In the Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles there are four dimensions of conflict mentioned. The story is about a girl's divine right to bury her brother's body after his death, and the governments not letting her do so.
One of the conflicts in the short story is the conflict between individual and state. Antigone goes up against the new ruler of Thebes, Creon. Antigones' brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, were leading opposite sides in Thebes' civil war, and both were killed in battle. Creon declares that Eteocles will be honored and Polyneices will be disgraced. Creon said that Polyneices' body will not be buried, but will be left to rot and be the food of animals. Antigone believes that although her brother was rebelling against the government, he was still an equal being and deserved a decent burial. .
Another conflict in the tragedy is male versus female. Along with going against state, Antigone had to face going against a male. Being a female, the odds were against her. No one wanted to listen, but being the fiancé of Creon's son, Antigone was determined to be heard. Creon's son, Haemon, seems to obey his father initially, but then he turned against him and they ended up hating each other. .
Another conflict in the drama was age versus youth. Creon was an old man and Antigone was a youthful person. This just made it harder for Antigone to be taken seriously. Still, Teiresias, the blind prophet, warns Creon that the gods were siding with Antigone, and that Creon will lose one of his children if he leaves Polyneices unburied.
The last conflict in the story was Religion versus Secular. Burying Polyneices would have been the more religious thing to do but Creon chose to go the other route and stay with his initial decision. The gods were very displeased with Creon and soon thereafter, Haemon took his own life as did Antigone. Upon hearing this Eurydice, Creon's wife and Haemon's Mother, takes her own life and with her last breath, cursed her husband.
