Throughout history, civil disobedience has instigated change and has been a key part of many social reforms. Both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the fictional character of Antigone committed acts of civil disobedience to rebel against unjust laws and to stand up for what they believe in. I believe in the case of Martin Luther King Jr. and Antigone, the stakes do justify their actions. Martin Luther King had the entire momentum of the civil rights movement at stake; therefore his actions were justifiable because if he didn’t succeed, much more violence could have ensued and many more lived could have potentially been lost. Antigone had her brother’s and her own afterlife at stake, her acts were justifiable because if she had not succeeded in
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believe the higher law is more important that man’s law (King 4; Sophocles 38). Their stakes are similar because they both have to do with the elimination of unjust laws. If either of them failed there could have been serious societal retributions, Dr. King could have caused momentum of the civil rights movement to slow, potentially causing more violence and deaths, and Antigone could have caused her brother to never experience an afterlife, which is considered more important to Antigone than this life on earth (Sophocles 38). However, Antigone’s stakes are more internal and personal, while Martin Luther King’s stakes are more societal. If Antigone fails, it’s mainly only those who were involved who are affected, but if Dr. King fails, a whole nation could be affected. They were both fighting for something bigger than themselves though, and they both put everything they had at stake in order to achieve their …show more content…
and Antigone, the stakes do justify their actions. Dr. King put his personal safety and freedom at risk so the momentum of the civil rights movement could keep progressing and other people could live free lives. If he had not succeeded those who were oppressed would not have gotten their chance at a good life and might not have known true freedom, due to the constant scrutiny and injustice they faced by both authority figures and the public. Antigone acts are justifiable because her brother’s afterlife depended on her burying the body. A proper burial and transcendence into the afterlife is a massive part of Greek culture and not receiving a burial is considered one of the worst punishments a person could receive (Sophocles 77-78). If Antigone would have failed, Polyneices would have returned to haunt the earth and would never have found peace or felt that he had achieved any sort of good life. Antigone believed that the law of the gods is more important than any law set by the King (Sophocles 38). Both Dr. Martin Luther King and Antigone were justified in their actions because they were fighting for something that was more important than themselves and they both put everything on the line so they could help others have better
believe the higher law is more important that man’s law (King 4; Sophocles 38). Their stakes are similar because they both have to do with the elimination of unjust laws. If either of them failed there could have been serious societal retributions, Dr. King could have caused momentum of the civil rights movement to slow, potentially causing more violence and deaths, and Antigone could have caused her brother to never experience an afterlife, which is considered more important to Antigone than this life on earth (Sophocles 38). However, Antigone’s stakes are more internal and personal, while Martin Luther King’s stakes are more societal. If Antigone fails, it’s mainly only those who were involved who are affected, but if Dr. King fails, a whole nation could be affected. They were both fighting for something bigger than themselves though, and they both put everything they had at stake in order to achieve their …show more content…
and Antigone, the stakes do justify their actions. Dr. King put his personal safety and freedom at risk so the momentum of the civil rights movement could keep progressing and other people could live free lives. If he had not succeeded those who were oppressed would not have gotten their chance at a good life and might not have known true freedom, due to the constant scrutiny and injustice they faced by both authority figures and the public. Antigone acts are justifiable because her brother’s afterlife depended on her burying the body. A proper burial and transcendence into the afterlife is a massive part of Greek culture and not receiving a burial is considered one of the worst punishments a person could receive (Sophocles 77-78). If Antigone would have failed, Polyneices would have returned to haunt the earth and would never have found peace or felt that he had achieved any sort of good life. Antigone believed that the law of the gods is more important than any law set by the King (Sophocles 38). Both Dr. Martin Luther King and Antigone were justified in their actions because they were fighting for something that was more important than themselves and they both put everything on the line so they could help others have better