In “Antigone” by Sophocles, morality is a reoccurring theme which presents itself as the determinate for many characters’ fates. Throughout the entire play, we see the characters going through many internal conflicts, struggling to either appease the law of the land or to do what they believe is truly right. The actions of each individual varied; most were highly influenced by the word of the king, while on the other hand, some characters like Antigone defied Greek law and followed their natural senses. Much of human nature is revealed in these doings, as Sophocles appeared to reward those who were noble in their deaths.
Antigone’s moral nature can clearly be seen in her efforts at supplying her brother Polynices with a proper burial. After his blasphemous rebellion against the Kingdom of Thebes, Polynices was ordered by King Creon to rot to death, while his heroic brother Eteocles would be awarded a burial ceremony. Antigone believed that the only way for a person to be at peace is be properly buried, so she secretly went behind the king’s back and gave brother Polynices what she believed he deserved. Obviously, this action caused utter chaos in the kingdom, and Antigone was seen as a traitor to the state. All of this wasn’t inevitable; Antigone could’ve easily abided by the rules, but her strong sense of right and wrong embodied her every action. Her values were so significant that she would even willingly await death as a consequence for what she had committed. It is given that all humans are terrified of death, but in Antigone’s case this never hindered her firm belief in helping her brother, seeing as she believed such a noble decision would eventually reward her sometime in the future, even after death. Haemon, her faithful husband, embarked on a similar route, but didn’t quite achieve the amount of success as Antigone.