Monday, March 28, 2016
Blog #4 3/28/16
Antigone follows the story of an adamant and strong-willed daughter of a God who ends up in a “sleepy death” because of her unwillingness to defy her beliefs (664). Each character is questioned with guilt relating to the demises of the other characters throughout the play. Ultimately, the audience is left with the inquiry of whether Antigone is a martyr – an innocent victim – or whether she shares responsibility for her own death. Antigone seems to make a choice of her own in giving up her “women-born” life (marriage, children, etc.) to protect her brother’s funeral rites – something truly infuriating to men at the time (678). Her reasoning, simply put, is the unimportance of what man conceives as right and wrong for himself, and the triviality of laws written in stone. Men see “strength [that] lives in established law,” rather than the more important idea of following divine truth – the true rights and wrongs – to ensure the compact of man living with the will of the gods (701-2). As a result, there is no set law, only a guide of what should be done under a given circumstance. Although Antigone realizes her punishment for her supposed transgression, and regrets such a cruel fate, she cannot take back what she has done because it is the only thing possible as a child of the gods. Antigone is credited as a martyr for her undying adherence to follow the path of her own judgement. Her rebellion against the strict laws of Creon are forgotten because of her loyalty to the Gods.
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I believe Antigone is a martyr. Although she broke Creon's law, burying Polynices has no bad effects to the citizens of Thebes. Antigone believes more in loyalty, then abiding to laws. I agree that "her rebellion against the strict laws of Creon are forgotten because of her loyalty to the Gods." The citizens don't think she deserves the punishment, but Creon doesn't like his authority to be questioned so he follows through with Antigone's consequence. Antigone was an innocent victim and what she did was for family and kinship.
ReplyDeleteI do feel that Antigone may have had hubris but it was for good reason. Her unwavering loyalty to the gods was apparent and honoring the dead is something the Greeks hold very sacred. She may have been stubborn and strong willed but her allegiance to the gods was never questioned. Her only questionable action was denying the help from her own sister.
ReplyDeleteIf you believe that Antigone is correct in following god over government, then seeing her as a martyr is justifiable. Conversely, if today, someone defied the government on religious ground, they would be seen as more radical. The progression of religion over government (and vice versa) is interesting. Today's society values government more than divine intervention. If Antigone were a person in society today, would she been seen as a radical? A firm religious believer? There is no way to tell completely. Yet, in the eyes of the ancient greeks, Antigone followed the (rightful) path of the gods in burying her brother.
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