Question

I would not do it for a child, were I a mother, Not for a husband either. Let them lie, putrefied, dead; I would not defy the city at such cost for their sake. What law can I claim on my side for this choice

Answer 1

Hi. Even though you submitted a text, you did not submit any questions about it. This makes it impossible for me to give you an answer. However, I will try to help you by telling you what this text means.

This text is an excerpt from the play "Antigone" and is spoken by Antigone herself, as she explains to Creon why she decided to disobey his orders and bury her brother.

Antigone's brother died a traitor and Creon, the king, forbade anyone to bury him. Anyone who disobeyed him would be sentenced to death. Antigone disobeyed and when she was taken to Creon she told him the words shown in the text above. In these words Antigone claims that she would not defy the king's order for a son or for a husband, because she could have another husband and other children, but she cannot have another brother and so she disobeyed the king. In this moment, Antigone shows how family relationships are important to her.