- Family Love and Loyalty: Antigone's love for her brother Polyneices is a driving force throughout the play. She believes it is her duty to pay proper respects to her brother's body, even though King Creon has forbidden it. Antigone's actions are driven by her unwavering loyalty to her family, and she is willing to risk her own life to give Polyneices the burial he deserves.
- Religious and Moral Duty: Antigone's motivations are also rooted in her religious and moral beliefs. In ancient Greece, it was considered a sacred duty to properly bury the dead, and failure to do so was seen as a grave offense against the gods. Antigone believes that by defying Creon's order and giving Polyneices a burial, she is upholding the divine laws of the gods, even if they conflict with man-made laws.
- Challenge to Authority: Antigone's actions also serve as a challenge to the authority of King Creon. She openly defies his decree, asserting that the laws of the gods supercede those of mortals. Antigone's motivations question the limits of obedience to authority and highlight the importance of individual conscience and moral integrity.
Throughout the play, Antigone's motivations reveal her strength of character, moral fortitude, and unwavering commitment to her principles and values. Her actions inspire admiration for her courage and raise important questions about the conflict between personal morality, family loyalty, and societal expectations.