The movie, Antigone is based on Sophocles' tragic play. It follows the play's plot perfectly, and does a great job showing the emotional responses of the characters. There is great turmoil within the city after Oedipus left because of exile. His two sons, Polynices and Eteocles are fighting with one another because Polynices raised an army to fight against Thebes. They ended up killing one another leaving Oedipus' two daughters, Antigone and Ismene. Creon was named king after Oedipus left, and he decided that a proper burial should happen for Eteocles, the brother that died as a hero defending his city. As for Polynices, King Creon decided that he was not worthy of a proper burial, and his body must be left unburied for the animals and scavengers. When Antigone heard his edict, she was shocked and upset that King Creon was not going to give both brothers a burial. She plotted against him and decided she would bury him herself. She goes to her sister Ismene for support in her decision, but Ismene wanted no part in Antigone's plan. When the people of Thebes discovered who buried Polynices' body, they were shocked. King Creon sentenced Antigone to death for disobeying his law even though she was engaged to his son, Haemon. He told his people that the laws are the laws and no one is exempt from them, not even his family. The plot quickly turns tragic when Antigone hangs herself in the cave she was sealed in. When Haemon finds her, he is so stricken with grief and anger that he lashes out at his father and ends up killing himself.
With this story, there are two major ethical dilemmas that the characters are faced with. Antigone's dilemma deals with her religion and belief that the Gods command all bodies to be buried, and they will cause unhappiness within the city and her family if these commands are not followed. She is also trying to grieve for her lost brother in the best way that she knows how, being a dedicated and honoring sister by burying his body. Antigone was handed a hard circumstance in which she had to choose between the honor and loyalty of her Gods and Family or choose to obey the King. King Creon's dilemma is the fact that his soon to be daughter-in-law disobeyed him, and he has to treat her like a regular citizen in order to maintain the respect he has from the citizens of Thebes. If she was pardoned from the law, other people would start to use that as an excuse to stop following the laws and orders of the King. These two dilemmas are in direct relation to Plato's idea of justice and what is right and wrong. According to Plato's accounts of Socrates' dialogues in Crito and Apology, justice is never doing wrong or causing harm to anyone. In this movie, Antigone felt that it was an injustice to her family and her brother to not bury his body, and it was wrong and unjust in the eyes of the Gods. As Euthyphro would say, it was an impiety to the Gods to leave his body unburied.
With this story, there are two major ethical dilemmas that the characters are faced with. Antigone's dilemma deals with her religion and belief that the Gods command all bodies to be buried, and they will cause unhappiness within the city and her family if these commands are not followed. She is also trying to grieve for her lost brother in the best way that she knows how, being a dedicated and honoring sister by burying his body. Antigone was handed a hard circumstance in which she had to choose between the honor and loyalty of her Gods and Family or choose to obey the King. King Creon's dilemma is the fact that his soon to be daughter-in-law disobeyed him, and he has to treat her like a regular citizen in order to maintain the respect he has from the citizens of Thebes. If she was pardoned from the law, other people would start to use that as an excuse to stop following the laws and orders of the King. These two dilemmas are in direct relation to Plato's idea of justice and what is right and wrong. According to Plato's accounts of Socrates' dialogues in Crito and Apology, justice is never doing wrong or causing harm to anyone. In this movie, Antigone felt that it was an injustice to her family and her brother to not bury his body, and it was wrong and unjust in the eyes of the Gods. As Euthyphro would say, it was an impiety to the Gods to leave his body unburied.