What does family mean to you? How far would you go to help your family members? Would you go against your ruler and face repercussions for your family? In Sophocles' play Antigone, Antigone, Odysseus' daughter and sister, has an internal debate with herself about whether or not to go against her ruler and uncle Creon who forbids the burial of Antigone's brother Polyneices. Creon had forbidden the burial of his nephew because Polyneices killed his brother Eteocles and started a war within Thebes. Both brothers were killed during the battle. But Creon gave Eteocles an honorable burial while Polyneices was to be left unburied and left outside with the dogs. In Greek literature, the gods play an important role in the lives of each of the characters. The gods would have been angry if Polyneices had not been buried. The gods also would not let Polyneices go to the afterlife. All in all Antigone was right to bury her brother. As a sign of respect for her brother and for the rules of the god Antigone made the right decision to bury Polyneices. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Religion played a different role in people's lives in Sophocles' time than it does today. At the time of the setting of this play, the Gods played a role in every part of people's days. The gods decided everything in the daily lives of civilians. Without a person's burial, they would not be fully laid to rest. “I asked myself King: could the gods have done this?” The choragus thought that the gods might bury Polyneices. Since Polyneices was a previous ruler, it wouldn't be strange for the gods to have done this because it was such an important ritual and it seemed like something the gods would do when in reality Antigone had sacrificed herself to bury her brother. This shows that it was right for Antigone to bury her brother. Especially since Polyneices was a previous ruler, it wouldn't be strange for the gods to have done this. Antigone was also right to bury Polyneices because of the importance of family and the love she had for her brother. At the beginning of the play, Antigone asks her sister to help her bury Polyneices, she tells her everything she plans to do hoping that her sister will feel the same obligation that she had felt. When Ismene refuses to help her sister bury her brother. Antigone responds with “For apparently, the laws of the gods mean nothing to you.” Antigone then went and buried her brother in secret, alone. When he confronts the ruler, Creon. Antigone tells him “'Yet there are honors due to all the dead.' Antigone is not afraid of Creon and would rather die knowing that her brother is well buried and respected by the gods than see her brother unburied and anger the gods. This shows the respect Antigone had for her brother and his family. Towards the end of the play, Creon begins to question his decision. He even begins to realize how important it was to have Polyneices buried. Once he realizes his mistake, he goes straight to the room where they were keeping Antigone and asked for it to be opened. When he gets there he sees his son Haemon who was there. Haemon was Antigone's fiancé. Haemon threatens his father and then commits suicide due to the pain of losing his fiancée due to his father's stubbornness. Creon finally admits that he was wrong and that Antigone was right to bury her brother and that he shouldn't have banned Polyneices' burial in the first place. Please note: this is just an example. Get.