Antigone+Writing+(Patrick)

Antigone: The Hubris Within

Pride is Sophocles’ most discussed vice in his Oedipus trilogy. In the context of Antigone (the play), the majority of prideful thinking is on display by two individuals: Antigone and Creon. They have, without a doubt, an excessively high opinion of themselves and of their own importance.

Well, pride can take numerous forms. But in the case of the aforementioned two, the unbending insistence is derivative of God’s most vain sin.

Antigone’s insistence in the burial of Polynices is a natural and just reaction. As Polynices’ sister, she could not bear the thought of not following up on her “duty to [her] brother” (line 56). While in discussion with Ismene, she also mentions that “[her] honours for the dead must last much longer than for those up here” (93). And then in line 109, she declares that “[she]’ll please the ones [her] duty bound to please” or in other words, by disobeying Creon, she is honoring a higher, divine order of morality. Although the notions stand justly on their own, I personally believe Antigone is not in the position to discuss her commitment to a ‘higher order.’ The death of Polynices was a result of his short comings in the civil war he waged against his brother. A honorable soldier would not have feared death. And as unsubstantiated as this may seem, Polynices, the son of Oedipus, the former King of Thebes, would have invited the notion of death before the thought of a dishonorable life.

The hubristic acts of Creon are different from Antigone in that the word hubris in ancient Greek times refer to actions committed by an individual that shame and humiliate the victim for the pleasure or gratification of the abuser. In this case, I am obviously referring to Creon’s treatment of the body of Polynices, symbolic of the ultimate lack of humility.