Antigone

The beginning of Sophocles’ “Antigone,” opens with the scene of Antigone and her sister, Ismene, discussing and debating about the death and burial of their brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices. Previous to this occurrence, Eteocles and Polyneices battled for the throne of Thebes, which resulted in both their deaths. Because he defended Thebes, Eteocles was given a proper burial, which is a crucial ritual in Greece in order to pass peacefully into the realm of the after life. Polyneices, on the other hand, attempted to invade Thebes, and was left to rot and die without a proper ceremony as was ordered by Creon, uncle to Antigone and her siblings and the new king of Thebes.
Against Creon’s wishes, Antigone decides to honor her brother Eteocles by giving him a proper burial and argues with her sister that Creon’s proclamation could not prevent Antigone from justly burying their brother. She states “At least he is my brother-and yours, too, though you deny him. I will not prove false to him…It is not for [Creon] to keep me from my own” (lines 50-51). Antigone’s idea of defiance suggests that she is a very family-oriented girl. The fact that Antigone is willing to disobey the law for her brother’s burial takes a lot of courage, dedication, and selfless love to her family. Usually, one would jus sit around like Ismene and let things be, but because Antigone decides to take action proves that she feels very strongly about the matter of her brother being left to rot. Ismene reminds Antigone of their family misfortunes and the fatal consequence that would take place if anyone were found burying Eteocles. Antigone responds by stating “It will be good to die, so doing. I shall lie by his side, loving him as he loved me; I shall be a criminal- but a religious one. The time in which I must please those that are dead is longer than I must please those of this world. For I shall lie forever. You, if you like, can cast dishonor on what the gods have honored” (lines82-89). The fact that Antigone anticipates on dying implies that she has nothing else to live for and would rather die to honor her family than to live while they are shamed. In fact, it almost seems like she is looking forward to dying so that she can reunite with her family for all eternity where they can all live peacefully in the underworld.