Introduction
Antigone by Sophocles is a classic Ancient Greek play. It is well-known all over the world for the morality and brevity of the main character. Moreover, the play discovers a causative-consecutive line of tragic events that make it rich in content. The author provides the majority of emotional and logical features in characters using their dialogues or monologues. In this respect, one should not underestimate the role of the chorus. This instrumentation was used by Sophocles in all his plays to make conversation between characters as well as the tragedy of the moment more impressive. The play is performed in the tradition of classic Greek tragedy. Characters and the plot of The Antigone are highlighted in the play for resolving the problem of morale and pride in human beings and the counter-reaction of gods in response.
Characters and the plot of The Antigone
Looking at the elaboration of actions in the play, it is significant to work out the problem of the development and change in a character. In this respect, one should keep an eye on two characters: Creon and Ismene. These two are identified in the play, as unstable and despaired people. In the case of Ismene, she betrayed her sister Antigone by being afraid of the death penalty. Her involvement in actions that were in defiance of Creon’s edict is shaped with great fear for burying their brothers: “I do them no dishonor, but I find myself too weak to war against the state” (Sophocles 12). When Antigone was pledged Ismene refused to be for her sister. One sees her, as a weak character without family identification and duties. She placed duty to the polis higher than the duty to her family (Markos 146). This parameter makes her actions immoral and going apart from Greek family tradition.
Character of Ismene
Another feature defining Ismene is her disgrace of sacred duty to bury the bodies of Eteocles and Polynices. In this respect, Antigone emerges, as “the still small voice”. She persuades Ismene to follow her pieces of advice even under the threat of death. Looking at such weighty arguments, one sees that the entire nature of morale is more represented in Antigone. Sophocles wants to show her tries to make Ismene do what is right. That starting moment in the play illustrates what both sisters felt. However, it also predicts the end of the play and its tragic outcomes. Antigone attempts to break Ismene’s desire to follow the cruel edict of Creon down. The main heroine is shown in the play, as one who speaks with passion and moral supremacy (Pedrick and Oberhelman 92). To lay more emphasis on Antigone’s courage and decisiveness, it is better to estimate the words of her toward Ismene, namely: “Fear not for me. Thine own fate guide me aright” (Sophocles 12). Such words represent a challenge for both sisters that was passed only by Antigone.
Character of Creon
Creon is another character in whom a reader can see a change. However, it is apparent solely in the final scene of the play. Analyzing his command to assess the highest punishment to Eteocles and Polynices, he wanted to make his power and his position in the city of Thebes firm. The thing is that such firmness was built on a shaky basis. The will of gods was neglected due to Creon’s pride and hypocrisy. Initially, he was sure that such aggressive methods will destroy any defiant person. Creon admits his righteousness in ruling using the rhetoric question: “And will my subjects tell me how to rule” (Sophocles 45)? Unfortunately to Creon, Antigone was that woman who valued family more than polis.
Thus, one can describe Creon, as the embodiment of polis, power, and law, and Antigone is supposed to kinship and persistence in moral aspects (Markell 66). Even with immoral actions by Creon Sophocles provides a gorgeous message in actions by Antigone. Such relation of people to gods is indicated in all Ancient Greek plays. Though Creon stays firm in his will to punish Antigone, he does not even recognize the price of losses, as a result. He repeats the eternal mistake of human beings by acting without realizing the moral or rational grounds of this or that action. Creon follows the wrong way of opposition to gods and the good fate of his own. His conviction in the righteousness of his actions is, without any doubt, unsound. He leads his whole life toward decline.
The genius of Sophocles lies in the definition of is total ruination of a person’s life. Ignoring the family values of one person, Creon lost their own family’s well-being. The play distinctively depicts this tragic moment of Creon’s confession and his inner change, as a result: “Ah me! The fault is mine” (Sophocles 74). This scene characterizes Creon, as a man caught by personal fallacies and ignorance of sacred features for a man, such as family.
Creon is a tragic character, for the ominous but fair payback appeared in his life. A man should study the mistakes he/she does. It is even better not to be trapped in disasters by some distinct examples from the experiences of other people. The educational nature of the play is implied in the fact that at last Creon has understood his error. In the final scene, a viewer notices the sorrows of Creon. Here the tragedy is evaluated because he desires death more than relief. Creon presupposes it, as a form of some relief: “That nevermore I look upon the light” (Sophocles 74)… This punishment of Creon is directed to everyone who seeks wisdom.
Thus, Ismene and Creon are characters who are going through the process of change. Ismene is depicted, as the only ally to her sister. However, she demonstrates faint-heartedness at the moment when Creon summons both Ismene and Antigone to tell about their crime. Creon, driven by his persuasion in the righteousness of his edicts, ignores the family values and morality of tradition and the will of gods. On the one hand, Ismene stayed unchanged toward personal fears. On the other hand, Creon smarted for his pride and cruelty using his son’s and wife’s suicides. The story teaches about following the duty to secure moral values more than the duties of the polis.
Sophocles years of life
Sophocles (497/6 BC- 406/5 BC) is an outstanding Ancient Greek playwright (Sophocles 5). He along with Aeschylus and Euripides contributed greatly to the heritage of Greek drama that is extant to contemporary observers. The most attractive plays of Sophocles are Oedipus and Antigone. These plays counterbalanced the achievements of previous playwrights in the mastership of drama and tragedy, in particular.
The Antigone
Sophocles made the instrumentation in his plays more expressive and distinct from other authors due to a reduction of chorus roles to a limited extent. On the other hand, he improved the role of characters and their fates to some higher extent. Additionally, he involved the third and, later on, the fourth actor in his plays (Sophocles 6). As distinct from Aeschylus, Sophocles did not create trilogies describing one theme in a complex of each play. His plays, such as TheAntigone or Oedipus are complete in themselves (Sophocles 6). The success of his earliest plays, The Antigone, was obvious to every Greek who settled Attica and Athens as well. It was dated to the late third century BC, but contemporary researchers in ancient literature cannot define a distinct date. It is thought that the play had been written around 441-440 BC (Sophocles, Fainlight and Littman 5).
Furthermore, this play had made Sophocles the winner at the Festival of Dionysus. It is known that by Aristophanes of Byzantium’s appointment of Sophocles, as a general in the Samian War 441/440 BC, Sophocles overcame Aeschylus who was the winner for many years (Sophocles, Fainlight and Littman 6). He also overcame Euripides who had won this prize a year before.
Conclusion
Describing the civil war between Eteocles and Polyneices in common features, Sophocles directs his thoughts toward rigor of law and significance of morale. These two features imposed into the main theme of the play that resonated with viewers such great success of Sophocles (Sophocles, Fainlight and Littman 8). Since the moment of his victory at the Festival of Dionysus Sophocles became persona grata in Athens in terms of art and social issues. Up to his death, Sophocles never gave up personal participation in the artistic and social affairs of Greece.
Works cited
Markell Patchen. Bound by recognition. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003.
Markos, Louis. From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics. Westmont, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007.
Pedrick, Victoria and Oberhelman, Steven M. The soul of tragedy: essays on Athenian drama. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2005.
Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by Plumptre E. H. New York: Digireads.com Publishing, 2005.
Sophocles, Fainlight, Ruth and Littman, Robert J. The Theban Plays: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone. Translated by Fainlight, Ruth and Littman, Robert J. Baltimore, MD: JHU Press, 2009.