hero and to refuse any burial rituals to Polynices and thus, cover him in shame. However, Antigone denies his orders and attempts to bury Polynices’ corpse herself, as she cannot accept this fate for her late brother. In her monologue, Antigone proclaims the superiority of the unwritten laws of Heaven over the written laws of humans that may often be unjust and harmful. This monologue and Creon’s question of whether Antigone was aware of his prohibition to bury Polynices were picked for the purpose of this analysis. The corresponding numbers for the lines are 488-512.
In the beginning, Creon asks Antigone, who got caught attempting the deemed illegal burial of one of her brothers, whether she was aware of the order he had enforced. Antigone immediately admits that she was and disregards the order in question for it being unjust. She states that it is better to die in punishment for disobeying the king’s order than to leave her brother unburied and stripped of his entire honor. In the final parts of her monologue, Antigone refuses to “grieve with reason” since such an order is in place. Her speech is a passionate and thematically consistent exploration of the personal hurt of individuals protesting against the injustice of the existing rules and regulations. The audience remains compelled by her rebellion because of the gravity of the blasphemy that Creon is attempting and Antigone’s familial connection to the victim. These lines demonstrate that the law having the potential to be clearly morally wrong is a tale as old as time.
The message of Antigone’s monologue remains now as relevant as ever, specifically in our times of civil protest and general social discontent worldwide. Throughout 2020, the world has experienced a widespread wave of protests against often violent manifestations of injustice, discrimination, and power abuse. This statement is especially true for Western societies, which is an interesting observation considering the historical ties between the Ancient Greek laws and the modern legal system. Throughout the year, a variety of events has motivated the people to express their disagreement with the establishment, but one wave definitely stands out the most.
After a Black American man George Floyd was choked to death by a white police officer, the world justifiably exploded with protests. The long history of police brutality and institutionalized racism in the United States was brought to light by hundreds of thousands of people. In legal terms, some of the protesters’ actions could have been considered condemnable (looting, to give an example). However, these actions were used as a way for the Black community to express their hurt and rage after centuries of systemic violence committed against them. Just as Antigone appeals to the law of the heavens, the protesters demanded the empowered institutions obey “the higher law” and treat all humans as equals.
Furthermore, the police force has tried to suppress even the fully legal peaceful protests that did not entail looting or any other actions from the legally grey area. Creon denies Polynices his burial, which was considered a sacred ritual for Greeks, who believed that only through the proper ritual a soul can enter the Underworld. Without a burial, one cannot be judged by Hades, god of the dead, and cannot be granted an opportunity to find peace and oblivion. To deny burial to the dead warrior was a great taboo in the Greek society, a dishonorable act to even suggest. Conceptually speaking, the actions of the police force, in this case, lie among these lines, as they attempt to stop the community from expressing their grief and pain even in the most civil of ways. In Donald Trump mockingly repeating the last words of Floyd, “I can’t breathe”, we can even see the ruler of the powerful nation attempting to dishonor a dead man.
The play “Antigone” in general and the titular heroine’s monologue about the laws of mortals and the higher law will remain relevant in any age. Since the beginning of ancient civilizations, people in power have abused their control over the rules that their subjects should obey for society to function. The laws are, most certainly, necessary, and most of them protect the safety and best interests of the public. However, like any other rules, they cannot account for every situation and can be twisted by those who put themselves above the genuine sense of right and wrong. Therefore, it is important to remember that laws can be designed or used to hurt the vulnerable, and legality is never the only thing that matters. Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures, just as in the times of Antigone.