Bridal Imagery of Antigone
In the play Antigone, by Sophocles, the protagonist, Antigone, defies all of the beliefs held by the society she lives in, and breaks the king's law on account of her own morals. Originally, one of Antigone's two brothers was supposed to take control of the throne, however, in a duel over the crown, they both died. As a result of her brothers' deaths, her uncle, Creon, the antagonist in the play, is given control of throne of Thebes. "I now possess the throne and all its powers, by nearess of kinship to the dead." (Oates/ O'Neill, 193) Creon held the belief that of Antigone's two brothers, Eteocles should have rightfully taken control of the throne, because he felt that her other brother, Polynices, had been disloyal to the city of Thebes. Polynices, therefore, was not given the honor of a formal burial, which was considered a very valued ritual in Thebes. "But for his brother, Polynices,- who came back from exile, and sought to consume utterly with fire to the city of his fathers and the shrines to lead the remnant into slavery;- touching this man, it hath been proclaimed to our people that none shall grace him with sepulture or lament, but leave him unburied, a corpse for birds and dogs to eat,
In the play Antigone, the bridal image affects the characterization and the actions of Creon as a result of his conflicts of whether to put his own niece to death, the death of his son, Haemon, and the death of his wife, Eurydices. " (Oates/ O'Neill, 214) Though Creon is outwardly very stubborn about his decision to put his niece to death, and rob his son of a wife, he is internally hurt because everyone is siding with Antigone and Haemon. The bridal imagery in the play Antigone has an immense affect on the characterization of Creon. Eurydice unknowingly wanders into the room where Haemon has killed himself, and finds her son dead. Haemon tries repeatedly to reason with his father, so that he [Creon] will forgive Antigone for her crime. " (Oates/ O'Neill, 218-219) "Unwept, unfriended, without marriage-song, I am led forth in my sorrow on this journey that can be delayed no more. The bridal image, though a chain-reaction is shown primarily through the death of the bride of Creon in this example. Haemon argues with Creon to try and make him see what a profound influence Antigone has had on him and the people alike. " (Oates/ O'Neill, 232) The Queen, Eurydice, does not know h!ow to deal with the sudden and tragic death of her son, so she takes the only way out that she knows. "Ah me, this guilt can never be fixed on any other of mortal kind, for my acquittal! I, even I, was thy slayer, my servants, lead me hence with all speed, whose like is but as death!" (Oates/ O'Neill, 233) Creon basically says that he is now aware that he is responsible for driving his niece, his son, and his wife to death, and now he is miserable, because he is unable to reverse the damage that he has caused. " (Oates/ O'Neill, 210) Creon is obviously configuring random arguments in order to digress from his unjust ways. Haemon was devastated over the consequences of his father's actions. The impact of the bridal image is most obviously brought to Creon's attention resulting from where his son took his life: in the bridal chamber of Antigone.
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