Student Question
As The Burial at Thebes opens, Antigone is telling her sister, Ismene, that Creon has prohibited anyone from burying their brother Polyneices. Expressing her concern that Polyneices will be “publicly dishonoured,” Antigone tries to convince Ismene to help her bury him. Ismene worries about the consequences of such a burial, as Creon would likely kill them, while Antigone emphasizes the importance of loyalty to their family as well as not being a coward. Without her sister’s help, Antigone alone will bury him and thus find glory and the gods’ praise for understanding that their laws are more important than those made by the living.
Antigone adamantly refuses to accept any of the reasons her sister offers for not burying Polyneices. Ismene fears the reprisal of Creon and the other male authorities, who will certainly see that the weak women are showing inappropriately rebellious attitudes. Questioning her sister’s loyalty to their family and her courage, she says that Ismene must be
True to your seed and breed and generation. ...
Are we sister, sister, brother?
Or traitor, coward, coward?
Antigone rejects any argument that privileges laws made by men or the living. The laws of the dead and those of the gods are what matters, and she will not dishonor them as Ismene proposes. Rather than fearing death, she is glad that she could join the dead. Her actions will bring her glory and the gods’ admiration.
And if death comes, so be it.
There’ll be glory in it.
I’ll go down to the underworld
Hand in hand with a brother.
And I’ll go with my head held high.
The gods will be proud of me.
After arguing further with her sister, she proclaims her intention not only to bury their brother but to make sure that everyone knows it. Only by doing so can she avoid the disgrace that Creon is trying to put onto them.
If Creon has me killed,
Where’s the disgrace in that?
The disgrace would be to avoid it.
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