Sophocles' play Antigone is a Greek tragedy centered on a family and a city that has experienced great upheaval in recent years. From the ashes of the war fought between two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices (sons of Oedipus), their uncle Creon is now ruler of the city of Thebes. Creon's first order as the new king is that Polyneices, the rebellious brother, is not sanctified by sacred rites and lies unburied on the battlefield while Eteocles will be honored and buried with respect. Oedipus' two surviving children, Ismene and Antigone, remain in Thebes and in their uncle's care. When she hears Creon's decree that Polyneices' burial is forbidden, Antigone decides to ignore this law and honor her fallen brother by burying him. In ancient Greece, “Remembrance of the dead was a very important civic and religious duty” (Burial) and considered to “raise[d] the concept of housia (holiness) to one's relationship with the gods” (Burial). The Greeks insisted that “the dead must be continually remembered and respected so that their souls continue to exist in the afterlife” (Burial). In Antigone's eyes, the gods dictate the law when it comes to death, not a mortal king. She fights with all her strength for what she believes in, even committing suicide and this ultimately makes her a martyr. In Kathryn Walker's article, she states, "...that human behavior is not completely governed by the pursuit of what is beneficial, [it] requires a revision of ethics" (Walker 204) which may be true in Antigone when she risks her life for her brother, her beliefs, and how Antigone chooses to die. Antigone would have been sentenced to death anyway, but she decided to take her death into her own hands and choose a quick death by hanging rather than a long death by starvation. It was his last “attachment” to the state. And somehow this creates perfect harmony. The state and its laws exist to protect ordinary people and, without this, society would descend into chaos. However, the individual plays a vital role in maintaining the functioning of society. Individuals have power over the state, whether they realize it or not. Without them there is nothing to govern. The individual keeps the state in check, ensuring that it fulfills its role as protector and supporter of the people. In Antigone the State is in the power of a single man, Creon. His ultimate flaw is that he doesn't listen to people or their advice and is stubborn in his decisions. Faced with an equally stubborn adversary, Antigone, his choice to abide by the law ultimately costs him everything he truly cares about, his family, and Antigone loses her life while nothing has changed. When the state and individuals don't work together, everyone