"My mind is made; 'twas I imprisoned her,/And I will set her free. Now I believe/ It is by the laws of heaven that man must live" -Creon
This quote really sums up the theme of the play. The most prominent aspect of Antigone is the struggle between obedience to the laws of man and obedience to the laws of heaven. Creon, throughout the play stands on his decree while Antigone adheres to the gods' laws by burying her brother. Antigone is clearly portrayed as being in the right and Creon being in the wrong. This quote shows this clearly. It also shows the progression of Creon. He makes his decree to refuse Polynices burial and remains steadfast on the issue for the majority of the play despite nearly everyone pointing out his mistake. This quote shows that he finally comes to knowledge of the truth. However, because his pride consumes him so long, he is too late and Antigone is dead. He pays for not coming to this realization earlier.
This question of obedience to man or God is prominent in the modern world. We all have to compare what the government says to what the Bible says. If what the government says directly contradicts what God says we should do what Antigone does and obey God. However if laws do not contradict God's word, we should obey them to the best of our ability. We shouldn't use God's word as an excuse to break the law, however. We should obey all laws until the Word specifically says we can't. Fortunately, because I live in a free country, I have not needed to make this distinction.
