Running head: ANTIGONES OPTIMISTIC HEROISM

Antigones Optimistic Heroism An Assignment Submitted by Name of Student Name of Establishment Class XXXX, Section XXXX, Fall 2012

ANTIGONES OPTIMISTIC HEROISM Antigones Optimistic Heroism

Being created by Sophocles in 452, his tragedy Antigone inspired a lot of writers, poets, and sculptures to reflect social issues and sing of characters depicted by Sophocles in their works. Antigone, the leading character of the cognominal tragedy, has become a symbol of idealism and optimistic heroism due to her deeds and personal characteristics. The plot and clash of the tragedy are based on the ancient Greek myth of Antigone and Oedipus. Along with the mythological heroine, Antigone accompanies her father in his voluntary exile from Thebes and returns home after his death; she buries her brother Polynices in spite of king Creons interdiction. Heroes and heroines, typical of the Greek tragedy, were semigods or supernatural individuals, such as Heracles, Agamemnon, Penelope, Odyssey, etc. The majority of heroes were powerful and courageous soldiers who fought against monsters and accomplished a wide spectrum of feats. Personal characteristics of heroes corresponded to the Greeks morals and principles. Heroes were the embodiment of goodness, wisdom, intrepidity, firmness, loyalty, honesty, and dedication. In accordance with the Greek philosopher Aristotle, a hero of the tragedy should be better than the ordinary man and evoke approval and compassion of spectators (Fiero, 2011, p. 95). Today, heroism and heroic deeds are generally associated with outstanding actions performed to the benefit of the public. Fiero (2011) states that a major motif and driving force in Antigone is heroic idealism (p. 85). Antigone, the protagonist, is involved in numerous morality-related issues and intrigues of the tragedy. The complete evaluation of Antigones optimistic heroism should take into consideration specific historical peculiarities of ancient Greece, females rights and duties, religious beliefs,

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and the Greeks ideals of divine justice. The Greek polis of Thebes was a special world living under its own laws and rules, with specific customs and rituals, activity conditions, etc., often mysterious and inaccessible to understanding of modern people. Antigones uniqueness and heroism encompass a range of her deeds, uncharacteristic of women of ancient Greece in general and Thebes in particular. Antigone is perceived as a remarkable individual; her deeds do not appear to be a revolt but natural behaviour, consecrated with centuries-old traditions, dedication to her family, and religious beliefs. The integrity of Antigones heroic nature would ruin if fear of death or passion for Haemon could force the heroine to change her decision. Being completely aware of consequences of her actions and possible punishment, she, nevertheless, violates Creons prohibition against the burial of her brother Polynices. Such a fate of the killed opponent has to diminish his posthumous glory. Antigone cannot come to terms with Creons order, When Creon gives honors to one of our brothers, but condemns the other to shame (Fiero, 2011, p. 86). Furthermore, according to the Greeks creeds, while a body of the dead is not inhumed, the soul cannot find a place in Hades, the shadow land, and wanders around the Earth troubling all alive. Driven by familial duty and the wish to fulfil the divine laws requiring burial of the dead, Oedipus daughter Antigone violates Creons decree and buries her brother Polynices (Fiero, 2011, p. 85). Antigone has no doubt as to whether her deeds are correct or legal; after the symbolic burial of her brother she tries again to perform and complete the funeral ceremony. She considers herself to be empowered to break Creons order if it contradicts divine laws. Antigones antagonist, Creon, a governor of Thebes, neglects traditional patrimonial laws, morals, and ethical standards of the Greeks and acts as a fierce autocrat, rebelling against

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the developed traditions and social rituals. Creons power is associated with tyranny unacceptable to the Greeks, his decisions are based on the human opinion opposed to the laws of the nature: alive Antigone is sentenced to death while dead Polynices is not buried. Antigone is very young; she is betrothed, but not married yet. Then, Greek women get married at the age of 14 15. Hence, it is possible to estimate that Antigone is under 15 years old. Sophocles doe not clarify casual features of Antigones character and her subjective propensities; her essential characteristics defining the positive or negative maintenance of her purposes are in the foreground. Although Antigone respects differences between men and womens powers (Wilmer & Zukauskaite, 2010), instead of doing traditional female daily chores, she interferes with affairs which are exclusive mens prerogatives. Probably, Antigones contemporaries could perceive her behaviour as wild, impudent, and unprecedented. However, this young girl is charged to execute the will of gods. Sophocles Antigone violates Aristotles assumptions about what female characters in tragedy should be like (Foley, 2003, p. 109). In conformity with Aristotles views, women should maintain self-control and chastity, fulfil their function in the household, obey their men, and reproduce the species (Foley, 2003, pp. 109 - 110). Antigones sister, Ismene, is shy, obedient, and completely corresponds to the Greeks ideals. Ismenes credo is We must remember we were born women, not meant to strive with men (Fiero, 2011, p. 95). Antigones active heroism, her frankness, inflexible loyalty to the unwritten laws, courage, and determination are opposed to personal characteristics of Ismene. However, Antigones character involves some contradictions; her inflexibility, fanaticism, and irreconcilability approximate those of Creon though they promulgate opposite principles. She speaks to her sister contemptuously, perceiving Ismenes anxiety, hesitance, and

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embarrassment as treachery. Being sentenced to death, she sneers at her sister, as well. Furthermore, Antigones words Who knows how the gods see good and evil? can be assessed as doubt about divine justice. The heroine deliberately chooses a way which leads to her death; her loyalty to familial duties and the ideals of divine justice are superior to Creons restrictions, traditional female roles, and fear of death. Her deeds and even her death are perceived as the victory over Creon. He loses his wife and his son Haemon, a fianc of Antigone. These deaths of Creons dearest people are due to the will of the angered gods. According to the norms of the Greek drama defined by Aristotle in his Poetics, Sophocles tragedy Antigone is balanced and not divided into acts and scenes; its action flows continuously from the beginning to the ending. However, this action does not coincide with real time - it operates under its internal laws in accordance with the plot. As a whole, time and actions in Antigone develop according to the canons of the Greek tragedy in which, as Aristotle marks, the action is dated for twenty-four-hour period. In conformity with standards of Greek tragedy determined by Aristotle, Sophocles Antigone is focused on the actions of powerful and famous (Carter, 2011, p. 175). In conclusion, in the history of humanity there have always been people whose ideas and actions outstrip those of their contemporaries. Antigone is a heroic personality. She has become the embodiment of courage, nobleness, and dedication to familial values and divine laws.

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References Carter, D. M. (2011). Why Athens?: A reappraisal of tragic politics. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Fiero, G. (6th ed.). (2011). The humanistic tradition: Prehistory to the early modern world. New York: McGraw-Hill. Foley, H. P. (2003). Female acts in Greek tragedy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Wilmer, S. E., Zukauskaite, A. (2010). Interrogating Antigone in postmodern philosophy and criticism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.