What is it?
Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain, typically unjust, laws because of moral or religious conviction.
Where does it originate?
In 1849, Henry David Thoreau (author of Walden) published an essay entitled "Civil Disobedience" expressing his belief that people should stand up against legislative action they do not agree with. This belief was evidenced in his own life several years earlier when he refused to pay taxes because some of the revenue contributed to slavery. He was subsequently imprisoned and later released. This experience made him want to spread the concept of passive civil disobedience.
To read more on Thoreau's article Click Here
What does it have to do with Antigone?
Antigone is an example of someone who engaged in civil disobedience. She went against the law that she believed was unjust (not burying her brother). Her motivation for this was religious as she believed that the gods’ law required her to bury him. Yet, Antigone was still punished by the governing body. This happens with modern civil disobedience. Oftentimes, however, civil disobedience ultimately brings about some sort of societal change. We do not see this in Antigone, but we can safely assume that her actions have changed Creon and he will now lead the country in a different manner.
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