Compare and Contrast Essay: Antigone in The Burial at Thebes vs. Ruth Burk in Among the Oak Trees

Moral duty and social norms are things we often think about when making decisions. Are you willing to make a decision to help someone or something when no one else wants to? Through Antigone’s tenacity to go against rules and try to bury her brother, regardless of what could happen to her in The Burial at Thebes, and Ruth Burk’s action even though other people thought it was wrong in, “Among the Oak Trees,” it is evident that moral duty should always go over law / societal norm because it helps people. 

Through Antigone challenging Creons’ rules, despite the results of what can happen by her challenge of the law based on her morality, ultimately led to Creon changing his character a bit, by also changing his heart. Therefore, acting on what you believe is the right thing no matter the social norms is the right thing to do. Antigone asks for Ismene’s help in burying Polyneices body regardless of Creon’s edict she stated, “My brother, and yours, though you may wish he were not. I never shall be found to be his traitor” ( Heaney 23). The law/social norm is to let Polynice's body be buried and let it rot out in the streets and this didn’t sit well with Antigone. Antigone then decides to challenge this rule and attempt to bury his body, the result of doing this is that she gets locked up by Creon. This is important because this rule was put in place by a ruler, but it went against Antigone’s moral good so she acted on it. Antigone made a choice based on her moral good being challenged instead of what everyone else was doing around her.

Ruth Burk always wanted to help other people out no matter the social norms or what state they were in, even with people around her telling her what she was doing was wrong she still did it. Therefore, acting on what you believe is the right thing no matter the social norms is the right thing to do. At the time there was a disease called the “gay disease” which people started to get, and those people were getting neglected so Ruth Burk tried to help everyone as much as she could starting by talking to this young boy whose parents didn’t want to see their child who had a gay disease. She went into that room and said, “I’m here honey, I’m here and I’m not going to leave you”(Judge 2021). Ruth Burk went into that room and helped a dying young man who missed his own mother and changed that and she sat in there for 13 hours without leaving him. Ruth Burk helped people who no one was helping because of what they had. With the situation that everyone was afraid of these people with “gay diseases” Ruth Burk’s moral good was challenged and even though the social norm went against it she fought for her moral good.

Some people believe that you have to follow the law and social norm because there is a leader in place that should tell you what to do. While there is truth to the fact that leaders are put in place to create laws, sometimes the laws oppose a moral good. For example, back in the 1800s when the underground railroad was created to help enslaved people when many others neglected them and thought they should be owned, Harriet Tubman rose up and help those who were enslaved escape. Therefore, acting on what you believe is the right thing no matter the social norms is the right thing to do. This example strengthens the claim because it was such a huge point in history. At the time African Americans were not treated fairly, they had to go through punishments like whippings if they did something wrong which left many markings on them, yet Harriet Tubman went against all of that and risked her life to help others. This example shows that when your moral good is tested it is important that moral duty always goes over the social norms. 

Many people feel as if they should act on things based on social norms/law. Yet sometimes you may disagree with what the social norms are. This is why moral duty should always go over social norms. No matter what others think of the situation, if you think something isn’t right you should always look at your moral good/duty and figure out if this specific moment challenges that.