Final answer:
Antigone defies Creon's decree because she believes in obeying the immutable and eternal laws of the gods, which dictate that her brother deserves a proper burial, over the human laws set by Creon.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main reason Antigone gives for defying Creon's decree is her belief that the laws of the gods are more powerful and eternal than those of man. Antigone asserts that she must obey the unwritten and immutable laws of the gods, which dictate that her brother should be buried with proper rituals, rather than Creon's human laws, which prohibit the burial of her brother Polyneices as he was deemed a traitor. She argues that burial rites are a divine right, and denying them would be an offense against the gods themselves. Antigone emphasizes that while she could have had another husband or child, she could never have another brother, as her parents are deceased. Therefore, her loyalty to her brother and the duty imposed by divine law compelled her to act, despite the consequences imposed by Creon's decree. She prioritizes her duty to her family and the gods over her duty to the state. Creon, upholding his decree, fails to listen to Antigone's reasonings and the divine laws she holds sacred, ultimately leading to tragic consequences. Antigone remains unyielding and steadfast in her conviction that she has acted rightly according to the eternal laws of justice and piety, which govern the universe and the world beneath.