Antigone believes that the living must give their deceased appropriate funeral rites. She cares deeply about this principle that she does not second guess herself even amid a probable death sentence. In reality, her sister Ismene attempted to remind her how helpless she was against Creon’s commands. In return she replied, “I will continue to conduct burial ceremonies for Polynice on my own; the lower-most kind of disobedience is death ” (Puchner 728). Furthermore, the playwright indicates that the living indeed have to protect the interests of the departed. Remarkably, the sentry responsible for preserving Polynices’ body is distracted when he learns that the corpse has dust all over it, which perhaps means that a process of burial had been completed. He communicates to Creon, who interviewed Antigone for the same purpose. She firmly justifies her conduct, and she does not dispute her participation. She provides a convincing case to defend the legitimacy of her acts, but regrettably, she has been sentenced to death by Creon.
Similarities and Differences of American Values
Citizenship is and will always be a central element of the American identity since the importance of nationalism coincides with it. Hence, it is the willingness of a person to place America’s best interests ahead of their own. Effectively, it is an emergent phenomenon that gives a person an advantage that shelters them from turmoil in the country. None of these values, nevertheless, are accessible because they must only be granted by the state itself. Simultaneously, the government gives the citizen the right to align with other beliefs, but to a certain degree. Thus, to follow these values beyond the set parameter would be like running a violation against the government. As such, loyalty is the value demanded of all people; meaning that all individuals must understand that the country’s interest supersedes that of any person or any community of civilians. Creon laments explicitly the reason for this importance when he says, “Every one of you would do well to note that our security relies on our state. Thus, it is when she sails true to the route that we can build alliances” (Puchner 732). In Antigone’s eyes, nevertheless, the feature of patriotism is not only limited but lacks dimensions.
Furthermore, aspect of nationalism does not provide the platform required to respond to social values and human expectations. It spells out the tension between the demands of the government and the traditional influences of its people. Commonly, friction is overcome by the repression of the will of the citizens. Antigone’s case is an excellent example of how an individual can take care of the ‘turmoil’ and undertake a cultural effort at the state’s expense (Puchner 735). Regrettably, she has severe repercussions for this and she is bound to endure.
Americans Recognition of the Dead
Currently, in the First Amendment, the Constitution of the United States guarantees the freedom of religion. It also prevents Congress from making legislation of banning the free practice of any recognized religious belief in the country. As stated above, the duty of the living for death is to perform burial ceremonies and protect the deceased’s rights. Therefore, different existing faiths establish various rites of a funeral.
Summary
As such, Antigone’s declarations guide what to anticipate when human activities exceed the state’s norms. In other words, the obligation of the living to the deceased for an unproven religion. One has to behave in recognition of what is honorable and what ordinary human beings are supposed to do (Puchner 750). Such acts may be related to Mahatma Gandhi’s journey to the ocean and the collection of salt in the movie Gandhi (1982). In the beginning, the picture of Gandhi suggests a single person acting on his own; the truth is that he does not do this for personal purposes but his community. Antigone would not risk his life for himself but his society’s betterment because of the gods. Thus, that is the true spirit of representing what one believes.
Work Cited
Puchner, Martin. “Antigone.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 4th ed., A, W. W. Norton & Amp; Company, 2018, pp. 725–755.