This activity is an online debate. You will chose one character from the "Tragedy of Antigone" and argue his or her perspective. There is no right or wrong character to argue for. Keep in mind what type of government existed in this story and what action works best in that type of government. Also, consider natural rights.

Directions

1. Read the "Tragedy of Antigone"

Polyneices left Thebes and gathered a large army to ght his brother for the throne. It was a long and bitter civil war; many people died and much property was destroyed. Finally, Polyneices and Eteocles killed each other. The people of Thebes immediately elected Green to be their next king. Cre- on decreed that Eteocles was to receive a hero's funeral for defending the city. But Polyneices was to rot on the battleeld. Any person who tried to bury Polyneices would be put to death. \"These are my laws!\" Creon declared. \"Only by these laws can our city be safe and prosper. Only by obedience to these laws can we avoid civil war and ruin.\" The citizens of Thebes debated the wisdom of Creon's law. On one side, many people were opposed to it. These people believed it was the duty of the living to bury the dead. According to this belief, unburied souls were doomed to wander alone throughout eternity. This group of people com plained that Creon's law violated their rights without a good reason for do- ing so. Other citizens supported Creon. They believed that Creon's law was justi- ed because the city had suffered from rebels and lawbreakers. It was the king's duty to decide what to do with people who violated the law. They felt 9 of 14 in chapter that the fate of Polyneices could serve as an example to those who did not respect the laws of the king. Antigone believed that the laws of the gods were higher laws than the laws of any ruler. So Antigone decided to bury the body of her brother. \"I will never be false to my brother,\" she said. Antigone attempted to convince Is- mene to help her. \"Are you not going too far, exceeding the limits, when you do what the king has forbidden?\" Ismene asked Antigone. \"I do not wish to dishonor our brother, but I have no Strength to defy the king. If we defy Creon's law, we will nd ourselves alone against the powers of the king and we will perish! Since we must obey Creon's law, we can ask the gods for forgiveness,\" Is- mene said. \"Obey the law if you must, Ismene. I will not urge you further to join me,\" Antigone replied. Later that day, a guard suddenly burst into the garden where Creon was resting. The guard brought the news that Polyneices had been buried. Creon angrily gave orders to nd the guilty person. The guard returned with Antigone in custody. \"Tell me, did you not know that there is a law forbidding what you did? Why did you disobey it?\" Creon asked. \"You are my niece, how can this be?\" \"I knew the law,\" Antigone answered. \"If I had allowed my brother to lie unburied, that would have disturbed me deeply. Your law is not part of eter- nal justice. I disobeyed your law. I am not sorry for what I did,\" Antigone said to Creon. 10 of 14 in chapter The Tragedy of Antigone The following story has been summarized and adapted from the Greek play Antigone written in 442 BC by Sophocles. In the play, Antigone disobeys her uncle, Creon, the ruler of Thebes. The government of Thebes was a monar- chy. A monarchy is a form of government in which political power is held by a single ruler, such as a king or queen. The king ruled the city; he made and enforced the laws, and he decided on punishments for people who vio- lated his laws. The story raises questions about limits on the power of government. Thebes was an important city in ancient Greece. Antigone lived there with her sister, Ismene, her two brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, and their un- cle Creon. The citizens of Thebes had chosen Eteocles, the younger brother, to be their king. Polyneices believed that since he was older, it was his right to rule the land. The two brothers quarreled and Eteocles banished Polyneices from the city.\"This brother of yours was attacking his own country,\" Creon replied. \"The gods require no such loyalty to evildoers. It is my duty to produce order and peace in this land. If I do not act, the citizens of Thebes will think me weak. The public order, the state itself will be in jeopardy. It is the laws of the state that hold this city together. If those who break the law go unpunished, we will be a lawless city. Even the innocent will suffer. You have thrown away your future happiness, Antigone,\" Creon said. \"You make it impossible for me to avoid putting you to death. Guards, take this woman and lock her '3 ! away As the guards escorted Antigone from the garden, she turned to Creon and said, \"You further violate the rights of the people by passing sentence upon me without a fair and public hearing.\" 11 of 14 in chapter