Conflict between divine and societal laws is shown in the Greek drama Antigone. Divine law required Antigone to perform a religious burial for her brother Polyneices. The king, however, had decreed that no one was permitted to bury or mourn him as a result of his traitorous deed. Antigone, with little hesitation, did the will of the gods and buried Polyneices.

Antigone's decision was a right one. Kings come and go, and man's law changes, but the deities are everlasting. There is no question that to the faithful, the laws set forth by supreme beings are far more meaningful than the petty earthly rules and standards invented by man.

In so doing, she transgressed the king's law. Divine law is far more compelling than temporal law. It affects the believer forever as opposed to one's miniscule lifetime. Divine law is not necessarily a matter of fairness, but a matter of what is right.

Divine law is eternal, as opposed to societal law, which only influences one's biological lifetime. This is another factor that contributes to the idea that divine laws hold greater importance than earthly laws. If a man conducts his life obeying all the laws of his community, but never has any will to do the favor of the immortal, he shall not live on beyond the grave. If he lives his life, however, standing up for the divine being that he believes in, even perhaps disobeying man'

Some common words found in the essay are:
Antigone Divine, Creon Thebes, Law Mankind, divine law, Divine Power, divine laws, tell people, temporal law, sameness equality, man's law, societal law,
Approximate Word count = 686
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)