Sophocles' Antigone and Toni Morrison's Dead Pilate share similar characteristics: an intense and almost strange sense of family, a general contempt for written law, and courage in the face of death. Comparing Antigone and Pilate, however, one cannot lose sight of the inner drive of these women. Antigone fears the power and wrath of the gods, while Pilate fears only disappointing the ghost of his dead father. Family is a very important part of both stories. The very first line of Antigone makes it clear that blood ties are very significant to Antigone: "Now, dear Ismene, my sister by blood." The fact that Ismene is his blood sister is important enough to verbalize, even when addressing Ismene. Throughout the play, many other aspects of the story indicate that Antigone is slightly obsessive about her family. She is willing to give up her life to honor her dead brother, all the while discussing how she would be honored to "lie with the man I love." This is awfully close to implying incest. He feels he has a duty to bury him. "Yes. I will do my duty to my brother and yours too, if you are not prepared to do so. I will not be caught betraying him." In the Song of Songs, family and blood are also key concepts. Dead Pilate proudly declares: "There are but three dead alive." He implies that the only way to carry his blood is to be born to his father, whom he adores. She lives with her daughter and granddaughter and is intent on keeping her family together. Pilate and her brother Macon have a significant argument, but she ignores it to help when Milkman is born. When Milkman first meets his cousin Hagar, Pilate introduces him to her as his "brother". When Reba, Pilate's daughter, claims that they are actually cousins, Pilate responds: “What is the difference in the way you behave towards them? Don't you have to behave the same way with both? it's almost as if Pilate is afraid that Hagar and the milkman will be attracted to each other, which turns out to be a very insightful fear. They begin an incestuous relationship, but Pilate turns a blind eye. Another aspect of Pilate and Antigone's sense of family is that they are both very concerned with their inheritance. Antigone makes this comment to Ismene: “Now you know, and you will soon demonstrate whether you are of noble birth, or a girl unworthy of her splendid ancestors”..