Antigone: summary, analysis and meaning of the tragedy of Sophocles

Antigone It is a Sophocles tragedy based on the myth of the same name from Ancient Greece.

The plot revolves around Antígona, who defies the law to kill her brother Polinices, considered a traitor of the country.

The main theme of this tragedy is the opposition between the civic and the divine order. However, it raises other dilemmas that currently remain valid and are subject to debate: freedom, rights of the individual against the obedience of the laws of the State, also draws the role of women in the society.

The play occupies a very important place in universal dramaturgy. This tragedy was written more than 2000 years ago in Greece, the cradle of democracy, and its first representation dates from the year 441 BC. C. To this day, it is still considered one of the most relevant works of its author.

Let's see, next, how they are manifested through a summary and analysis of the work.

Resume

Antígona laments with her sister Ismene of her for the losses of her brothers Polinices and Eteocles, who died in a battle between them for the throne of Thebes.

Creon, the new king of Thebes and Antigone's uncle, has ordered that Polynices not be buried. In this way, his spirit will roam the earth.

Faced with this situation, the protagonist seeks to safeguard the family duty against the He has been and, despite Ismene's recommendations, he decides to worship his brother and give him grave.

Soon, what happened reaches the ears of the king. This decides to send to capture the culprit of the fact, who will pay for defying the laws of the State.

Later, the protagonist is captured when she tries to bury the body of her brother again. Before the king, Antígona confesses the "crime" and tries to save Ismene, accused of accomplice.

Hemon, son of Creon and fiancée of Antigone, tries by all means the forgiveness of his father. However, the king resolves to bury Antigone alive with enough food and water not to be guilty of her death.

Tiresias warns the king that the corpse of Polinices has to be buried, since the dogs are devouring it and this symbolizes the discomfort of the gods. He also tells her that he must free Antigone. Creon accuses him of deception and the seer becomes angry and warns him of the future loss of his son.

A messenger enters the palace to report the death of Antigone, whose body she hung from her wedding veil. She also reports Hegón's death to his mother, who lost her life trying to stab his father after the death of his beloved.

Finally, the king returns to the palace carrying the body of his son. There he discovers that his wife has also taken her own life and laments and blames himself for the events.

Analysis

Conflict between human and divine laws

One of the great dichotomies of this work by Sophocles is due to the confrontation between morality and divinity. Each of these aspects is represented by two essential characters in the work:

• Antigoneshe, as a symbol and defender of divine laws, whose acts are moved by respect for the gods and love for the family.
• Creon, as a statesman who feels the political obligation and the order of the city are above all.

But what weighs more: respect for the law created by men or for the rules dictated by the gods?

The conflict between Antigone and Creon is the most important in the work. Antígona defends these laws that, although they are not written, have been in force since ancient times. For her, honoring the gods must be above all else, the path of love is what the deities desire. However, to choose the law of the State is to follow the wishes of humanity.

Antigone prefers to die having buried her brother because, in her eyes, this is the path of love, the one that the gods "below" desire. But what did it mean not to bury the dead in the context in which the work is framed? Why is this fact so important to the protagonist?

The Greeks believed that if a lifeless body was not buried along with other funeral rites, its soul wandered the earth aimlessly and could not reach the kingdom of Hades, in the underworld. For Antigone it is more painful that the corpse of his brother remains unburied than his own death. He believes that, in the world of the deceased, his action will finally be praised.

For Creon, however, the law is paramount. Polynices has betrayed his people and does not deserve burial. Antigone has bypassed the ban.

Somehow, he wants to ensure compliance with the law to achieve peace in Thebes after a period of war. For this character, justice and homeland are above love, in this case fraternal, also that of his own family. If he does not comply with what the laws dictate to defend his family, he may not obtain the "respect" of the people from him.

The political dimension in Antigone: autocracy and democracy

It is clear that Antigone also provides an opportunity to reflect on political power.

In the context in which the play is written, democracy is consolidating in Greece. In cities like Athens the leaders were elected by free men, which excluded women and slaves, and they participate in the decisions made by their leaders.

It is possible that the attitude of Creon in Antígona has the mission of warning about the abuse of power in democracy. With this, it is worth asking: is Sophocles already speaking in this work of tyranny in full democratic “boom” in Greece? Is he somehow warning of the boundaries between autocracy and democracy?

In Antigone there is no democracy, power is inherited from father to son and the people do not have the right to interfere in the affairs that are supposed to be of the State. We see that the character of Creon, especially in the scene that debates with her son about giving him or not death to his beloved, she is a proud person who cares little or nothing about the people to whom It represents. It is clear in some dialogues:

But, are the citizens going to tell me what to send?

Am I to rule this land according to others or according to my opinion?

The city, then, must not be the one who commands it?

Antigone as a Greek woman and heroine

This work not only makes evident the conflict between the law of the gods and civil law. The status of women in Greek society of the time is also confirmed. The woman was totally on the fringes of political affairs, as they were not considered as citizens.

We can differentiate two "types" of women in the work. One represented by Ismene and the other by Antigone.

Ismene is the prototype of the woman of the time. She affirms, before the proposal of her sister to honor the body of her brother, that “they are two women, incapable of fighting against men ”and that“ they must obey orders ”and not“ transgress the power of those who rule ”, with this she shows that she does not want to challenge the laws.

The second, Antigone, arms herself with courage to defend human values ​​and the laws of the gods, although for this she has to face her own death. Thus, the protagonist is not only a brave woman in violating her "social role" but she is the only "citizen" capable of facing power and exposing Creon's tyranny.

With a more current vision of the work, we see how Sophocles chooses a female figure as his heroine, this fact could have been unusual in the time when men are the great tragic heroes.

In this case, Antigone is the figure who disobeys and is capable of opposing divine duty and that of the law.

Outcome: the force of destiny

Like all tragedies, this play by Sophocles leads his characters to an unhappy fate. Concern for fate and who controls its will are present in Antigone.

Fate is not in the hands of free will, it is inescapable. There is nothing that man can control, the last decision regarding it is in the hands of the gods. This is evidenced by the sentence of Corifeo in the denouement: “Now do not pray. There is no man who can evade what destiny has set for him ”.

In this work, each one has his end and attends to the consequences of breaking human laws or divine laws, which do not have to be in tune.

Creon defies religious duty with his action towards Polyneices and also by punishing Antigone. Ultimately, the gods lead him to the loss of his son and his wife. Despite trying to change his bad deeds in order not to enrage the gods.

Antigone challenges the laws imposed by men and suffers the consequences of "justice." He, too, cannot avoid the tragic fate that accompanies his family, as is already announced in works such as King Oedipus.

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What is the meaning of Antigone?

To this day this Sophoclean work continues to be studied and analyzed, it is subject to different readings. But what interpretation can be given to Antigone?

The reality is that there are several ways to find an explanation for this tragedy. It is worth highlighting interpretations from the religious, political or family point of view.

Religious

What did Sophocles want to manifest with Antigone's position in defense of divine laws against the laws of men? Is it revealing, with the arrival of democracy, a debate between the traditional beliefs of the people and power?

In ancient times, divine laws had more weight than human ones when making decisions. Perhaps, with the arrival of democracy, these two positions came into conflict and Sophocles is raising with Antigone if it is possible that both laws, divine and human, coexist in harmony.

Political

Antigone, in fact, hides a dilemma about the exercise of power of Creon. In theory, this character tries to rule to achieve the peace that is needed in Thebes after a period of war. However, his decision to apply the laws at all costs raises great controversy regarding how he exercises his mandate.

In this case, the king does not respect the rights or individual freedoms of the citizens and, with his decisions, not only opens the political debate on whether the The State has or does not have the right to transfer these freedoms to achieve the "common good" but also triggers the tragedy of Antigone and its own.

Family

It represents Antigone loyalty to the family? Is it a story about the family against the laws of the state? For this character, family is above all. For her there is a law that is above political power, the law dictated by the gods, so he ventures to sacrifice his own life to safeguard the integrity of his family.

Characters

• Antigone: she is the daughter of Oedipus. She is the sister of Polynices, Eteocles and Ismene. He faces the authority of his uncle, Creon, to bury his brother.
• Ismene: she is the daughter of Oedipus. She is a law-abiding girl, even though she goes above her family duty.
• Creon: Jocasta's brother and king of Thebes since the death of his nephews.
• Eurydice: wife of Creon and mother of Hemon.
• Hemon: he is the son of Creon and Eurydice. He is engaged to Antigone and takes her life upon learning that she has committed suicide.
• Coripheus: she is the representative of the choir of noble elders of Thebes.
• Tiresias: he is an old blind fortune teller who advises Creon and warns him of his mistakes and possible retaliation from him.
• Guardian: he is the man who leads Antigone to testify before the king.
• Delivery courier: he is in charge of announcing the death of Antigone.

Myth of Antigone

Sophocles' work is based on a myth belonging to the culture of Ancient Greece. This myth is based on the tradition that they had in ancient times of worshiping a corpse so that it would pass to the world of the dead, located in the underworld:

Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. With a pious attitude, the young woman takes care of her father when he remains blind until the day of his death.

After the death of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polynice have to take turns the throne of Thebes. When one of them breaks the pact, they fight a duel and both die. Creon obtains the throne and orders that the body of Polinices not receive burial. Antigone opposes her uncle and tries to bury her brother. As punishment for breaking the law, Creon condemns her to be buried alive.

The importance of the rite of the dead bodies was very common in Greek literature, this act is also evident, for example, in the Iliad with the corpse of Hector. But why does Sophocles adapt this story? Why does he do it in context?

Sophocles was also involved in Athenian politics, did he adapt this popular myth to instrumentalize the management of power? Possibly, the author is judging the exercise of power with characters like Creon, who could be representing political power.

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