Just Do What's Right (Antigone by Sophocles)

Sophocles riddles this play with moral dilemmas. Not just Antigone, but nearly every major character is faced with a tough decision somewhere in the play. Each character supplies a rationalization for their heart-tearing choice, usually in the form of a justification to another character with an opposing viewpoint.

The audience can feel the anguish and internal turmoil of Ismene when she must either forsake her brother’s burial ritual or disobey the law. She loves her brother and wishes the best for him in the afterlife, but she finds herself unable to help Antigone since she deems herself “helpless” before authority. She explains to Antigone that her own punishment, which would be death, is not the right method with which to demonstrate her love for Polyneices. If Ismene saved her brother’s body and appeased the gods but died in the process, would that make her deceased brother rest in peace? Would Polyneices want his sister to give her life in order for him to rest in peace, or would he rather have her live her own life in happiness? There is no definitive answer to this dilemma, as shown by Antigone and Ismene during their exchange in the Prolouge.

Scene III begins with Haiman displaying his utter and complete obedience to his father. Haimon repeatedly states how much he values Creon’s judgments and explains how “no marriage means more to [him] than [his father’s] continuing wisdom.” At the start of the scene, Haimon is willingly able to surrender his love for Antigone in return for his father’s approval. By the end of the scene, nothing could be farther from the truth. Following their argument, Haimon curses and defies his father, “you will never see my face again.”

So what happened? What brought about Haimon’s attitude reversal so quickly? In his monologue, Haimon respectfully pleas that Creon realize his opinion is not alone in the right. In a subordinate fashion, Haimon tells the King to not be unchangeable or unyielding to overwhelming reason. Haimon explains that it is a folly to not “learn from those who can teach.” Here Sophocles places an emphasis on keeping a level head; he preaches the understanding that even the wisest still can gain wisdom from others.

Creon’s immediate disregard to the advice of Haimon and the Choragos disturbs the son. By saying that as King he alone is the voice of the city and that Haimon, along his logic, have undeniably been corrupted by Antigone, Creon demonstrates his uncompromising obstinacy. It is at this juncture that Haimon decides to diProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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ance himself from his father. He stands behind what he believes to be justice, although by doing so he dissents from his father’s idea of justice. Taking this step away from total subordination to his father is a major event in Haimon’s life. Sophocles uses the dramatic tension of this situation to show how reason and logic can sometimes be even more powerful than love or family bonds, both of which the Ancient Greeks happened to value very highly.

Sophocles uses these morally and logically trying situations to comment on many things: government, sexism, religion, etc. Above all, Sophocles recognizes that there are many logical sides and valid arguments to every dilemma. No single man is always alone in the realm of reason and logic, not even Sophocles.