Antigone (mythology)

Antigone is a character from Greek mythology made famous by philosopher and playwright Sophocles in his tragic play Antigone. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, the doomed king of Thebes, who gouged out his eyes upon learning that he had unknowingly married and fathered children with his own mother, Jocasta. In the established account of her life, Antigone defies the will of Thebes's new king, Creon, by trying to bury her disgraced brother Polynices, an action punishable by death. Both Antigone and Creon allow their pride to rule them, which leads to disastrous results. Antigone has been the subject of numerous plays and operas. Her story has also been adapted into modern media such as films and television.

Antigone in Greek Mythology

The name Antigone does not appear in the record of Greek mythology until the fifth century B.C.E. Greek philosopher Pherecydes was the first to mention her as one of the children of Oedipus and Jocasta. Greek playwright Aeschylus then includes her in the final act of his play Seven against Thebes, completed in 467 B.C.E. This play sets up the tragic story line of Antigone's defiance against authority. Sophocles later makes Creon the ruling body against whom Antigone revolts.

Sophocles's Antigone remains the most commonly referenced version of the mythical history of Antigone. Daughter of Oedipus, the disgraced former king of Thebes, Antigone is condemned to death by the new king Creon after attempting to bury her brother and give him funeral rights. Pride plays a critical role throughout the play, as the characters refuse to yield to reason in the name of tradition. In the story, Creon's pride and stubbornness lead not only to Antigone's death but also to the deaths of his son, Haemon, and his wife, Eurydice.

Similar versions of events can be found in several other Greek works with varying details. The records of Latin author Gaius Julius Hyginus end with Antigone's rescue by Haemon, who hides her from Creon. Antigone later gives birth to Haemon's son. Tragedy does not evade the characters in this version, however. Creon learns of the boy's existence many years later and condemns him to death. Creon's pride once again leads to the tragic deaths of several characters. Antigone does not always meet a tragic end, though. The remaining fragments of Euripides's play Antigone suggest that Haemon and Antigone live happily ever after with the help of the god Dionysus.

Sophocles's Antigone

Sophocles's play Antigone begins with the title character sneaking out to bestow burial rights on her disgraced brother, Polynices. Polynices and his brother, Eteocles, had agreed to share the throne of Thebes, alternating years as ruler. Eteocles broke his vow after the first year, however. As a result, Polynices attacked Eteocles, and the two brothers killed each other in battle. Creon, next in line for the throne, honors Eteocles with a proper burial but leaves the body of Polynices, murderer of a king, to rot.

Antigone cannot bear the thought of her brother's body being left in the dirt. She urges her sister, Ismene, to join her as she sets out to give Polynices his funeral rights, but Ismene refuses for fear of death. Antigone persists with her plan but is caught by a sentry and brought to King Creon. Creon suspects that Ismene is involved as well and condemns both sisters to death. Creon's son, Haemon, who is Antigone's fiancé, tries to dissuade Creon from his decision, but the stubborn Creon curses his son. Creon eventually frees Ismene but sentences Antigone to die by sealing her in a tomb alive.

Despite advice from the blind prophet Tiresias, Creon still refuses to bury Polynices. Tiresias foresees great tragedy in store for the willful Creon if he does not follow his advice. Creon eventually relents, fearing this prophecy. He goes to free Antigone, but he is too late. He finds Haemon, who has already opened the tomb, crying over the dead body of Antigone, who hung herself. Haemon angrily swipes his sword at his father before turning the blade on himself and dying next to Antigone's body. Creon weeps for his dead son, knowing full well that his own pride is what killed the boy. Creon soon learns that his wife, Eurydice, also stabbed herself after learning about Haemon's death. She cursed her husband at her death, blaming him for their misery. Creon prays for his own death before being led back to the palace by his guards.

The Legacy of Antigone

Sophocles wrote Antigone around 440 B.C.E. Though written first, the play was the last of his Theban plays, ending a trilogy that began with Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. Scholars believe the play was written as a commentary on the problems of the Greek city-state, or polis. In the text, Creon delivers a speech outlining the ideal properties of a truly loyal citizen. The speech resurfaced on several occasions in the centuries following Sophocles's death. Aristotle references the play many times in his treatise Politics. The character of Antigone was later used as a symbol of the French resistance against the German Nazis in Jean Anouilh's classic 1944 stage adaptation. A vast array of adaptations of Antigone have found their way onto the stage over the years in the form of plays and operas, and eventually the play was adapted for film and television. The character of Antigone remains one of the most recognizable heroines in Greek mythology.

Bibliography

Daly, Kathleen N., and Marian Rengel. Greek and Roman Mythology, A to Z. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. 12–13. Print.

Hard, Robin. The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. New York: Psychology Press, 2004. 322–325. Print.

Knox, Bernard. "Introduction to Antigone." The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus. New York: Penguin, 2000. 33–55. Print.

Mcmanus, Barbara F. "Antigone." The College of New Rochelle. The College of New Rochelle. Nov. 1999. Web. 9 June 2015. http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/antigonebg.html