She breaks the law. She ensures that she is caught. She dies for something she believes in. But after all of this, the reader can't help but wonder why. After
reading Sophocles's play Antigone, I could not pinpoint the motives of the protagonist. Whether we choose to admit it or not, we always have a disguised motive when we make a seemingly noble decision. Though this motive may even be subconscious, we cannot deny that it exists. After all, is it possible to do something truly altruistic without expecting something in return? In Sophocles's play, Antigone is faced with a moral dilemma. She must decide whether it is just to place herself above the law when it is for an ethical purpose--the burial of her deceased brother. The reader is left to choose whether breaking the law in order to stand firm to one's beliefs is moral; and furthermore, whether it is worth the ultimate punishment of death.
In my blog this week, I am not going to attempt to explain to you what Sophocles meant (because quite honestly, I am not sure myself). Rather, I would like to give the reader different ways to interpret the character of Antigone.
Interpretation # 1: The altruist.
Antigone puts her life on the line for the sake of her brother. Though he has been labelled a traitor, Polyneices, "fought as bravely and died as miserably"
(15) as her other brother, Eteocles. Therefore, he deserves a proper burial in his honor. If the reader chooses to view Antigone as the altruist, her death is solely the result of her attempt to redeem her brother. When Antigone states that she will, "lie down with him in death" (56), she is willing to do so just to right the injustice she believes was bestowed upon him.
Interpretation # 2: The rebel.
Antigone is argumentative for the sake of conflict. She has some reason to do so (she believes her brother should be treated properly), but she does not believe very strongly in that notion. Rather, her purpose is to cause chaos and to anger the king, Creon. In this view, Antigone is behaving childishly. Her purpose is to create commotion and ensure that all eyes are on her. For that very reason, when her sister Ismene tries to join her cause, she scolds her, "You shall not lessen my death by sharing it" (139).
Interpretation # 3: The masochist.
We talked about this in class. Though the masochist and the rebel overlap, the masochist has more of a purpose. Though Antigone does all in her power to ensure she is killed, she does so with another intention: revenge. Though it means giving up her life, she wants to ensure that once she is gone, her legacy lives on. That legacy will be in the form of disaster. Because she firmly believes that Creon is wrong, she knows that her death will cause a chain reaction. When she says, "But if the guilt Lies upon Creon who judged me, then, I pray, May his punishment equal my own" (68), she is certain that her death will cause equal harm to Creon as it will to herself.
No matter which way the reader chooses to interpret the play, it is undeniable that Sophocles created a complex character. The play is full of double meanings, multiple interpretations, and hidden commentary from Sophocles himself. Though it may not be easy to decide which way to view the play, Sophocles does a good job keeping the reader hooked
(601).
Sorry this post is late--I was in Atlanta all weekend!
8 comments:
Manasi my lad,
Your blog is like our past relationship: truly beautiful. I liked the different interpretations you explained. It was like seeing all the various forms of a tree, from the eloquent summer leaves to the chilled winter frost. I personally agree with your first interpretation about the altruist, but I can understand the other ones you exlplained as well. I am excited to paint violet mountains in your presence tomorrow.
Ravenclaw
Manasi,
I liked how you gave us bloggers a couple of possible interpretations of the character of Antigone. Like you mentioned earlier in your blog, it is debatable whether one should go against the law for ethical purposes. I wholeheartedly agree. Nice job, Manasi!
Hutch
Manasi,
You have great interpretive skills. And that's not me flirting...I mean it. I think the way to dissected Antigone's motives was really original and I commend you for that.
Love
Chelsss
I don't really agree with anything you said as I believe her reason for rebelling, was for love and to show Creon that his way of ruling was unjust. She did not want to die (who does), she did not want to cause chaos in a city that was once her own family's kingdom, whicht is already in turmoil, and I don' think she wanted to redeem her brother just couldn't let him be disrespected and cursed in the way Creon intended. Other than that your analysis is great.
Eric
Manasi,
I loved your approach to this entry. It echoed Mr. Coons and I thought it was well done.
I believe that Antigone acted on pride, just as Creon and Oedipus did in the Theban plays. She is a selfish martyr and doesn't want her sister to steak a claim in her bold action. I agree that no act is truly altruistic. She had a sense of pride and moral righteousness in her act.
I also love your writing style. It's simple but effective :)
I very much agree with your statement that nobody does anything solely because it is the noble thing to do. People are people. Gods are gods. And Jesus could beat up them all. No wonder the Greeks are so screwed up. Their gods belong on Jerry Springer.
As for your interpretations, you could write the most entertaining encyclopedia ever.
HD--I think that one way to think about the quality of a blog is to look at the quality and variety of comments and reactions it creates in readers. Your entry this week certainly received a great deal of thoughtful commentary.
My only addition is to interp #2: the rebel, I think, often wants more than conflict; she wants conflict for the sake of a principle. If the principle is important enough to justify the conflict, then it's important enough to justify the rebel's position. Causing chaos and angering the king was only a small part of the reason why the cousins Adams, and their colleagues Jefferson, Henry, and Franklin took their rebel stand in the 1770's.
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