... the role of expressing each playwright's answer. Ultimately, the death of the protagonist at the end of the play is the answer: Do not defy the gods' law. Sophocles' play asks several questions regarding the superiority of man's law to gods' law; in addition, the play raises the issue of civil disobedience and the role of the individual versus his/her society. All three of these themes help determine the outcome for the characters in Sophocles' Antigone. The first theme, the theme of civil disobedience, is demonstrated by Antigone's determination to break Creon's law. Antigone feels that she has the right to break Creon's law because: [Antigone] shall bury him. 2 And if I have to die for this pure crime (Sophocles 69-70). She views the burial as a "...pure crime..." which eventually leads to her demise (Sophocles 70). This act demonstrates her disregard for Creon's law and her willingness to disobey authority. The ...

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