Antigone Was a Coward - Essay Example

Antigone was a coward. Some people think that Antigone is a heroine because she stands up for her dead brother and then has the courage to take her own life rather than suffer the consequences of a whole situation that she does not agree with. They cite as evidence for this view the fact that the play is named after her, and not after the other main characters such as Creon, who is the king and the one in a position of power. A close analysis of the play reveals, however, that in fact Antigone is a coward, because she cannot face up to the contradictions in her own position, and she simply gives up rather than fighting for what she believes in. One important reason why this view explains Antigone’s character is the general philosophy of fate that governs the whole story. The role of the Chorus is to explain what is going on, and they often mention how people are guided by fate, as for example in the words “There’s no release for mortal human beings./ not from events which destiny has set (Antigone, lines 1337-1338). From this perspective Polyneices has to die, and Creon has to enforce the law, because it is their destiny to do so. They do not have any choice in the matter. Antigone’s destiny is to be a woman and stand by with no power, watching this happening, and mourning her brother and the shame of his non-buried state. If she had truly been heroic, then she would have faced up to the consequences of her actions in defying Creaon. As it is, however, she gives in to self-pity rather than enduring the imprisonment in the cave. There is more evidence of Antigone’s cowardice in her concern for her own long term reputation and future destiny after death. She makes a big thing of the noble reputation that she and her sister Ismene have gained from their famous father, Oedipus. Antigone tries to persuade Ismene to share the blame with her, and she does this by trying to blackmail her with reference to their ancestors: “Antigone: Now you know, and you’ll quickly demonstrate whether you are nobly born, or else a girl unworthy of her splendid ancestors” (Antigone, lines 45-47). Antigone is not concerned so much about her brother, but she really is concerned about her own reputation. She fears being criticized by other people and the whole point about burying Polyneices is to make sure that she avoids any scandal coming back to affect her. She feels personally slighted by the sight of his body and makes this clear when she says “I’ll hate you if you’re going to talk that way. And you’ll rightly earn the loathing of the dead. I won’t suffer anything as bad as a disgraceful death” (Antigone, lines 114-119). Ismene is more reasonable, and she points out that this crazy act of trying to bury the body will not affect the way that Antigone is seen by others. Ismene reminds Antigone that “even though your mission makes no sense, your friends do truly love you” (Antigone, lines 121-122). People are much more sympathetic than Antigone thinks they are, and her arrogance is what makes her carry on with this futile gesture, rather than any heroic requirement to fulfil a religious duty. Antigone appears to be brave when she plans to go and bury the body, but in fact she is very afraid of bad consequences in the afterlife. Her religious beliefs mean that she has been taught to place eternal salvation as the greatest goal in life, and proper burial is a part of that. She is afraid that she will suffer the displeasure of the gods if she fails to carry out their commands regarding her brother. This means that if the story is regarded from the perspective of the afterlife, it means she is really acting out of her own self-interest. One of the most significant moments in the play is when Antigone rejects her sister’s attempt to share the blame. Even though she spent some time trying to persuade Ismene that it was her duty to defy Creaon, as mentioned above, she then mocks Ismene and even accuses her of trying to get the credit for burying the body without actually doing the work! Ismene is generous and kind, and she wants to share the suffering of her sister out of loyalty, but Antigone cruelly responds with the words “I don’t love a friend whose love is only words” (Antigone, line 620). This is deeply insulting, because it does not acknowledge the sister relationship, and it rejects the offer of support. Ismene shows a very normal reaction of being upset about this turn of events, and asks Antigone why she is hurting her sister like this. Antigone’s answer “Ask Creon. He’s the one you care about” (Antigone, line 628) shows that Antigone is consumed with rage and jealousy. She hates Creon with a vengeance, and from this point of the play onwards, she attacks him at every turn. One of the explanations that is given for Antigone’s emotional outbursts, and her cowardly retreat into religious certainties, is given by the Chorus, who point out that she is immature and does not know how to control her own feelings: “It’s clear enough the spirit in this girl is passionate- her father was the same. She has no sense of compromise in times of trouble” (Antigone, lines 534-537). The death of Antigone causes a chain reaction of other deaths. Instead of living on and trying to negotiate some kind of solution to the difficult situation that has arisen, Antigone rushes to prove herself right. She kills herself, and causes the death of others, so that nobody can argue back against her. This is the ultimate act of betrayal, because it adds even more shame and disaster to her family’s name. Everyone condemns what happens, and she will always be remembered as the one who prioritised futile gestures over facing up to the challenge of finding a workable solution. The really heroic act would have been to bear the shame and submit to the authority of Creon, but Antigone could not face this challenge. That is why she is ultimately a cowardly person. (1046 words) References Sophocles (442 BC) English version available online, translated by Ian Johnston (2005). Web. 17th August 2011 at: http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/sophocles/antigone.htm Read More