Antigone

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Extended Character Analysis

Antigone is the protagonist of Sophocles’s play Antigone. She is Oedipus’s daughter and Creon’s niece. She is pious, brave, and loyal to her family. Upon returning to Thebes and learning that Creon has forbidden anyone from giving her brother, Polynices, a proper burial, Antigone decides to bury him herself. Rather than doing so in secret, Antigone is proud of her actions and readily claims responsibility. She accuses Creon of impiety and asserts the superiority of the so-called unwritten laws of the gods over the laws of men. Faced with execution, Antigone exclaims that she can die happily knowing that she preserved Polynices’s dignity in death.

Antigone and Her Family

Family is important to Antigone. As Jocasta and Oedipus’s daughter, she has lived with the legacy of being the offspring of incest. However, she still loves and cares for her father up until his death in Oedipus at Colonus. Upon returning to Thebes in Antigone, she sacrifices herself in order to give her brother a proper burial and asserts that the bonds between family members supercede Theban law. Though her family legacy has filled her life with “misery,” she still feels duty-bound to honor her fallen brother, and she disdains her sister, Ismene, for refusing to help. Antigone believes that she will be reunited with her family in death, a belief that helps her face execution with stubborn dignity.

Antigone and the Tragic Hero Narrative

Antigone is sometimes read as a tragic hero. She begins the play as a highborn woman who is betrothed to Haemon, the future king of Thebes. By this reading, her hamartia, or tragic flaw, is her lack of respect for Theban law and her pride in having defied it. By defying Creon’s will, she brings about her own downfall and is forced to confront the consequences of her actions. Just as Antigone’s mother, Jocasta, hanged herself after discovering that she had committed incest, Antigone also hangs herself after being entombed for her crimes. By this reading, her suicide is a form of penance.

However, many aspects of Antigone’s story do not fit into the narrative of a tragic hero. Antigone arguably begins the play at a low point rather than a high one. Her parents and her brothers are all dead, and, as women, Antigone and Ismene are relatively powerless in Theban society. Unlike her father, Oedipus, Antigone’s tragic fate is not determined by the gods nor does she defy them at any point. Indeed, Antigone defies Creon in order to uphold the laws of the gods. Teiresias suggests that the gods support Antigone’s actions and that Creon will bring ruin to Thebes by executing her. By this reading, Antigone is not a tragic hero; rather, she is a heroic martyr who sacrifices herself in order to prove the superiority of the laws of the gods.

Antigone as a Proto-Feminist

Antigone can also be read as a proto-feminist text. Creon’s prioritization of state superiority and Antigone’s prioritization of natural law epitomizes the gender expectations of ancient Greece. Whereas men were leaders and heads of state, women were expected to maintain the home and focus on building a family. This expectation is reflected in Antigone’s belief that the laws of the gods and the bonds among family members are more important than the laws of the state. Creon is obligated to look after the interests of Thebes; by contrast, Antigone is excluded from political decision-making and legal discourse on account of her sex. Instead, she is driven by her own moral code. This leads her to criticize the male-dominated government that prioritizes law and order over emotional and religious considerations. Unlike Ismene, who willingly bows to Creon’s authority, Antigone refuses to accept the common view that women are socially inferior. Narratively, Sophocles praises these attributes, aligning Antigone’s beliefs with those of the gods. At the end of the play, Antigone becomes a martyr for the idea that love and family are more important than Creon’s cold logic.

Expert Q&A

Why is Antigone's suicide significant to her beliefs?

Antigone's suicide in the play is significant as it reflects her beliefs and ideals. Despite the state's decree, she followed her religious faith to bury Polyneices, an act she believed was commanded by the gods. Her suicide can be seen as an act of defiance against the state, regaining control over her fate, and upholding her religious faith. Even though suicide was considered an act against the state, Antigone's actions align with the ancient Greek belief in fate and the will of the gods.

Can you provide a quote from Antigone that demonstrates her stubbornness?

Antigone's stubbornness is evident when she tells Ismene, "If that is what you think, I should not want you, even if you asked to come... But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy." Her defiance is further highlighted in her confrontation with Creon, where she states, "Your edict, King, was strong, But all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God." These quotes illustrate her unwavering commitment to her beliefs.

What is the relationship between Antigone and Ismene?

Antigone and Ismene, characters in Sophocles' play, are sisters and the last surviving members of their family after their father's disgrace and their brothers' deaths. They embody contrasting approaches to familial duty: Antigone is resolute in honoring her brother Polynices despite the risk of death, while Ismene fears the consequences and prioritizes their survival. Antigone values divine laws over human edicts, whereas Ismene is concerned with obeying the state's authority.

In Sophocles' Antigone, what does Antigone mean when she says "this crime is holy?"

When Antigone refers to her act as a "holy crime," she means that while burying her brother Polyneices defies Creon's edict, violating human laws, it aligns with divine laws, which she holds as supreme. Antigone believes that honoring the dead and ensuring their peace in the afterlife is a sacred duty, more important than obeying temporal authority. This highlights the central conflict in the play between divine and human laws.

In Antigone, what words suggest Antigone does not regret her actions?

Antigone does not regret her actions in burying Polynices. She believes she had done the right thing in honoring him, and she believes "decent" people know that she was wise to have done it.

What does Antigone tell Ismene at the start of the play, and what is her request? What is Ismene's response? Why does Creon decide to bury Eteocles but not Polynices, and why does Antigone disobey this order?

Antigone informs Ismene at the beginning of the play that she intends to bury Polyneices. She asks for Ismene’s help, and Ismene declines.

Antigone's motivations and justification for burying Polyneices

Antigone's motivations for burying Polyneices stem from her loyalty to her family and the gods. She believes it is her divine duty to ensure her brother receives proper burial rites, despite the king's edict. Her justification is rooted in the belief that divine law supersedes human law, and she is willing to face death to honor this principle.

The reasons behind the suicides of Antigone and Eurydice in Antigone

The suicides of Antigone and Eurydice in Antigone stem from their profound grief and despair. Antigone takes her own life because she cannot live with the dishonor of leaving her brother unburied, defying Creon's edict. Eurydice, in turn, kills herself out of unbearable sorrow after learning of her son Haemon's death, who committed suicide over Antigone's fate.

Antigone's final words and unusual statements in her last scene

Antigone's final words and unusual statements in her last scene express her unwavering resolve and defiance. She laments her fate but remains steadfast in her belief that she has acted justly by burying her brother. Her statements reflect a mixture of sorrow, pride, and acceptance of her tragic destiny.

Tragic Flaws in Antigone

In Antigone, Creon's tragic flaw is his hubris, which leads to disastrous consequences. His pride makes him defy divine will and enforce unjust laws, notably refusing burial for Polynices. This arrogance blinds him to the moral law that Antigone upholds, and he disregards advice from Tiresias and others, resulting in personal loss. Antigone's tragic flaw mirrors Creon's stubbornness, as she prioritizes familial duty over reason. Both characters' inflexibility in their principles fuels the tragedy, ultimately leading to their downfalls.

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