Civility, Democracy, Memory in Sophocles’ Antigone Essay

Introduction

Greek tragedy laid the foundation for modern drama and defined the contemporary approach to narrative progression. Ancient Greek playwrights raised moral questions in their works, addressing universal human concerns and attitudes. In particular, the tragedy Antigone by Sophocles is one of the most remarkable plays exploring such themes as free will, fate, order, morality, justice, and gender roles, which remain relevant in the modern world. The conflict between devotion to one’s family and obedience to civil rules and the discrepancy between the law of gods and humans are central to the tragedy. This paper aims to analyze Sophocles’ Antigone, focusing on the theme of empathy, discussing symbolism, and explaining the play’s cultural background and its connection to current social and political ideas.

The Theme of Empathy

Emotive elements were considered crucial in ancient Greek tragedy as they could be observed in characters’ behaviors and the audience’s response. Empathy was one of the fundamental concepts defining a plot’s success (Delgado 331). In Sophocles’ Antigone, the narrative flow makes the audience empathize with the tragic fate of the characters, deepening the emotional involvement of the readers and viewers. In particular, Antigone is portrayed as a strong, passionate, and stubborn woman. She values the laws of the gods above her own safety and strives to fulfill her obligation to her brother and family. The dialog between Antigone and her sister Ismene demonstrates how loyal the woman is to her family and unwritten rules that do not coincide with the civil law imposed by her uncle Creon (Sophocles 6). The audience empathizes with the characters facing a difficult choice to disobey the king or the gods.

Furthermore, the scene of Antigone being led to execution contains a tragic monologue. The young woman laments her nearing end and broken dreams of a happy life and marriage (Sophocles 47). The chorus does not display any compassion, which strengthens the feeling of empathy toward Antigone in the audience. Other characters, such as Creon, Ismene, and Haemon, also struggle with their inner conflicts and moral judgments and fall victims to each other’s reckless actions. For instance, king Creon faces the consequences of his arrogance and rage as he loses his son and wife (Sophocles 65). The reader reflects on the unfortunate events affecting Oedipus’ family, sympathizing with the characters. According to Delgado, “the Greeks made work that encouraged an empathetic position from an audience,” and Sophocles’ play is not an exception (331). The themes of compassion and pity are integral to Antigone.

Symbolism

Symbolism is another essential element of Sophocles’ tragedy that emphasizes its importance for drama development. In particular, the concept of entombment is central to the play. The main conflict stems from Creon’s decision to leave Polyneices’s body unburied as a punishment for his betrayal (Kocijančič 328). Antigone disagrees with the new king’s reasoning and is sentenced to be buried alive. The irony of the entombment symbol is in Creon’s decision to leave the dead unburied while immuring a living person. Three souls become the victims of the king’s order as Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice commit suicide.

Another notable symbol in the play is queen Eurydice’s knitting. Knitting was the only activity the woman performed in Antigone before cutting her own throat. In this regard, this symbol has two meanings, as it emphasizes the role of Eurydice’s death in teaching Creon his final lesson and draws a parallel with the thread of life from Greek mythology. The woman had been knitting until the end of her life (Sophocles 67). She stopped this activity, which symbolized her own death and unfortunate fate.

Creon’s attack on Antigone is another crucial scene that embodies the transcendence of power. As the woman confronts the man, he becomes enraged by her defiance and commitment to the gods’ rule. Creon cannot impose his will on Antigone and seizes her arm in a fit of rage (Sophocles 32). However, the grasp is too strong, and the woman feels no pain anymore, which symbolizes that her opponent has no power over her. Finally, the gray world is another image crucial to the tragedy. In a conversation with the nurse, Antigone describes a colorless and breathless place where she wanders (Sophocles 22). This symbol is meant to distinguish the human world from that of the dead. The tragedy of Antigone’s fate emphasizes the importance of this symbol.

Cultural Background and Its Connection to Current Political and Social Ideas

Sophocles’ Antigone is influenced by its cultural background and Greek traditions. The play’s main conflict is due to the discrepancy between Antigone’s loyalty to her brother and the demands of civil law, which she decides to disobey (Cvijanović 10). One’s commitment to family and unwritten rules were particularly important in ancient Greece, which defines the cultural background of the play’s events. The audience can better understand Antigone’s reasoning for her defiance and obligation to bury her brother appropriately.

Furthermore, the culture discussed in Sophocles’ Antigone connects to society’s existing political and social ideas. Such issues as the limits of the ruler’s power, human rights, and freedom are relevant in the contemporary world. Respect for death and the deceased is crucial in both ancient and modern societies. In this regard, the role of fate is particularly notable in Greek culture, while nowadays, free will and individual choice are more important. As noted by Delgado, “civility is itself a subject of political struggle and debate, a mode of behavior that is developed and professionally refashioned in the democracy of everyday life” (331). The themes of gender roles and the power of women connect both cultures throughout the centuries.

Conclusion

To conclude, symbolism and the theme of empathy are central to Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone. The ancient Greek play addresses the concepts of free will, fate, order, morality, justice, and gender roles that are still relevant in the modern world. The main symbols used in the tragedy are entombment, Eurydice’s knitting, Creon’s attack, and the gray world. Overall, Antigone emphasizes the tragic fate of the characters causing the feeling of empathy in the audience.

Reflection Letter

In this reflective letter, I would like to address the readers of my essay “Sophocles’ Antigone.” Thank you for taking your time to read my work about this remarkable Ancient Greek play. As the writer of this essay, I aimed to analyze Sophocles’ Antigone and the significance of the author’s theme of empathy and symbolism. After conducting research, I tried to combine the main ideas with my own insight in a coherent paper. I hope to help others understand and appreciate Sophocles’ work more. Furthermore, my role was to explain the tragedy’s cultural background and its connection to current social and political ideas. I can conclude that Antigone significantly contributed to Greek and world literature development. It defined the approach to the story progression and raised universal ethical questions.

The writing process included the following steps: reading Sophocles’ Antigone, conducting research, drafting the essay, and revising, editing, and proofreading it. In this regard, I made several changes to the paper’s structure. I generated more ideas and decided which of them were worth being included in my work. In my opinion, my audience would appreciate the effort I put into composing this essay as it highlights the key statements made by Sophocles in his Antigone. For instance, I reflect on the main character’s struggle, the role of empathy in drama, and key symbols used by the playwright. I draw a parallel between ancient Greek and contemporary societies. Moreover, I examine the role of culture in Sophocles’ tragedy. I hope my work can contribute to the discourse and offer some valuable insight to readers.

Works Cited

Cvijanović, Hrvoje. “Death and the City: Political Corpses and the Specters of Antigone.” Political Perspective, vol. 9, no. 2, 2019, pp 7-37.

Delgado, Maria M. “Civility, Empathy, Democracy and Memory: Exploring the ‘We’ in Compromised Times.” Performance Research, vol. 23, no. 4-5, 2018, pp. 328-336. Taylor & Francis Online.

Kocijančič, Matic. “Truly Bewept, Full of Strife: The Myth of Antigone, the Burial of Enemies, and the Ideal of Reconciliation in Ancient Greek Literature.” Clotho, vol. 3, no. 2, 2021, pp. 55-72. Ljubljana University Press.

Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by David Mulroy, University of Wisconsin Press, 2013.