Introduction
There are numerous themes that are covered in the outstanding work by Sophocles. The issues that the prominent playwright raises in the play became essential topics for discussion in countless literary works centuries later. Certain virtues described in Antigone contradict each other and make it difficult to realize the initial motivation behind the characters’ actions. Therefore, it is crucial to discover all the factors that underpin the themes emphasized in Antigone by Sophocles.
Natural Law and Civil Law
One of the main themes in the play is the contradiction between various types of law: natural law and newly enforced civil law. Given the importance of burying dead warriors after a major battle in all Ancient Greek city-states, Antigone chooses to follow natural law that is rooted in religion and traditions. Moreover, Antigone connects with the dead obliterating all other desires to prevent her mission from being jeopardized by the ‘call of life’ (Karakantza, 21). Sophocles claims that people “have only a little time to please the living, but all eternity to love the dead”. Therefore, it is vivid that civil law may not be respected by a wide range of citizens if it directly contradicts long-standing traditions that are generally considered to be the cornerstone of society.
Ancient Greece has always been considered a place that managed to create a harmonious, democratic society long before such attempts in Modern history. Nevertheless, it is vital to realize all the barriers that used to hinder the successful development and implementation of democratic frameworks and vibrant political life. Through the sacrifice, Antigone exposes “the structural fissure of the civil society embedded in decaying morality for realizing the higher ideal of divine law and ethics” (Chen 557). Therefore, it is crucial to realize the importance of the conflict between two types of law for Ancient Greeks, as they were desperate to develop efficient civil law.
Fidelity
Another important theme that is extensively covered in the play is connected to love for family and fidelity. Nevertheless, the topic of kinship in Athenian drama has attracted comparatively little attention from classical philologists (Moro 112). Sophocles employs dual forms to signal that a speaker is viewing Antigone and Ismene from the perspective of the family (Hahnemann, 3). Moreover, in Antigone, “the characters’ wills and actions are counterpoised by the unseen and intangible ethical substances” (Khoshkalam and Pour, 7). Thus, the prominent playwright pinpoints the importance of supernatural bonds that should always be honored and admired.
One of the most important episodes that covers the topic is the opening scene in which Antigone seeks to make an emotional appeal to her sister. She is determined to convince Ismene that they are destined to help their brother even though the new ruler claims that he was a traitor. Moreover, Antigone feels that it is her moral obligation, as there is a specific set of rules that originate in the highest authority, divine law.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that Antigone raises a wide range of social, cultural, and ethical issues, it is clear that the two predominant themes in the play are related to law and fidelity. The ancient playwright creates a vibrant background that allows to examine various people’s perceptions and points of view. Moreover, given that the conflicts presented in the literary work are extremely complex, Sophocles seeks to stay objective while determining the characters’ behavior.
Works Cited
Chen, Ying-shan. “The Hegelian Tragedy, Negative Dialectic and Ethical Substance in Sophocles’ Antigone.” Journal of Literature and Art Studies, vol. 8, no. 4, 2018, pp. 557–567.
Hahnemann, Carolin. “Broken Sisterhood: The Relationship between Antigone and Ismene in Sophocles’ Antigone.” Scripta Classica Israelica, vol. 38, 2019, pp. 1–16.
Karakantza, Efimia D. “Dying Becomes Her. Posthumanism in Sophocles’ Antigone in the Light of László Nemes’ Son of Saul.” Logeion, vol. 7, 2017, pp. 21–41.
Khoshkalam, Mehdi, and Mohammad Rostam Pour. “From Hegelian Ethical Substance to Lacanian Impossible Thing: An Ethical-Psychoanalytic Study of Sophocles’ Antigone.” Critical Literary Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, 2020, pp. 5–37.
Moro, Valentina. “Sailing Together: The Agonistic Construction of Sisterhood in Sophocles’ antigone.” Ramus, vol. 50, no.1–2, 2021, pp. 109–126.
Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by Paul Woodruff, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2001.