How does Antigone justify her decision to bury her brother?

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Antigone justifies her decision to bury her brother Polynices primarily based on divine law. In the play, she emphasizes the importance of unwritten laws of the gods, which she believes take precedence over the edicts of human rulers. Antigone feels a moral and religious obligation to ensure that her brother receives the proper burial rites, a duty she believes is mandated by divine authority. This conviction highlights her strong adherence to her beliefs, even in the face of Creon's decree that forbids the burial. By appealing to divine law, Antigone underscores the conflict between civil disobedience and moral duty, making her actions not just an act of familial love but a profound commitment to her faith and the traditions that govern the respect for the dead.

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