Antigone

We have all, most likely, had a time when we have disregarded some rule or regulation. This may or may not have resulted in a consequence. Thank goodness none of us live in a Greek tragedy, where it is custom that every wrong doer sees the hand of justice. The play “Antigone”, written by Sophocles in 441 B.C., fits the description of a Greek tragedy in that it contains characters of noble blood that also possess a “fatal flaw”, or “tragic flaw” that ultimately leads to their downfall. In this particular play, the tragic flaw/flaws are pride, and stubbornness.

Antigone was the niece of Creon, and sister to Eteocles and Polynices. She was determined to bury her brother, Polynices, although it had been forbidden by Creon who proclaimed Polynices a traitor. Although one might see her act of burying her brother so that he may be taken by the gods a generous deed, one may question if her motives were entirely selfless. “I’ll bury him myself. And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory” (Sophocles 1278). One might wonder if Antigone simply wanted to do some glorious deed simply to satisfy her own pride. This is an appropriate question because, in the text, we notice that she was not as inconspicuous about her intentions as she could have been. The Sentry that brought her in explained the story to Creon, “…the hours dragged by until the sun stood dead above our heads…there we saw the girl...she burst into a long shattering wail…and she scoops up dry dust…soon as we saw we rushed her…” (Sophocles 1287-88). Not only was she out in broad daylight, but she was not quiet either.

Antigone, however, is not the only character in the play that displays these flaws; her uncle, Creon, does as well. We see a display of pride and stubbornness from Creon when he resolves that she must die because “…she overrode the edicts we made public. But once she’d done it – the insolence twice over – to glory in it, laughing, mocking us to our face with what she’d done” (Sophocles 1289). His pride causes him to move to make an example out of her, so that no one would think they could challenge his authority and get away with it, even though his orders to not bury Polynices defiled the gods. His pride told him that his will was above the gods, and his stubbornness led to tragedy.

Antigone was walled up, and left to die in this tomb. Her fiancé, Creon’s son found her dead, and took his own life. When Creon found this out he cried, “Ohhh, so senseless, so insane…my crimes, my stubborn, deadly – look at us, the killer, the killed, father and son, the same blood – the misery!” (Sophocles 1311-12). Not only did his son die, but upon hearing of her son’s death, Creon’s wife took her own life as well. Creon then admitted, “And the guilt is all mine…I killed you, I, god help me, I admit it all!” (Sophocles 1313).

The pride and stubbornness (the tragic flaws) of these characters led to their ultimate demise. The chorus echoes this in the closing lines of the play: “The mighty words of the proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate, and at long last those blows will teach us wisdom” (Sophocles 1314).