Antigone LRJ #2

       There are many strong images presented in "Antigone." One such image is in the death of Haimon where the story says, "And as he died he gathered Antigone close in his arms again, choking, his blood bright red on her white cheek" (Fitts 72-74). This is a very strong image in that it shows how deeply Haimon must have loved Antigone. You can tell he always wanted to be with her, in life and in death, so when she died he felt his life was not worth living and wanted to end it with her beside him. The text also contains many images of Polyneices' body, beginning after Antigone's attempt to bury it. The guard tells Creon they have found, "The body, just mounded over with light dust: you see? Not buried really, but as if they'd covered it." (Fitts 113-114). This is important because it is such a defiant act and goes against everything Creon has said. Another image of Polyneices' body appears when the guard says, "I went with Creon to the outer plain where Polyneices was lying, no friend to pity him, his body shredded by dogs" (Fitts 37-38). The repetition of images of Polyneices' body show how important it was and how it was influential on all the events that follow.

       Another influential factor in the story is Creon. His fatal flaws are that he is stubborn and conceited.  This is evident in many situations such as when he says, "Do you want me to show myself weak before the people? Or to break my sworn word? No and I will not" (Fitts 26-27), and again when he states that, "The State is the King!" (Fitts 107). These quotes show that Creon is never able to admit when he is wrong and always thinks his opinions are right. This is what leads to such tragic consequences.

       Creon experiences anagnorisis following the death of his son, Haimon. He says, "Haimon my son, so young, so young to die, I was the fool, not you: and you died for me" (Fitts 91-92). This shows that Creon finally realized how foolhardy his decisions had been, but even with this realization he was too late. 

       While this realization occured, Creon had found out, "Haemon has been killed. No stranger shed his blood" (Johnston 1308), and immediately following that, "Your wife is dead--blood mother of that corpse--slaughtered with a sword" (Johnston 1427-1428). These show that peripeteia had been occuring simultaneously because Creon's anagnorisis had happened too late.

       After all the drama that has taken place, catharsis finally happens at the end of the story when Creon completely gives up on everything, including his own life. He says, "Get me away from here, for now what I am in life is nothing" (Johnston 1468-1469), and later, "Oh, let it come, so that I never see another dawn" (Johnston 1331-1332). This causes the audience to become emotionally detached from Creon and no longer feel pity or other feelings for him.

       In "Antigone" women are characterized as brave and loyal, Antigone being the most obvious example of this. She says, "For me meeting this fate won't bring any pain. But if I'd allowed my own mother's dead son to just lie there, an unburied corpse, then I'd feel distress" (Johnston 526-529). This is proving she is loyal because she is standing up for her dead brother. She is brave by doing this even though the law forbids it, and not being afraid of the punishment, namely death. Ismene is another example of bravery and loyalty. She says, "I did it--I admit it, and she'll back me up. So I bear the guilt as well" (Johnston 614-615). Even though these are not her original feelings it shows how she came to the realization that she needed to stand up for Polyneices. This is an example of bravery because she is willing to share Antigone's punishment, and better to show her loyalty to her brother late than never.

Works Cited

Sophocles. "Antigone." Johnstonia. Trans. Ian Johnson. May 2005. 24 November 2008 <http://records.viu.ca/%7Ejohnstoi/Sophocles/Antigone.htm>.

---. "Antigone." Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: World Literature. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001. 814-826.