While breaking the established rules is generally viewed as wrong, there are situations in
which a person is not at fault because outside forces compelled them to act. However, in other
cases, the convicted is fully guilty for their actions. Antigone broke the rules enforced by Creon,
who made it forbidden for anyone to bury Polynices, her brother. Believing this decree to be
unjust, she disobeys the king and performs the burial. On the other hand, Medea commits
multiple murders, all because she wanted to get revenge on Jason. Although both Antigone and
Medea challenge the laws enforced on them, Antigone's defiance is ultimately more justified as
it arises from her devotion to divine law, while Medea's resistance culminates in destructive
personal revenge.
Antigone breaks the law to correct Creon’s rash rules and instead obey the gods. When
Creon accuses Antigone of burying Polynices, she points out how Creon is not following the
gods. She explains, “Nor did I think your edict had such force that you, a mere mortal, could
override the gods, the great unwritten, unshakable traditions”(Sophocles 503-505). Gods set the
rules on daily life, and those rules were expected to be followed, even by the king. When Creon
forbids anyone from burying a soldier part of the royal family, he knowingly breaks the gods’
rules. Therefore, Antigone was not actually breaking the law, as she was disobeying a human to
follow the rules of the divine. Antigone also prioritizes family over war and rejects Creon’s rigid
logic. Creon argues that Polynices was on the enemy side, and therefore should not be buried,
but Antigone knows that war is not the deciding factor. She says, “I was born to join in love, not
hate – that is my nature”(Sophocles 590-591). Antigone believes that Polynices was a brother
over a soldier, while Creon, his uncle, thinks war is more important. She knows that the gods
want her to love her brother instead of push him away for joining the enemy group, so she
decides to override the king’s laws to do the right thing. Antigone further emphasizes that her
actions are motivated by morality, not rebellion. When Ismene calls her crazy for defying
Creon’s laws, she decides that she will do it herself, even if she dies. She concludes, “I will bury
him myself. And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory”(Sophocles 85-86). While most
people break laws out of anger or spite, Antigone reveals that her morals motivate her actions,
and that she had good intentions all along. She displays selflessness for endangering her own
life to initiate her brother’s burial, a trait not often found in rule-breakers. Antigones’ selflessness
and devotion to higher principles justify her disobedience.
On the other hand, Medea's defiance is driven by selfishness and revenge. Medea
commits multiple crimes just to get revenge on Jason, who left her for a princess. She exclaims,
“When I’ve loosed havoc on the house of Jason, I’ll leave this land, fly from the charge of
murder”(Euripides 885-886). While Antigone has pure intentions, Medea happily reveals that
she kills multiple people to seek revenge. She only cares about herself, and does not
understand that she is harming multiple people in the process. Medea’s rule-breaking comes
from her need for retaliation, not from her genuinity. Medea also displays excessive pride and a
belief in her own superiority. She claims, “Let no one think me pliable, a woman waiting to be
stepped on – for I am quite the opposite”(Euripides 900-902). Medea proudly explains that she is
not a small woman, but rather a powerful one who is capable of causing harm to others and
breaking rules. She brags about this, even though the ability to hurt people is not good. Medea
finds her superiority and disobedience fun, which shows her selfishness, which is why her rule-
breaking is not justified. Moreover, Medea fully understands the evil of her actions but proceeds
anyway, letting her anger fuel her to do even more harm. She explains, “I know all too well the
evil I am about to do, but outrage lets me take no other turn”(Euripides 1192-1195). She openly
admits that she understands her actions, and does not care about the consequences. She
disobeys the laws, not to follow the laws of the gods, but just to get revenge on Jason. Because
Medea’s crimes were committed solely to satisfy her wounded pride, her rule-breaking cannot
be justified.
Antigone’s disobedience is morally defensible because it is rooted in loyalty to divine law
and family, while Medea’s actions are unjustified because they stem from hatred and personal
revenge. Ironically, Antigones kills herself because of her devotion to justice, while Medea
escapes into exile after committing horrific crimes. This contrast reveals that society does not
always punish wrongdoing fairly, and that noble acts of defiance can be met with harsher
consequences than acts of cruelty.