Issues of justice and freedom are central to many classical works. Shakespeare’s King Lear and Sophocles’ Antigone are striking examples of literature in which the characters demonstrate all shades of selflessness and courage in the struggle for their own ideals. Cordelia and Antigone are girls surrounded by different circumstances, yet one cannot deny their spiritual similarities. The two heroines are united by the fact that they have sacrificed themselves to the same degree for the sake of a loved one.
Cordelia and Antigone are devoted girls, they both honor their families and love and respect their parents. “What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent” (Shakespeare, 5). These words at the beginning of the piece emphasize that Cordelia valued her father as the man who raised her and did not recognize the benefits of kinship with the king. Antigone is loyal to her family members despite their actions. The honor and dignity of her neighbors is a core value for girls who are not willing to betray their principles.
Both women face a difficult test of their characters. Each was faced with a choice between the honor of her neighbor and the unworthy behavior of the majority. Cordelia, understanding that her sisters are driven by selfish motives, stays with her father. Antigone, having the risk of being judged and rejected by the majority, defends her brother’s honor to the last. Both girls have made a creative choice in favor of human dignity.
Cordelia and Antigone are faithful to their ideals to the last, a life in which their faith in justice and the sincerity of their intentions is violated is meaningless. For this reason, the heroines’ stories end in death. Cordelia was the victim of a conspiracy that resulted in her murder, Antigone committed suicide, not wanting to become a hostage to injustice. The girls were not afraid of that end of life, in which there is no place for their values and ideals.
The path in the struggle for moral conviction of both girls is inextricably linked to heroic behavior and courage. Cordelia, by protecting those she cares about, has been able to become a strong leader. In the finale of the play, the heroine, along with the army of her French King consort, enters the land of Britain to save her father from the vengeance of her older sisters, Regina and Gonerilla. The latter’s feigned love and overt flattery proved more valuable to their father than her sincerity and forthrightness, but Cordelia was able to accept King Lear’s weakness and threw herself into his defense.
Antigone’s heroism manifested itself in the fact that she was not afraid to admit before the majority that the law of the gods was more sacred to her than Creonte’s decrees. “We have only a little time to please the living. But all eternity to love the dead” (Sophocles, 7). These lines underscore the girl’s determination to honor her brother in the way that a higher power commands, despite any prohibitions on the part of humans. Both heroines, in the struggle for justice, performed uncommonly courageous acts.
The behavior of the two women throughout the plots is inextricably linked to the manifestation of freedom. Both Antigone and Cordelia escape the fate of becoming hostages to the position of the majority. Although the girls gave their lives, in the memory of those who knew them, they will remain an example of unwavering spirit and noble ideals. The characters were able to do what they thought was exceptionally right–and this is of the highest value to them.
Thus, the stories of Cordelia and Antigone in the struggle for freedom and justice contain many similarities. The latter are that the characters performed heroic deeds, showed courage and bravery in protecting their loved ones and loyalty to them. The women neglected their lives on their way to special protection from the pressures of ungenerous and greedy people. Their devotedness and kindness have helped them achieve the true freedom.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Independently published, 2021.
Sophocles. Antigone. Prestwick House, 2005.