Love Inspires Fierce Devotion: A Theme from Antigone
It has been said that the ancient Greeks invented what is modernly referred to as the tragic drama. One of the most influential writers of the time was Sophocles, a fifth century Greek dramatist who penned one of the earliest surviving pieces of literature, Antigone. This play came as the third in a trilogy about a royal family of Thebes and the tragic events of the members’ lives. While Sophocles’ trilogy dabbles in discussing many Greek ideals and morals, his writing always carries a strong theme. One could infer many themes in Sophocles’ Antigone such as the laws of the state versus the laws of tradition, the social place of women, and the consequences of uncompromising pride. Sophocles’ often touches base on many of the aforementioned themes, giving great amount of details that could be used to support them. However, another possible theme of Antigone is that love inspires fierce devotion. This theme surfaces in many ways throughout the play, specifically, in the characters’ relationships to one another. The first support of the theme occurs in the opening scene when Antigone decides to bury her brother, Polyneices, though it goes against the strict rule of Creon, the . . .
He believes that as the King of Thebes, his law rules the land, no questions asked. He refuses to listen to any other ideas and acts purely on his own impulses. When Antigone tells Ismene of her plans to bury their brother Polyneices, Ismene speaks against the idea and refuses her help because she dares not to defy Creon. The two daughters of Oedipus, Antigone and Ismene, share a great love for one another that also leads to devotion. Ismene tells both Creon and Antigone, “I did the deed, if she will have it so/And with my sister claim to share the guilt” (125-126). e, not a fierce or unusually courageous woman, loves her brother so deeply that she will break the king’s law. Creon, throughout the play, shows love and devotion for only one person: himself. Sophocles’ writing supports the idea that when one loves another, great lengths will be taken to insure that the love will remain. Greek plays often revolved around the raw emotion felt by the characters. Antigone gives her life for her brother Polyneices, Ismene attempts to share blame for a crime she didn’t commit, Haemon begs for the life of his love, Eurydice takes her life after her only son takes his, and Creon loses everything due to his own hand. As the play progresses, Antigone sticks with her opinion and gracefully accepts her punishment as she is taken into her tomb to await her death. This line carries great significance because it occurs when Haemon tells his father that he understands the law of the land, but does not agree with it and because he loves Antigone so deeply, he will not let her die alone. Antigone shows that no greater emotion can occur between characters than love and love will inspire people to do great things to keep it, supporting the idea that a theme of Antigone is that love inspires fierce devotion. She is aware of the consequences, but her strong devotion to her brother makes the decision to bury him easy.
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