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Is Antigone justified in her pursuit to bury her brother or is it her arrogance that is guiding her?
Sophocles play titled “Antigone” focuses on whether Polynices should receive a proper burial. Polynices is a traitor who had fought against his city. The king ruled that his brother should receive a proper burial, whereas his body should be left for the vultures and the dogs. Antigone, Polynices’ sister, is convinced he should, even though her uncle Creon, the ruler of Thebes is opposed to it. Antigone has a deep devotion towards her family. Antigone and Creon are determined in their quest. Each one of them wants to make sure that they have their own way. The main question then is whether Antigone has a justified reason for her actions, or whether she is doing everything out of arrogance. A careful analysis of the test reveals Antigone’s conflicting intentions. Antigone’s initial motivation seems noble and justified. However, her relentless attitude makes her seem arrogance. In answering this question, the age-old question of the priorities between human and natural laws emerge. Other pertinent questions such as the importance and value of families and the unquestionable decisions made by the government emerge. The paper reveals that Antigone has justified reasons, although she has conflicting intentions that present her as arrogance.
In order to understand Antigone’s actions and motivation, it is important to understand the importance of a proper burial to people in ancient Greece. Unlike most religions, the Greek did not believe in the reward and punishment concept after death. They did not believe that good people went to heaven, while the evil suffered in hell. They believed that life after death was a sad and miserable affair, and the dead deserved to rest in peace. They believed in the importance of a proper burial, as proposed and supported by the gods. The gods mandated the way people lived their everyday life, and how they lived their life after death. The general belief of the people was that those who did not get a proper burial would not get any peace. They would spend their time wandering by the river Styx for eternity, and they were denied entrance to the underworld. Creon’s decision to deny Polynices a burial was an insult to his corpse, and it was damning to his soul. It meant that Polynices would never find rest in death. According to the Greeks, this was one of the harshest punishments. After analyzing the Greek customs concerning the dead, it becomes easier for a person to understand Antigone’s actions.
Antigone’s actions show the conflicts that can arise, when the state and the gods have conflicting interests. The people determine their decision based on the priorities they hold. Some people uphold the rules of the state more than the rules and commands of the gods. They will therefore consider it unquestionable that a person would disobey the rules of the state. On the other hand, other people have a reverential fear of the gods. They do not think twice about obeying the divine law. Based on this view, Antigone’s actions were justified, as she was acting in obedience, and showing respect to the gods. However, by respecting the divine, she was disobeying the state. “Nor did I think your edict had such that you a mere mortal could override the gods the great unwritten unshakeable traditions” (Sophocles, 82).
Creon justified his actions for denying his nephew a burial by declaring the importance of respecting and protecting the state. His niece had gone against the state when he had made the decision to fight against his brother, and against the city. The problem with his reasoning was that Creon did not consider the opinion of the people. The people represented Thebes, and their opinion mattered. The people could adapt to the rules based on the importance and the value they held towards their religion. Some people prioritized their religion, while others prioritized their state. Creon could not disregard the religious practices of the people, since they cherished and honored them. With this in mind, Antigone’s decision to bury her brother was more justifiable in people’s eyes, that Creon reasons for denying his nephew a proper burial. According to the people, breaking a law to perform a pious ritual was more pardonable than violating divine law to uphold a ruthless civic duty.
One can say that Antigone’s actions were justified because of the responsibilities and the obligations that she held. Antigone was acting out of familial love and obligation when she decided to defy the state. She was honoring her brother by ensuring that he had a proper burial. She had a protective instinct for her loved ones. This is seen in the way she had taken care of her father, despite his mistakes and the shame he had brought towards his family. It is therefore easy to understand her actions on this basis. Antigone loves her family, and this is clear from her actions. She does not place the state and her civic duties before her family.
Antigone is relentless in her quest to bury her brother, and she strongly defends her sister before the king, despite the fact that the two of them do not always agree. Antigone loves her brother, and she feels responsible for his dead body. She is an embodiment of familial love, and she understands the importance of serving her kin in life and in death. This love and devotion drives her to bury her brother, regardless of what will befall her. She says, “I will lie with the one I love and loved by him-” (Sophocles, pg. 63). She reaches out to her sister, Ismene, so that she can help her bury their brother. She reminds her of their common lineage and tries to create a feeling of togetherness between them. “He is my brother,” she tells Ismene, “and-deny it as you will-your brother too” (Sophocles, pg. 39).
Although Antigone seems driven by familial love and bond, she seems more obsessed with the dead, and this obsession seems to be driving her actions. Creon is her uncle, and Ismene is her sister, yet she does not seem to have strong bonds or attachments with them. In the end, Antigone abandons and denies kinship when she denies her sister’s existence. She claims to be the “last of the royal line”, meaning that she does not acknowledge Ismene as her sister. She adopts a certain kind of arrogance, and she excludes and isolates herself. She feels that she is the only one who cares for her family, as her uncle has turned his back against them, and she considers him a tyrant. In an argument with his son, Haemon, he tells him, “The city is the king’s–that’s the law” (Sophocles, pg. 97). Antigone feels that her sister has refused to help her, therefore failing her family. This makes her feel that she is not part of her living family, but that she belongs to those who are already dead. She says, “I’ll soon be there, soon embrace my own, the great growing family of our dead” (Sophocles, pg. 105).
Antigone seems to have partial obligations and responsibilities towards different members of her family. She says that she would not consider breaking the law, if her dead husband or child had died. Her argument is that no one can replace her brother, since her parents are already dead. However, she can replace her child if she or he died, and she can remarry and replace her husband if he died. Antigone therefore feels responsible for her brother’s burial. This presents her as an obsessed person, for she seems obsessed with her brother. The fact that she would consider the kind of treatment to offer different members of her family puts a strain on her high moral grounds. In order to understand Antigone, one would have to examine her genealogy. Her family history is important in forming her attitude, and resilient personality. Antigone’s father, Oedipus, and mother had an incestuous relationship, as her father ended up marrying his own mother. Antigone is therefore Oedipus’s half sister and daughter. Her mother committed suicide when she learnt of this.
Antigone has a strong devotion towards her father, and when he dies, she uses the same devotion on her brothers. Oedipus lived in sorrow and repentance. Antigone’s brothers killed each other when they were fighting for the crown. This is indeed much sorrow for the family to bear. As Ismene tells her sister, “Consider how our father died, hated and disgraced; when those mistakes which his own search revealed forced him to turn his hand against himself and stab out both his eyes. Then that woman, his mother and his wife—her double role—destroyed her own life in a twisted noose. Then there are our own two brothers, both butchered in a single day—that ill-fated pair with their own hands slaughtered one another and brought about their common doom.” Some people have proposed the idea that Antigone’s devotion towards her brother is because of her incestuous feelings. However, this is not the case because she wants to create a generational order that is not repulsive as her own. Antigone continuously insists on the fact that Polynices is her brother, and she does not refer to him as a nephew or uncle. She insists on the fact that Oedipus is her father, and not her brother. She is trying to dismiss the dual role of her father, and the multiple roles of her brother. By doing this, she is trying to create a family tree that seems normal.
Antigone does not believe in the unquestionable power of the government. She stands up against the abuse of power by a tyrant, who in this case is her uncle and the king. This does not present her as an arrogant person; rather she is a hero among the people. She decides to break the human law in order to defend the natural law, at the cost of her own life. Her resistance is comparable to the passive resistance of Mahatma Gandhi. Antigone and Mahatma are aware that citizens have the right and duty to act against unreasonable decisions made by the government. This is regardless of whether the people elect the leaders or whether God chooses them. Her conflict with Creon is a conflict between morality and legality. This conflict rejects the idea of the absolute power of the state and lack of individual right and liberty. It shows that every citizen has a right to have some discretion with respect to what is right and wrong. This is a credible idea in the modern world, and it is a pillar of many democracies around the world.
Haemon defends Antigone’s actions, and he defends her in front of his father. He tells the king that the city sympathizes with Antigone but the people are scared to speak out against him. “The whole of Thebes says no”. Creon tells him, “Irrespective of whether it is true: “And is Thebes about to tell me how to rule?” (Sophocles, pg43) Antigone’s heroic acts please the people, more than the king’s ego driven decisions. The people are therefore willing to stand with Antigone. Some people think that Haemon falsifies his arguments because of his love for Antigone. However, as the story progresses, the people prove that Haemon’s claims are true. When the king declares, his judgment to send Antigone to a cave, the people follow her, and they mourn for her fate. The people complain against their king because of the oppression they face. “Heads together, tossing wildly, never keeping their necks beneath the yoke, loyally submitting to their king.” These sentiments do not show any loyalty or devotion to the king. Prophet Tiresias approaches the king, and he warns him that the gods are not pleased with his decisions concerning Polynices burial and the sentencing of Antigone. The prophet further warns him that a son from his loins will die, if Creon will not reverse his decision concerning Antigone.
The points presented above show that Antigone’s decisions and her resilience concerning her brother’s burial were just. It is however important to remember that Antigone committed suicide at the end of the play. The gods did not prevent her from doing this, despite earlier indications that they were on her side, and they were sympathetic towards her case. In most cases, and in most cultures, people hold the belief that the gods have the ultimate answers, and that they have a clear perception of the actions of human beings, since they are able to tell what is happening at all times. Many people consider the gods have supernatural and unlimited powers. They believe that they know the real and the true fate of humans. With this in mind, it becomes increasingly hard to present Antigone’s actions as justified. The reasoning behind this is that, if at all Antigone was justified; the gods would have protected her. Antigone seals her own fate and she dies on her own terms. She makes a powerful statement with her death, in the sense that she died defending what she believed in, and what she held true. She shows that she is worthy of hero status, because she possessed many of the qualities of the Greek heroes such as moral virtue, courage, determination, sacrifice, and fearlessness.
It is hard to ignore Antigone’s character flaws despite her resilience, and the loyalty and devotion she has towards her family. Antigone has a limited and a somewhat unrealistic view of the world. She orients her entire worldview in terms of her seemingly justified action to bury her brother. Her opinions and attitude express her stubbornness, courage and confidence. She is not willing to accept the idea or the possibility that she might be wrong in her actions. Although her decisions seem right, her attitude makes her seem arrogant. She did not put much effort when trying to convince Creon. Creon was her uncle, and she could have used his son, who was her cousin and fiancé, to convince him. Antigone’s attitude and her stubbornness might have been because of her upbringing. Her father was the king at one time, and it is possible that she was used to having her way. She might have grown up with certain ideas regarding her importance and entitlement, which in turn caused and influenced her stubborn nature and her unflinching quest to bury her brother. Her stubborn attitude and nature leads her to face an isolated death, where she is separated from all those who love and care about her. Her isolation in death means that she cannot be certain that she will receive the same pious treatment that she gave her brother. She is aware of her isolated death, and she says, “No tears for the destiny that’s mine, no loved one mourns my death” (Sophocles, pg. 104). She faces death at her own hands, and this jeopardizes the fulfillment of the piety, upon which she is fixated. She does this by killing herself, and by so doing has insulted the creation of the gods and disregarded the divine law. Her death puts on hold all the services that she can offer those who live, and those who are already dead.
It is possible that being a woman influences Antigone’s actions. In most cases and cultures, women are more sensitive on the issues that relate to religion and death. They take pride in their cultures, and they follow their traditions and rites. Women are also more devoted towards their families and friends. The fact that Antigone is a woman makes her see things from a different perspective than other people in the play. Antigone might have taken pride in burying her brother. Ismene portrays the role of women in ancient Greece. She tells Antigone, “Remember we are women, we’re not born to contend with men. Then too, we’re underlings, ruled by much stronger hands, so we must submit in this, and things still worse”(Sophocles, pg 62). It is clear that Ismene does not share her sister’s personality, attitude, or belief. Ismene is not as strong as Antigone, and she seems ready to subject herself to the rule of men in her society, regardless of the situation. Antigone on the other hand is a strong character, who does not seem tied down by rules and regulations.
Women in ancient Greek are subordinate to men. Antigone does not subject herself to these rules. She is autonomous, outspoken, and she makes independent decisions. She is confident and many see this as arrogant. Few women in ancient Greece would have considered going against men and going against the state. However, Antigone was concerned with what other people thought about her. Antigone changed the perception that men in ancient Greece had concerning women. Generally, men expected women to be subservient and differential. They expected the women to obey them, and to follow the rules. After Antigone’s actions, Creon began to understand that some women were not comfortable following instructions just because the men in their lives, or the leaders passed these instructions or made decrees. Creon was oppressive, yet at the same time, he was insecure. He warned the people, Therefore we must defend the men who live by law, never let some women triumph over us, better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hands of man—never be rated inferior to a woman, never.” This shows the general perception that men had towards women. They did not believe that women were capable of holding power, and they did not believe that men were to relinquish power to women.
Creon had a need and a desire to dominate oppressed women, and to prove his superiority in the society. This did not work to his advantage, as the people saw him as a hateful and imperious bully. The sense of self worth and importance that Creon portrayed was not only visible and characterized by men, but some women portrayed it as well. This was not always the case, as only few women dared to question the state’s authority. As the story progresses, one can see Antigone’s determination in wanting recognition for her actions. She says, “I will suffer nothing as great as death without glory” (Sophocles, pg. 64). She emphasizes the importance of glory and fame. This is troublesome and worrying in a way because it shows the same sort of character, that Creon portrayed. It seems like some sort of disease that infected them. They show interest in self-worth, rather than showing interest in common good. Although her cause towards her brother is commendable, her reasons are questionable. Her greed for glory and her respect for divine law drive her quest.
In a view to honor her brother and family, Antigone seems to forget the noble cause that had caused her to begin her quest. She is sure and certain that the gods are on her side. In one instance, she ends up comparing her unfortunate fate with the gods. She reminds the Chorus of one incidence when the people accused a god unjustly, and the place where she was tormented snows and rains all the time. She seems sure that the same thing will happen to her once she dies. In deed, her beliefs and claims seem founded. Although she dies in isolation, her death causes the king’s son to kill himself, and this leads to the death of the king’s wife. The gods seem to be controlling the events that are happening in the city and in the king’s family but many people do not seem to understand this.
Antigone has a moral vision to bury her brother and fulfill the divine law. She has unquestionable determination, courage, love, devotion, and bravery. However, her character is flawed and she is arrogantly unwilling to back off her quest. She is willing to alienate herself and work alone, to ensure that she buries her brother with honor. She goes to the extent of breaking the law, and she presents herself as a harsh, relentless, and uncompromising character, much the same way as Creon. After examining and analyzing her character, it becomes clear that Antigone’s actions are justified although she acts with a lot of arrogance. Like every other person, she is acting because of a decision made by another individual. It is however important to note that other characters in the play influence her decisions. For instance, Creon’s ruthlessness causes her to make rush decisions. Her sister’s refusal to help her makes her more determined to bury her brother the way that he deserves. Although she makes rush decisions, the morality of her cause provides the yardstick to which the king does not measure up. The conflicts that both characters face define the limitations that people face when confronted with contradictory obligations and dilemmas such as family versus state, individual versus government, and divine versus human law.
The question of justice is not always easy to determine, as it mostly based on the law, and on people’s morality. If the law is not fair towards the people, then justice will never prevail in such a society. The state is not always right, and people have managed to make changes in the law when they have dared to defy the state. On the other hand, arrogance is a matter of attitude and opinion. One is able to tell an arrogant person based on the way that person is acting, and the criteria she uses to make her decisions. A person who is only interested in how she will seek to benefit is acting in arrogance.
Works Cited
Leshak, L. Andrea. Antigone: A Model of Civil Disobedience. Mar 5 2009. Web. 30 April 2012
Singh, Rani. Antigone vs. Creon. 2010. Web. 30 April 2012
Sjoholm, Cecilia. The Antigone Complex: Ethics and the Invention of Feminine Desire. Stanford, CA: StanfordUniversity Press. 2004. Print