Antigone
Sophocles' Antigone has been widely interpreted as a play about a young woman's admirable courage of conviction. This rather straightforward interpretation is largely the result of a plot that revolves around Antigone's determination to honor her dead brother by giving him a proper burial, in spite of the King's edict that his corpse should be left to rot. Thus, Antigone's tragic fate is seen as the result of her laudable defiance of an unjust ruling rather than the result of a flaw in her own character. However, on closer analysis, there is ground to argue that Sophocles' purpose was not to create a play on praiseworthy virtues but to highlight the fact that actions motivated by a lack of temperance and hubris inevitably lead to tragic consequences.
The interpretation that Antigone is a morality play that focuses on the ideals of religion, honor and courage is perfectly understandable if viewed from the deontological perspective. Such a perspective would naturally evaluate Antigone's actions on the basis of the deed alone and not its consequence. Accordingly, Antigone's clear desire to ensure that her brother, Polyneices, receives a proper burial in keeping with Greek religious belief would be seen as upholding the ideal of religion. For, as she says, "A sinless sinner, banned awhile on earth,...
The eternal laws of heaven." (73-76). In addition, Antigone's actions would be applauded as a sign of her courage and honor. Indeed, this is indicated as much in Antigone's challenging Ismene: "So stands it with us; now 'tis thine to show / If thou art worthy of thy blood or base." (37-38) Thus, there does seem to be a great deal of
validity in the view that Antigone is a play on morals.
However, the view that Antigone's
character is innocent and above reproach can be challenged on the grounds that it is as important to consider the
consequences of one's actions as it is to consider the rightness of a particular deed. On this score, it is apparent that Sophocles intended to portray Antigone as a person who is blind to all other considerations except for what she considers to be right in the name of
family honor, courage, and God's law. Indeed, this is indicated as much by Ismene's entreaty to Antigone that she should consider the need to protect the only two remaining members of Oedipus's family: "Bethink thee, sister, we are left alone; / Shall we not perish ... / If in defiance of the
law we cross / a monarch's will? -- weak women, think of that ...." (57-60)
Ismene's fondly…
