Monday, February 5, 2007

Antigone - Hero or 'wannabe' Martyr?

Now don't misjudge me - I admire Antigone greatly and think she is a worthy heroine, but there have been times as I have read this play when I have questioned her motives. It seems to me sometimes that it is glory and martyrdom she wants and not really what is best for her brother. Of course she would want him buried, no one would want a loved one to go ininterred and face the gruesome fates of unattended corpses. Yet still, her blatant subversiveness and reaction when Ismene tries to take some of the blame struck an odd chord with me. When Antigone is questioned by Haemon, for example, Ismene steps in and tries to share in the fate of her sister. But Antigone's reaction is not one of gratitude or fear for her sister's well-being, but rather blatant outrage that she is trying to steal some of her thunder. "No you may not die with me. Don't say you did it!/ You wouldn't even touch it. Now leave my death alone!" she screams at her sister. What I interpreted as I read these lines was "Oh no you don't, you had no part in his burial, don't even think about saying you did it with me and steal some of my glory!"

As I said, I admire her courage very much, but it seems to me that at some level Antigone is working toward her own agenda.

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