Step-by-step explanation:
In "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau employs literary allusions to support his argument that individuals have a moral obligation to resist unjust laws. One such allusion is to the biblical story of Daniel, who defied the unjust law of the Babylonian king and continued to pray to God despite the threat of punishment. Thoreau refers to Daniel as a model for civil disobedience, stating that "if a thousand Daniel Websters could be found in the country, there would be no need of any Star Chamber" (Thoreau, 6). This reference to Daniel suggests that individuals have a duty to follow a higher law, even if it conflicts with the laws of the state.
Another allusion that Thoreau uses is to the Greek myth of Antigone, who defies the king's law in order to bury her brother. Thoreau compares the state to Creon, the king in the myth, and argues that individuals should follow the dictates of their own conscience, even if it means breaking the law. He writes, "Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn" (Thoreau, 10). Thoreau's allusions to Daniel and Antigone illustrate his belief that individuals have a duty to resist unjust laws and that they should follow their conscience, even if it means breaking the law.
Overall, Thoreau's use of literary allusions in "Civil Disobedience" underscores his belief that individuals have a moral obligation to resist unjust laws, and that they should follow their conscience, even if it means breaking the law. By referencing biblical and mythological figures who stood up against unjust laws, Thoreau argues that civil disobedience is not only necessary, but also honorable and justifiable.