Thursday, January 16, 2014

Antigone by Sophocles, #7

Sophocles wrote a grim play in Antigone. Among all these Greek plays I'm reading I hope I can find some comedy. To summarize Antigone, she and her sister are all that's left after her father and two brothers die. The new king, Kreon allows her brother Eteokles to be buried properly since he kept the state. Polyneices is not allowed a proper burial, as he was against the state. Antigone is broken over this news and goes to bury him against the law. Kreon in his pride sentences her to death...which ends up undoing his family and causing him extreme anguish.

There are a few lines in the play that I just fell in love with. Haimon begs his father not to kill his betrothed (Antigone), "Please, be different this once. Believe in what someone else says for once. Whenever a man supposes that he alone has intelligence or expression or feelings, he exposes himself and shows his emptiness. Bit it's no shame even for a wise man to learn and relent." Line 856-862

Even today one can see the timeless roots of intolerance. When one side views their way as the only right way, most enlightened, or the best it closes off dialogue and understanding. Pride is the root of this but it's amazing to see a play from Ancient Greece resonates an ill of our current society.  It reminds me of Jesus' stern warnings about judging others.

Teiresias warns Kreon in line 1178, "My son, stop and consider. All mankind is subject to error. Once a mistake is made, and a man stumbles into misfortune, it is both wise and worthy of him to make amends and not be unbending. Stubbornness is stupidity. It is criminal. No. Give yourself leeway. Yield. When someone has been destroyed, do you stab him?"
How very true. How very relevant.

Antigone leaves me searching my moral inventory, checking to make sure I am following the narrow path. To me, that's what good literature does. It inspires, motivates, cultivates character.

7 down, 193 to go!




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