It is very impressive how Antigone and the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” essay are very similar despite being written in two different time periods. Antigone and Martin Luther King Junior both fought for what was good for their society. Antigone buried her brother despite the king stating that her brother was a traitor and that nobody should bury him or honor him in any way. Antigone believed that nobody could dishonor or override the gods, that includes the king. Antigone was punished. She was thrown into a cave and walled off to die slowly but she committed suicide instead. Antigone fought for what was morally right.
Martin Luther king Jr. fought for civil rights in the south. At the time the south was segregated between whites and blacks,the whites often had the newest and best things. Dr. MLK believed that no matter your race, heritage or county of origin everyone should be treated equally and get to have the same opportunities to be successful. MLK got thrown in jail for parading, his anti-racism views. MLK successfully brought two different cultures of people together that had never been around each other before. neither group accepted each other with open arms but after a short backlash everyone learned to accept each other and live together as one. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on a hotel balcony after standing up for what was right and what was needed to be done at the time.
Antigone stood up to the king so she could respect the gods and MLK stood up for blacks civil rights. what makes them comparable is that they both changed society positively whether it be the culture or the spiritual side of things. There is a clear difference in how each protagonist died, but then Antigone and MLK go back to being very similar in the reason why they died.
The Essay on Analysis of a Letter by Martin Luther King (MLK) Junior
Martin Luther King Jr.: A Question Of EthicsA Letter from Birmingham Jail" was penned as a response to a letter that criticized Martin Luther King Jr. written by eight high ranking clergymen. Although King's letter was addressed as a reply to these clergymen, the real audience was the "white moderate" - otherwise known as middle class America (King et al 106). By gaining the support of this ...
The man that shot Dr. Martin Luther King thought that he deserved to be punished, so that man in his mind did what he thought was the correct thing to do. In Antigone the king demonstrated the action that he thought was
appropriate for Antigone disobeying his command. Both MLK and Antigone understood the risks but they still choose to stand up for what they believed what was right. MLK and Antigone are heroes who sacrificed themselves for the better of the world, both showed bravery when no one else would. Martin Luther King Jr. did what he did so future generations could be in peace with each other. Antigone did what she did to prove to the king that no mere mortal has the right to deny any person their rights to honor and pay their respects to the dead.
