Martin Luther King Jr And Antigone - 1358 Words

Martin Luther King Jr and Antigone were two people who used a nonviolent resistance technique to stand up for a cause they believed in. The technique they used is called Civil disobedience which is the refusal to comply with certain laws in a peaceful, non-aggressive protest. Both Martin Luther King Jr and Antigone were seeking justice for a cause without having to become physically violent with the opposing party. It took strength to go against their oppressors but they were willing to make self-less sacrifices. Martin Luther King Jr and Antigone provides many examples of how they used a similar approach to have a nonviolent confrontation. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Antigone are fighting inequality and injustice. During an†¦show more content†¦She knew she had to bury her brother and she did just that. Dr. King on the other hand did not approach his circumstances in the same manner. He clarified his actions and explained why he was using a non violent approach. He w rites, â€Å"IN ANY nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. We have gone through these steps in Birmingham.† (MLK , Pg. 77-78) . He also says, â€Å"All too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows†(MLK, Pg 77-78). Dr. King and his following had to make strategic steps to achieve the main goal which was to stand up to injustice. Many people, at that time in history, were afraid to stand up against their oppressor because doing so would lead to death. Antigone was not afraid of death. As I read more of the letters Dr. King wrote to the state’s leaders, I believe he also was at the point where he no longer fear. Dr. Kings’ steps began to be more aggressive and strategic but remain nonviolent. In his letter, he writes, â€Å"...the purp ose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. We therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in the tragic attempt to live in monologue rather thanShow MoreRelatedThe Civil Disobedience of Antigone and the Teachings of Martin Luther King Jr.1402 Words   |  6 Pagesdisobedience†. One of the most well known activists of civil disobedience was Martin Luther King Jr. during the American civil rights movement of the 1960s. King’s theory of a non-violent approach to injustices consisted of a process that promoted dialogue of a peaceful nature in order to gain understanding while reconciling differences. Nevertheless, when the laws made by man attempted to negate the laws of God, King urged people to use creative tension in the form of civil disobedience to establishRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr.s Letter From A Birmingham Jail And Antigone1004 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King and the play of â€Å"Antigone†, both demonstrate ways in which civil disobedience is used to challenge unfair laws. Although Martin Luther King and Antigone both go against the unjust law, however, they go about it in different ways. For instance, Antigone acts in civil disobedience in order to accomplish a family oblig ation, meanwhile, Martin Luther King Jr. visions civil disobedience as a method to obtain equality for the sake of his communityRead MoreAntigone And Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1233 Words   |  5 PagesIn Sophocles’ Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used resistance against powerful leaders to follow their morals and make a statement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s approach towards the reconstruction of society’s cultural understanding of segregation used civil disobedience in a more public and large-scale approach, whereas Antigone’s use of civil disobedience defied the law in a much more private, small-scale way toRead MoreEssay on Antigone: Martin Luther Kings Nonviolent Campaign1041 Words   |  5 Pages Martin Luther King, Jr. defines â€Å"civil disobedience† as a way to show others what to do when a law is unjust and unreasonable. As King stated in the letter from Birmingham, â€Å"Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.† When Negros were being treated unfairly, Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped in to show people how to peacefully protest and not be violent. The dictionary definition of civil disobedience is the refusal to comply withRead MoreThe Fight for Social Justice Essay892 Words   |  4 Pagescomes at a great cost to those involved. Through writings such as Dr. Martin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† and Sophocles’ â€Å"Antigone†, as well as, lectures such as Dr.Colbourn’s lecture â€Å"Confronting History and the Good Life: Life after Rosewood† it is demonstrated how life, freedom, and a normal everyday life suffer as a cost of fighting for social justice and the common good. To begin with, Dr. Martin Luther King as well as many other African- Americans fought for equality, socialRead More Exploration of Civil Disobedience in Sophocles Antigone, Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail, and Platos From Crito580 Words   |  3 PagesExploration of Civil Disobedience in Sophocles Antigone, Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail, and Platos From Crito Civil disobedience spawns a major and widely debated issue by many who established by well-known intelligent scholars and many examples of civil disobedience become displayed. The acts of civil disobedience can be noted in major works such as Sophocles?s Antigone, King?s ?Letter from Birmingham Jail?, or even from Plato?s ?from Crito?. A specific claim exemplified throughout theseRead MoreAn Inspirational Quote on Adolf Hitler871 Words   |  4 Pagesa result of his actions, more than million lives were lost. In this case, Adolf Hitler is known to be the Tyrant. In the early 1960’s Martin Luther King Jr gave a speech; a speech of what he believed in and what he fought for most of his life. As a result of his phenomenal speech, racism decreased. Black people and white people united together. Martin Luther King Jr changed the world for the better, however died trying to accomplish his goal. Without his words and beliefs the world would not be theRead MoreNon Violent Protest Â⠀" Dr. Martin Luther Kings Moral Disobedience!1563 Words   |  7 PagesVarsha Chawdhary Prof. Hughes Eng 101 Section 811 13th October 2005 Non violent protest Ââ€" Dr. Martin Luther Kings moral disobedience! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the issue of non-violence in his letter from Birmingham Jail. He states that any law, which is unjust and inhuman, is not a moral law. Dr. Kings argument for non-violent protest against the authorities is just and moral; because any action taken for the greater good of human beings may be called disobedience by the authorities, but asRead MoreLiterature: A Reflection of Society1764 Words   |  8 Pageswriting style and explore thoughts in various ways, which has different effects on different people. Although not all literature promotes social change, many pieces of literature have had a profound impact on their respective societies, including Antigone by Sophocles, â€Å"Civil Disobedience† by Henry David Thoreau, and Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Greek theatre was an extremely important part of life in ancient Athens and held much influence over the people because it was a part of the new politicalRead MoreCivil Disobedience, And Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1018 Words   |  5 PagesHistoric figures such as Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. all acted civilly disobedience, but society benefitted from their movements. Civil disobedience is the underlying theme of Sophocles’ Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail. The main character of Sophocles’ Antigone, Antigone, acts civil disobedience, just as Dr. King acted civilly disobedient. Both Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr. fought to gain justice for the people who they believed were