Reference no: EM13805108

The Literary Analysis of Antigone

The character Antigone in the Greek play, "Antigone", written by Sophocles, is that of a famous tragedy ever written. She is portrayed as a self-righteous, influential feminist who is determined to give her brother a proper burial even in the unruliness of Patriarchal law. Her actions stretch out the possibilities of human action, changes the role of women in society and painted a new type of character. She sets her own sense of right and belief in a celestial principal above and against the power and jurisdiction of the state. Antigone is a woman of religion, kindness, courage and is caring. She has a never-ending devotion to her family.

The play displays the will of man vs the will of the gods, self-injury and suicide that plaques the family at the end. Antigone is a story that struggles with civil disobedience, it is a very dramatic female monologue. Antigone isn't content in forgetting her brother even though Ismene ask her to forget about burying him. She sees her burying her brother as a moral importance that surpass human created laws.

You can compare the courage place of morals to our modern world, such as those who fought for justice, such as; Martin Luther King and Gandhi. They were advocates of civil rights, who conducted peaceful demonstrations and were assassinated because they fought against oppression. Antigone expressed her dissatisfaction for the unethical new law of King Creon by going against his orders and burying her brother's body. She sacrifices her own life in the provision of greater justice. It's this type of superhuman willpower that changes the course of history.

There is also meaning in the chorus about Antigone's motivation towards trouble, the chorus in the play is not only civil but it is also the ethic reason here. "Yet not unpraised, not without a kind of honor, you walk at last into the underworld; Untouched by sickness, broken by no sword. What woman has ever found your way to death?" .

She shows her never-ending devotion to her family when she refuses to let Polynices body be unburied, it's dishonorable in her mind, "but I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy; I shall lie down with him in death." . Her brothers died fighting each other, since Eteocles was fighting on the side of Creon he was buried with honors. Polynices was left in the field to rot, "he shall lie on the plain, unburied; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like." .

Ismene, sister of Antigone, tries to warn her about the risks of disobeying the law concerning Polynices burial. But Antigone is determined. Her act of devotion is complete with courage since Creon has demand that the non-burial go on this way and anyone that tries to bury his body will be put to death. Sophocles compares this courage with the character Ismene. Ismene is devoted to her family until the thought of dying by being killed is thrown in. She cowards and is no longer willing to go up against the law of Creon. As Ismene points out to Antigone by stating, "We are only women, we cannot fight with men, Antigone!" . Antigone became angry and told her sister she is a coward for letting others come between her devotion to her family.

Antigone's tragic flaw is her pride, which she inherited from her father. She is honest, straight forward and doesn't believe in backing down when she knows she is right. Antigone doesn't hold back her feelings. She had no shame in burying her brother and did not deny it. She tells Ismene she is a coward and tells Creon of his sins while she faces the death that is to approach her as she is taken off to prison. She puts on a brave face for Haimon, she refuses to cry. She feels this love would make her weak. But it only proves that she has become more and more courage's.

Even in the end after she has taken her life, she is portrayed as a woman with strengths that are that of a man but displays the softness of a woman in a society of a culture that is based on male dominance. Sophocles created this character with a spirit that can't compare to anyone else's. His play displays that women of these times are more than sirens who can't be trusted.
Antigone displays all the features of a hero. She is courage's, has a sense of justice and never-ending devotion to her family. For this she earns this title. The strengths of her philosophy gives her the worth of being a saint. Without this flaw she would never have been looked upon as a hero.

All of her characteristics are what makes her viewed as the equal of the men in the play but also through validation of her death by the gods. "Good-by to the sun that shines for me no longer; new sleepy death summons me down to Acheron, that cold shore." . It's vital to the story that she dies, her death is not honored but it is her destiny as a hero.