The death rituals in Ancient Greece were some of the most interesting aspects in this society. The ceremonial rituals surrounding death during Ancient Greek society were not only incredibly important to the people, but were also one of the most honorable practices someone could do to remember a person. Death rituals represented the passage to the afterlife and how the ritual was carried out determined how the person would thrive in the Underworld. Just like in Antigone, women had the privilege and responsibility for organizing the funeral ceremonies during this point in time. These reasons become exceptionally important in Antigone’s conflict when Creon punishes her for trying to bury her brother while she is only trying to honor Polynices’
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It was insulting to not bury a person after they died as the following states: “Ancient literary sources emphasize the necessity of a proper burial and refer to the omission of burial rites as an insult to human dignity” (Metropolitan Museum P2). This says that if a proper curial was not constructed for an individual, it was seen as an insult to their life on Earth. This shows exactly how honorable it was to bury a person by emphasizing how insulting it would be to not conduct an extravagant funeral. Another example would be, “They wished to communicate the awful weight of their grief in order to satisfy the dead, whom they believed could hear and judge their cries” (Lundy P2). In this, Lundy is saying how Ancient Greeks believed that the dead could hear the livings cries; consequently, the Greeks showed their amount of grief by organizing large, expensive funerals. Antigone also provides an example of just how honorable it is to bury someone by saying, “You have no right to trample on God’s right” (Sophocles 604). This states that it is their given right from God to be able to bury their deceased loved ones. This shows how sacred Ancient Greeks thought it was to form a funeral for people because it was the expected way from God to show honor to a …show more content…
As Sophocles wrote in Antigone, “I too have a duty that I must discharge to the dead” (438) This is Ismene speaking to Antigone about burying her brother’s body. This is an excellent example of how women felt in Ancient Greece: they felt like it was their duty to society to bury their loved ones after they had died. This is seen in many different religions and societies from the past as Patricia Lundy wrote, “From the Chinese to the Assyrians, Irish and Ancient Greeks, oral rituals of outward mourning were a responsibility that fell (and continue to fall) to women” (P1) This quote explains how countless societies from the world’s past have the women organize funerals. This is important because the research shows that women having burial writes has been a set standard of society for centuries; therefore, taking this away would be devastating to tradition as Creon did to
It was insulting to not bury a person after they died as the following states: “Ancient literary sources emphasize the necessity of a proper burial and refer to the omission of burial rites as an insult to human dignity” (Metropolitan Museum P2). This says that if a proper curial was not constructed for an individual, it was seen as an insult to their life on Earth. This shows exactly how honorable it was to bury a person by emphasizing how insulting it would be to not conduct an extravagant funeral. Another example would be, “They wished to communicate the awful weight of their grief in order to satisfy the dead, whom they believed could hear and judge their cries” (Lundy P2). In this, Lundy is saying how Ancient Greeks believed that the dead could hear the livings cries; consequently, the Greeks showed their amount of grief by organizing large, expensive funerals. Antigone also provides an example of just how honorable it is to bury someone by saying, “You have no right to trample on God’s right” (Sophocles 604). This states that it is their given right from God to be able to bury their deceased loved ones. This shows how sacred Ancient Greeks thought it was to form a funeral for people because it was the expected way from God to show honor to a …show more content…
As Sophocles wrote in Antigone, “I too have a duty that I must discharge to the dead” (438) This is Ismene speaking to Antigone about burying her brother’s body. This is an excellent example of how women felt in Ancient Greece: they felt like it was their duty to society to bury their loved ones after they had died. This is seen in many different religions and societies from the past as Patricia Lundy wrote, “From the Chinese to the Assyrians, Irish and Ancient Greeks, oral rituals of outward mourning were a responsibility that fell (and continue to fall) to women” (P1) This quote explains how countless societies from the world’s past have the women organize funerals. This is important because the research shows that women having burial writes has been a set standard of society for centuries; therefore, taking this away would be devastating to tradition as Creon did to