Introduction
Sophocles’ Antigone is one of the most famous plays in the world. This tragedy is a part of the three Theban plays that also include Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. The drama under consideration focuses on the conflict between Antigone and Creon. This argument appears since the latter bans the burial of Polyneices, one of Antigone’s brothers. Creon believes that Polyneices is a traitor, but Antigone refuses to follow the king’s decree and buries her brother. The conflict tragically ends because Antigone kills herself while Creon is left alone in sorrow and distress. Thus, the two characters have opposite points of view concerning the same issue. That is why it is reasonable to consider their rhetoric to see how they try to express their points of view to others. This analysis reveals that the rhetoric of the two is similar because they represent categorical ideas, while the use of emotions stands for the most significant difference.
Creon’s Rhetoric
To begin with, one should state that Creon’s language is full of pathos. This rhetoric device stipulates that a speaker tries to persuade the audience by appealing to their emotions. This strategy is useful when it comes to public speeches because addressing emotions catch people’s attention immediately. To succeed in this task, Creon uses lofty rhetoric to show that he is ready to do his best to improve his land’s well-being. An example of this fact is found in Creon’s opening speech to his subjects:
For I believe that who controls the state
and does not hold to the best plans of all,
but locks his tongue up through some kind of fear,
that he is worst of all who are or were.
And he who counts another greater friend
than his own fatherland, I put him nowhere (Sophocles 7.12-17).
In his speech, Creon tries to evoke the feeling of patriotism among his subjects. In addition to that, van den Berge explains that the character uses these words to prove that he is an advocate of law and civilized order (210). Creon chooses this strategy to gain support from ordinary people. At the same time, Creon’s rhetoric seems categorical, and the character does not admit the possibility that he can be wrong. That is why his one-sided interpretation of the common good results in the miscalculations of judgment (Atkison 220). Consequently, it is possible to mention that Creon is a hostage of his own rhetoric since it does not allow him to consider or accept any alternative points of view. Irrespective of that, the character manages to express his thoughts clearly and understandably. Antigone proves it after the guard catches her, and she states that Creon’s “word was plain” (Sophocles 15.30).
In addition to that, Creon uses ethos to influence his subjects. It refers to his statement that he is a new king, making people follow his orders (Sophocles 7.6-7). However, this rhetorical device implies some adverse outcomes for the character. It relates to the situation that the character needs to gain public support because he has just come to power, and rhetoric is a useful way to cope with the task. In the speech to his subjects, Creon tries to make people believe that he is equal to them. It is not true since Creon is the king, while the others are his subjects, which demonstrates fundamental social differences between Creon and ordinary people. However, the attempt to create such a feeling is found in his phrase that Polyneices “tried to gorge on blood he shared, and lead the rest of us as slaves” (Sophocles 7.35-56). This generalized comparison is sufficient to make people think that Creon is on the same level as they are. Thus, it is possible to mention that the character manages to achieve his goals with the help of the language used.
Antigone’s Rhetoric
When it comes to rhetorical analysis, Antigone is Creon’s opposition. At the beginning of the play, she “expresses her extreme and unreflected loyalty to her family” (van den Berge 216). Her words stipulate that she is not going to follow Creon’s prohibition to leave Polyneices unburied. She states that she “never shall be found to be his traitor” (Sophocles 3.15). In the conversation with Ismene, her sister, Antigone expresses her aggressive and decisive attitude while Ismene fails to make her change her mind. The information above demonstrates that Antigone’s rhetoric is a result of her robust beliefs because nothing can force her to abandon an idea to violate Creon’s decree and bury her brother. The protagonist proves it by mentioning that for her, death is better than inactivity.
Furthermore, Di Rose explains that Antigone’s language is demotic and powerful (29). It is so because her speech reflects her inner state, and that is why it relies on emotions. That is why she uses simple vocabulary that does not include lofty words. However, it does not mean that her words are senseless or improper. Even though some of her claims include repetition, this fact does not contribute to redundancy. For example, significant meaning can be found in her appeal to Creon, where she states: “And if you think my acts are foolishness / the foolishness may be in a fool’s eye” (Sophocles 16.14-15). According to this utterance, Antigone emphasizes that it is reasonable to consider alternative points of view before making a judgment.
Simultaneously, the character does not try to impose particular feelings on her partners in conversation. Instead of that, Antigone reflects her own emotions, which allows her to sound more convincing. The dialogue between Creon and Antigone offers an example of the claim above. When the protagonist is caught, Creon tries to understand why she has violated his order. While answering his questions, Antigone does not try to change his mind or express any regret. Her words demonstrate that she understood that her actions would violate the law, but this fact did not prevent her from burying Polyneices (Sophocles 15.19).
In addition to that, Antigone often asks rhetorical questions that are used to demonstrate that she does not agree with Creon’s point of view and support her argument. For example, she uses these rhetorical devices to show that violating the law was the only option for her even though that action will result in her death (Sophocles 16.5). In her speech, Antigone admits her fierce loyalty to Zeus and disregard for orders that are issued by people (Sophocles 15.36). Thus, Antigone’s rhetoric demonstrates that she is ready to oppose any laws that are made by human beings if these orders violate her own beliefs.
Comparing and Contrasting the Characters
The information above has demonstrated that Antigone and Creon have shared characteristic features when it comes to their use of rhetoric. On the one hand, it refers to the fact that the two utilize categorical rhetoric approaches, meaning that they do not consider alternative points of view. Even though Antigone understands the importance of this action and blames Creon for failing to do it, her actions do not show that she tries to doubt her own beliefs. On the other hand, the characters are similar because they express their thoughts in a clear and concise way. However, this strategy allows Creon to gain public support, while Antigone fails to persuade her sister with the help of words.
At the same time, it is reasonable to comment on the differences between Creon and Antigone’s rhetoric use. Firstly, they vary according to the attention that they draw to emotions. Creon organizes his rhetoric in a way to make his subjects develop particular feelings or emotions. For example, he tries to evoke patriotism and the impression that he is equal to ordinary people. Even though he uses ethos and emphasizes his governing position in society, Creon insists on his equality with his subjects. In turn, Antigone’s rhetoric significantly relies on emotions, and she continuously expresses them. It relates to the fact that this protagonist keeps appealing to gods and states that she is not scared by death. It is so because Antigone is distressed by the fact that her brother is not allowed to be buried. Consequently, her actions and words are entirely controlled by negative emotions. One can suppose that some gender peculiarities also contributed to the differences in using emotions in the rhetoric of the two characters.
Secondly, Creon and Antigone utilize various grammatical structures because of the different roles that emotions play in their speech. That is why Antigone, who is under control of her feelings, repeatedly uses rhetorical questions. Furthermore, one can suppose that she uses these grammatical structures because she understands that her partners in conversation will not share her point of view. At the same time, Creon’s speech seems more organized and prepared. If he asks a question, he expects to hear an answer. In other words, the character uses rhetoric to persuade others.
The final difference refers to the characters’ choice of vocabulary to express their thoughts. As has been described, Creon’s language is lofty, while Antigone uses demotic and straightforward words. Their different positions in society can explain the variation under analysis. However, this fact does not imply any peculiarities when it comes to an understanding of the characters’ words and thoughts. It has already been mentioned that both Antigone and Creon manage to pose their ideas clearly and concisely.
Concluding Thoughts
Antigone is Sophocles’ famous play that focuses on a conflict between Creon and Antigone. The two characters have opposite points of view concerning whether it is necessary to bury Polyneices. These discrepancies manifest themselves in the characters’ actions and rhetoric. Thus, Antigone and Creon’s use of rhetoric is similar in that the characters do not admit that their opinions can be false. At the same time, the characters differ because they draw various attention to the use of emotions. It relates to the fact that Antigone’s speech is more emotional, while Creon invests more efforts in influencing the emotions of his subjects.
Works Cited
Atkison, Larissa M. “Antigone’s Remainders: Choral Ruminations and Political Judgment.” Political Theory, vol. 44, no. 2, 2016, pp. 219-239.
Di Rosa, Rosella. “Portrait of Antigone as Idiot Savant: Elsa Morante’s La Serata a Colono.” The Italianist, vol. 38, no. 1, 2018, pp. 27-47.
Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by Elizabeth Wyckoff. Web.
Van den Berge, Lukas. “Sophocles’ Antigone and the Promise of Ethical Life: Tragic Ambiguity and the Pathologies of Reason.” Law and Humanities, vol. 11, no. 2, 2017, pp. 205-227.