Theological Analysis Of Antigony Essay, Research Paper

One of the most popular and digesting play of all clip, Sophocles? Antigone has intrigued and provoked audiences for about 2500 old ages through its heartbreaking narrative of a calamity that could hold been avoided if it were non for the unalterable volitions of its two chief characters. Even in visible radiation of its absorbing narrative, nevertheless, it might be said that what keeps us coming back to this great work is that its cardinal subject is one of world? s oldest and greatest battles? the struggle between adult male? s jurisprudence and godly jurisprudence.

The word picture of this battle is really apparent in the drama, with Creon moving on behalf of civic jurisprudence and Antigone on behalf of Godhead jurisprudence. Creon can be seen early on supporting his edict against Polynices as a loyal responsibility. In his first address, after giving the order, he closes by explicating:

Such is my intent, and ne’er by any title of mine shall the base be held in higher award than the merely. But he who is a friend to this metropolis shall be honored by me as such in decease as in life ( 206-210 ) .

Antigone besides shows her point of view early in the drama when warning her sister Ismene for non sharing in her strong belief about burying their brother Polynices, stating:

Be what you please ; I shall bury him. It will be all right for me to decease in making that. I shall lie with him, a loved 1 with a loved one, guilty of a righteous offense? But if you think it right, be guilty of disgracing the things that the Gods award ( 70-78 ) .

So we see from the really get downing that this drama is about the battle between God and adult male, and about whose jurisprudence comes foremost. But this drama besides can rinse over us excessively rapidly if we do non halt to see whether or non the characters truly act in conformity with what they say. In reading this drama, it is excessively easy to see Antigone as being a piously spiritual adult female who was martyred for standing up to a barbarous male monarch who had issued a edict that went straight against the Torahs of the Gods. But was Antigone genuinely defending the will of the Gods, or did she believe in the moral erectness of her actions to the extent that in her head she turned those actions into the will of the Gods?

First of all we should see the efforts by Ismene to keep Antigone from shiping upon her mission. She asks that Antigone see the harm already done to their household, every bit good as the legal branchings of this? improper? act. When accused by Antigone of disgracing the Gods she replies, ? I do non disgrace them, but I have no agencies of moving in rebelliousness of the citizens ( 79 ) . ? So early on we see Ismene oppugning the motivations of Antigone. She refines this statement in the undermentioned discourse with Antigone:

A: I know that I am delighting those whom I am principally bound to delight.

I: If you will even hold the power. But you desire what is impossible.

A: Then, when I have no strength I shall go forth off.

I: A pursuit for the impossible should non even be begun.

A: If you say this, you will be my enemy, and will besides justly be called an

enemy to the dead ( 89-95 ) .

So we see that Ismene does non differ with Antigone that their

brother should be buried, but alternatively that she believes that it is non so good to bury the dead that it justifies the decease of another. Not merely does this early duologue suggest that there is resistance to Antigone? s program, but besides the barbarous nature of her last answer intimations that she may be driven more by an intense fury than by love of the Gods.

Next we should look at the position of the common mans, represented by the chorus, toward Antigone. Antigone claims that the common people are with her, stating of her moral ideals, ? It is their position besides, but they keep their oral cavities shut for you ( 509 ) . ? It is of import for the success of Antigone? s statements that her position is agreed with since there was no holy book for the ancient Greeks to look to for replies. Throughout the class of the drama, nevertheless, the chorus looks down upon her actions and is taken aback by her motivations. Even at the clip of her decease, the chorus make no castanetss about their position of her actions stating, ? Advancing to the bound of dare, you stumbled with your pes, kid, against the high base of Right ( 855-6 ) . ? And so through Ismene and the Chorus we see that the position of the populace is that Antigone is filled with fury and that her actions are imprudent.

The concluding measure to analyzing Antigone? s theological beliefs is to look at the effects of her actions. It should be noted that the lone direct consequences of her actions are her decease, coupled with the deceases of Haemon and Eurydice. Besides note that when Tiresias tells Creon the will of the Gods he says that Polynices should be buried ( e.g. ? Give manner to the dead, and do non knife a fallen adult male. Where is the art in rekilling the dead ( 1029-30 ) ? ? ) and he prophesies bad luck for Creon. But what is most noteworthy about his prognostications is what is non said. Although it is the will of the Gods that Polynices be buried, Antigone is non mentioned at all in her pursuit to make this. If this is the will of the Gods even absent of Antigone? s actions, so should we non presume that the Gods would hold had him inhumed regardless of them? Besides, Creon is finally punished for his actions, but one time once more what did non go on is more noteworthy in that Antigone is in no manner rewarded for her actions.

Throughout Antigone, Sophocles has left us many hints as to the cogency of the theological place that the rubric character held. We are disposed through our Judeo-christian society to see Antigone as a adult female who breaks the jurisprudence because of a spiritual strong belief and is thereby martyred, and, as such, as a adult female deserving of awe and regard. Through the text he has left us, nevertheless, Sophocles shows that he had a much different construct of Antigone? s nature and of the cogency of her actions. In the terminal though, we should admit that regardless of whether Antigone? s divinity was right and her actions were the will of the Gods, she ne’er gave up the fierceness of her strong belief that they were & # 8211 ; even to the minute of her entombment when she uttered these concluding words:

Oh Theban land, metropolis of my male parents, and oh my hereditary Gods, they are taking me off ; the clip has come. Godheads of Thebes, behold me, exclusive leftover of your royal house ; lay eyes on how I am treated, and by what mode of work forces, for making fear where fear was do ( 939-42 ) .