The play Antigone was written by Sophocles around 441 BC. It revolves around the life of Antigone; a girl determined to offer proper burial rites to her late brother contrary to the state rules. Based on the script, Oedipus, a former ruler of Thebes, has two sons, Polynices and Eteocles, and two daughters, Ismene and Antigone. Following his demise, his sons would succeed him and take turns to rule. However, once Eteocles steps into power, he declines to step down and instead exiles his older brother Polynices. This prompts Polynices to lead a foreign army against Eteocles, where the brothers kill each other, leaving the throne to Creon, who is next in line. Creon then commands that Eteocles be given an honorable burial while Polynices’ body is to be abandoned on the battlefield. Nevertheless, Antigone buries Polynices despite Creon’s orders, and the consequence of her actions is death. She later hangs herself, which also triggers the demise of her fiancĂ©e Haemon and his mother, Eurydice, who are Creon’s son and wife. Civil disobedience and pride are the prominent themes in Antigone.
The theme of civil disobedience is very dominant in Antigone. Creon’s order states that Polynices should not be mourned or buried because he forfeited the privileges to a proper burial when he killed Eteocles. Creon’s decree also outlines the repercussions for disobeying the law. In this case, anyone who buries Polynices would be executed. Antigone explains Creon’s command against burying Polynices to Ismene when she says, “Whoever disobeys in the least will die, his doom is sealed: stoning to death inside the city walls” (41-43). However, Antigone disagrees with the king’s decision and believes that Polynices being a Thebe’s citizen, still deserved a proper sendoff despite what he did. During this era, the Greek customs required a city to offer appropriate burial to its citizens. Despite Ismene’s pleas and warnings, Antigone buries Polynices with dry dust. She defies Creon’s commands and performs the burial rites in broad daylight, unafraid of being caught. Even upon her arrest and interrogation by both guards and Creon, she admits to her wrongdoing and does not regret her decision. Antigone says to Creon, “I did it. I don’t deny a thing” (492). This is despite being set to marry Creon’s son Haemon and becoming a queen in the future. Antigone understands the gravity of her deeds and is ready for the repercussions. Creon then instructs the guards to tie her to a tomb and abandon her to compel her to decide whether to die or live, but Antigone later commits suicide. The play effectively depicts the theme of civil disobedience through the personality of Antigone, who is willing to break the rules to satisfy her morals standards and conscience. She is well aware of the grave aftermath of her actions, but this does not deter her efforts. She also understands and is willing to take consequences for her actions.
The theme of pride is strongly portrayed through the different characters of Antigone. Both Polynices and Eteocles are too proud to give up their father’s throne. In this case, Eteocles would rather exile his brother than step down from the throne, while Polynices would rather fight against his brother to get to power. The brothers are too blinded by their pride and greed for power which lead to their demise. In addition, Antigone’s pride compels her to bury Polynices’ remains regardless of Creon’s laws. She says to Ismene, “I will bury him myself. And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory” (85-86). Despite much pleading from Ismene to let Polynices’ body remain unburied according to Creon’s orders, she defies the decree and is later arrested, leading to her demise. This implies that if Antigone had respected the state laws like Ismene, she would not have died. The play also depicts Creon as too prideful, which later results in the death of his son and wife. For instance, he portrays Polynices as a villain and denies him a proper burial. Creon tells his citizens that his proclamation forbids the city from mourning Polynices or dignifying him with burial rites (227-228). He also enforces his laws on the citizens of Thebes with no regard if the rules are acceptable to the gods. Creon also mocks his son Haemon for disrespecting his power and argues with Tiresias, a seer, over Polynices’ burial and Antigone’s release. If Creon had practiced humility and allowed the burial of Polynices, the loss of his wife and son would have been prevented. Therefore, the author uses the characters of Polynices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Creon to demonstrate the theme of pride. The characters do not regard the perspectives of other people and are driven by their self-interests.
In conclusion, civil disobedience and pride are major themes in Antigone. Sophocles presents the theme of civil disobedience through the personality of Antigone, who defies the king’s command to give her brother a good sendoff. Antigone’s personality represents the determination of people driven by morality rather than the rule of law. Regarding the theme of pride, the author depicts the negative outcomes associated with too much pride and emphasizes the need to be humble. Generally, Antigone may be a tragic story, but it provides many insights to its audience.
Work Cited
Sophocles. “Antigone.” The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus. London: Penguin Classics, 1984, pp. 1-52.