Compare And Contrast Antigone And Martin Luther King

There may be many things for which a person is willing to fight. Nonetheless, there are very few for which a person will lay down their life. Freedom, justice, peace, and love are just some issues that most place a great value on. So, how far must we go to achieve these ideals that we so greatly crave in our world today? Some believe that passive action is the best and most moral way to achieve desired results, while others insist that forceful action quickly leads to a superior outcome. For instance, Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr. each fought against different injustices by utilizing nonviolent, but direct action. The two greatly felt the need for change, accepted the responsibility of their endeavors, and sacrificed their lives†¦show more content†¦For instance when Antigone tries to persuade her sister to bury their brother, Ismene believes she cannot break the law. In response, Antigone passionately declares, â€Å"Make your excuses! I shall go and heap up earth into a tomb and bury him, my dearest brother† (80-81). Her anger and disbelief that her sister will not help fuels this fiery argument, as it does when she speaks with Creon. Her rage and determined nature only ignites the disagreement between Creon further because he is of the same nature. If she instead remained a bit calmer, Creon and Ismene could have realized the truth to her beliefs without feeling threatened or personally attacked. Furthermore if Antigone had taken their adherence to man-made law into account, her argument would have been more effective and more appealing to her audience. Rather than attempting to understand her adversaries, she disdains their reasoning and only accepts her own, which only hurts her act of civil disobedience and its reasoning. In contrast to Antigone’s lack of debating skills, King practiced the art of skillful persuasion and debate. For instance, King Jr. and other civil rights activists attempted to negotiate with various white business owners in hopes of progressing their status in society. However, they soon realized that they needed to â€Å"foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to