9/8 Antigone (#2a)

“Antigone” a work by Sophocles, challenges a person to choose sides on an issue that is far from black-and-white.

In this story Antigone and Creon are arguing on the rights and terms of made-up gods. They could be compared to children fighting over the rules of a game that they created, when the rules are in conflict with one another. At that point it’s just about which rules you choose to follow.

Antigone wishes to bury her brother and give him his last rights. She feels obligated to do so from fear of the gods. Antigone argues that Creon’s law, to lead the body above ground, is Creon’s and not the gods (499). She knows in her heart that it is better to die in this world being hated by men and live in the underworld justified. She demonstrates this position while speaking with Ismene saying she would rather die than “dishonor the laws the gods hold in honor” (line 92).

Creon orders that Antigone’s brother lie above ground in dishonor, for her brother dishonored the kingdom, its gods and people. His opinion is obvious when he states the gods hate this man because he came to ”burn their temples … fling their laws to the winds” ( lines 323-26).

Sophocles rides the fence through most of the story. Sophocles’ position may be revealed when he has the chorus describe Antigone as the “last root” of Oedipus that is to be cut down by a “bloody knife swung by the gods of death by senseless words” (lines 674-7). Since the words are “senseless” it seems to be that the death is needless or unjust. Later, Sophocles has the chorus sing “where’s the glory, killing the dead twice over?” (line 1141). This line could be interpreted as saying once an enemy has fallen there is no glory in dishonoring the body. Following these interpretations of the chorus show that Sophocles sided with Antigone. This opinion is further supported by the harsh fate Creon meets after Antigone’s death. A fate so harsh Creon pleads for death himself(line 1433).

Creon is firm in his decision to sentence Antigone to death. His reasoning is a woman has no place in the world if she is to dishonor a man or her husband. This opinion is evident when he says if your wife should wrong you “let her find a husband down among the dead” (line 730).

One of the values reflected in the harsh and quick decision to execute Antigone is the lower class of women. This value is also displayed when Ismene tells Antigone “[r]emember we are women, we’re not to contend with men” (lines 74-5).

Even though Anthony’s decision led to her death, it does not appear as though she regretted it. “The Norton Anthology Western literature” proposed that in her final moments Antigone let go of her belief that she was right in the eyes of the gods, but was firm and her decision because she was so devoted to her brother.