Antigone

Coralie Casimir
English 10 honors
10-23-08
Mr. George
Essay Antigone
Antigone
In the race for the White House a woman Hilary Clinton was one of the two Democratic nominees for the presidency. Yes, a woman for the highest ranking job in the country, president of the United States. She knew beforehand all the challenges she would be facing, and the major one was being a woman. Hilary Clinton is a lot in like character Antigone from the play Antigone by Sophocles. Antigone a passionate and bold character defies the standards for women in Ancient Greece. She was not submissive and diffident like typical women in Ancient Greece. This all may be good for women in today’s society but barbaric then. Antigone wants to prove her worth to the Thebans; something tough to accomplished in a sexiest and predominately male oriented society. Can Antigone dies has a heroine, who redefined the role of women, challenged authority, and sacrificed for the proper burial of her brother.
Coming from the unlucky and shameful family of Oedipus and Jocasta, Antigone existence was already condemned. With both her parents and two brothers dead, she is only left with her sister Ismene. Before Polyneices’ death he asked his sister Antigone to give him a proper burial and Antigone accepted. Creon, current king of Thebes, states, “that none shall bury him or even mourn,” (199) referring to her brother Polyneices, who died an enemy of the city, without a proper burial. Antigone being outrage by her uncle’s decision felt like it was her duty to go and bury her brother.
Antigone wanting to hold on to her the promise she made to Polyneices, will not rest until she fulfills it. Creon edict was that “Anyone who disobeys will pay no trifling penalty/ but die by stoning” (192). Antigone knows the price to pay by burying Polyneices but still does it. She wants to show the city and everyone that she is a strong woman. She also wants to make a point to the people that she will not sit and watch Creon do whatever he wants with her family. When she invites Ismene to join her, Antigone states “There’s your chance to prove your wroth, /or else a sad degeneracy” (192). Antigone wants to give the gods a chance to judge her bother in the underworld. She does believe that Creon do it for them. The idea of a woman wanting to die for the greater good was odd at that time. Women committed suicide if they were raped, not loved, or many other things, but not as a sacrifice for a dead man’s right.
Antigone was a revolutionary character for the Thebans. A lot of times when Antigone talks, Ismene would always be next to her or talking to her. This was a way to contrast the two women. Ismene a typical woman living in Ancient Greece. In contrast, Antigone, a stubborn young woman, and has a lot of the same traits as her father. Ismene is more prudent, careful, obedient, and does what she is told; for example, she says”remind ourselves we are women/ and as such not made to fight with men” (193). Antigone is more carefree, rash, bold, and persistent. All of Antigone’s characteristics are what makes her strong, but those same things are going to set her up for death; a death she accepted.
From the begging Antigone was planning on disobeying her uncle’s order, but during an altercation between the two, she challenged Creon’s authority. Before Creon was king, he was a man whose judgment was based on what the gods wanted, respect for them. Now that he has power he thinks he is a god himself, and made laws that the gods would not have agreed with, mainly not burying the dead. Creon was furious when Antigone disobeyed him, and when he asks her why she did it one of her answers was “Naturally! Since Zeus never promulgated such a law” (210). This made Creon angry. Also that Antigone talked to him with irreverence. The leader commented, “My word! The daughter is as headstrong as the father.” (211) some of the attitude she gave to Creon, was similar to Oedipus’ attitude. Creon is a man who hates people who disobey him, especially when it is a woman.
Creon’s anger at Antigone showed how he and the society were very sexiest. This was mostly unraveled during his conversation with his son Haemon. Haemon pleaded for Antigone’s case, asking his father not to kill her: Creon said this “Let us then defend authority/ and not be ousted by a girl” (221). Creon thought it would have been a disgrace for him to let a woman tell him what to do. He would not let a woman like Antigone disrespect him and let it go unpunished. He was getting irritated with his son for supporting Antigone: “You woman’s slave! Don’t come toadying at me!”(225) he said to Haemon. Haemon also accused him of the same crime as Antigone, “what rule-when you trample on the rule of heaven” (224). Creon responds by saying “Insolent pup! A women lackey” (224). He is basically saying that his son is corrupted by a woman. This was really maddening to Creon. In the end he condemned Antigone to death not by stoning but locked up in the dark to suffer a slow death. Creon condemning Antigone to death was also a death sentence for two members of his family.
Antigone did not wait for slow death like Creon planned instead she took her life by hanging herself. Antigone was not going to let Creon take her life so she did it herself to have a source of pride. Due to her death Heamon took his life also. Like Haemon said to his father he will die by her side. “Corpse wrapped in love with corpse he lies/ marry not in life but Hades” (246). From hearing what had become of her son Haemon, Eurydice took her life also. This was all done to simply keep a promise. A dishonorable deed on the part of Antigone but taught all a lesson, especially Creon left with nothing.
Not everyone would sacrifice ones life just to keep a simple promise. Why would Antigone act this way? It was the right thing to do to restore honor of her brother who died an enemy of the city. By doing something Antigone thought was right, and she stood out. Antigone may not have died a heroine to the city of Thebes, but definitely to her family. Living by Antigone model “I’ll fail, but not give up before” (195); Hilary Clinton decided that she would not give up until it was finally over. Hilary is known to be one of the most respected and powerful woman in the United States. Even though she failed, Hilary is greatly by revered many men and women in the world.