Below is a discussion between three characters from the play Antigone by Sophocles as they are hosted in a talk show. The discussion below follows after the death of Etocles and Polynices.
Host: good evening everyone and thank you for coming out tonight. The topic of our discussion tonight is about the value of family and religious beliefs and values as opposed to following the law to the letter. There exists a thin line between the two concerning which we go for first while making a decision for an action. Ladies and gentlemen tonight , please welcome the three main characters in the book, on the right is Antigone, who as you have probably read is the protagonist in this play, at the center is Ismene, the sister to Antigone and on the left is Creon. Let’s give the three a chance to introduce themselves, the literal meaning of their names and its influence on their lives and lastly, their views on the topic tonight.
Antigone: thank you very much and hallo everyone, my name is Antigone, and I am the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta who are now deceased. I was named Antigone which is a name that alludes to one who is of the opposite opinion. This means that my life is influenced greatly by my personality which always appears to be antagonist to normal or mainstream mentality and opinions. On the topic tonight, I would first like to point out that my stand has always been in doing things right always regardless of the consequences and what one has to face in order to get things done right. So I always do what I judge as right in life, and I am always guided by family values and the religious values and beliefs we all believe in. so that is all I can say about myself for now.
Ismene: thank you very much. I am Ismene and a sister to Antigone. My name is a bit queer since it refers to a tendency to linger towards things. This is because human temperament are different since there are those who believe in towing the line in what has been laid in the past and so I tend to linger towards the norms and follow traditions more than my own desire. It is important to follow the laid ancient paths as much wisdom is to be found in following them and so being able to give in to them at the sacrifice of ones desire is a noble gesture.
Creon; thank you very much and I am the brother in law to Oedipus since Jocasta is my sister. I am the ruler of Thebes after Oedipus became deceased. After the takeover I have been in the effort of making sure that traditions and beliefs are strongly upheld since they entail a divine light and this is what makes a ruler successful. The laws are laid out and govern society are there to guide the people in their ways and in their duties as citizens of Thebes. For my love for Thebes I believe in making laws that are in accordance to the will of the gods and leadership is just that leading according to the will of the gods and make sure the laws and justice is upheld.
Host: thank you very much for your contribution to the topic in question tonight and I appreciate for your honest efforts to make a stand on your conscience as well as beliefs. Now, the question of justice in human terms is a highly risky or to put it into other words a very sensitive issue in Thebes. The people believe in justice that comes from the gods and that the leader should make sure they are executed to the full. The individual will is not above the gods or is it that as long as the laws are presents that the free will of the individual is not applicable in this case?
Antigone: the human free will is always present since one chooses what and what not to do. The gods are there to guide and judge human free will. When Polynices and Etocles shared the ruling power after my father’s death, they had a good agreement that was good for the people. The land was peaceful even though the calamities were still present. However when Etocles decides to dishonor the agreement which is a human will not a directive from the gods he is unfair in his judgment. In exile Polynices attacks Thebes to free the people from a tyrannical rule that threatened to bring doom upon the land. This is an act of free will too. The only difference is that Polynices acts on a fair judgment which is to free the people from bad leadership and tyrannical rule and not of selfish ambition like Etocles’. So this is why I value the supremacy of the gods above everything else but at times it is necessary to make a judgment that helps others. That is why I chose to offer Polynices a decent burial even after Creon here was very much against it.
Creon: that is why I say that your actions are in despicable and are against the gods will and that is punishable only by death. You see, a leader is chosen by the gods themselves and he rules by the wisdom endowed to him by the gods. The act of disobeying and going against their will according to tradition and justice laid out in the past is punishable by death. In Antigone’ case her case is atrocious and so she deserves to be buried alive in a tomb. Polynices attacked Thebes, which is an attack against his own people and so his death came as a consequence. This is because in the first place the gods were against his actions. The punishment is up to the gods so even his body does not deserve a decent burial but should be left to rot in the battlefield and be eaten by the wild animals and where the veil spirits can torment him. This has been the tradition and that is what I did so the actions of Antigone also deserve the same punishment.
Ismene; I have no major comment into this matter but I would like to point out that wisdom is the principle thing. However hasty judgments should not be made as wisdom may appear folly. The value of life and being submissive to judgment from the gods is more important than personal wishes and values. So I wish not to make a judgment on this but to let the gods decide.
Host: that is quite interesting from the three of you. To me it appears that Antigone is against the command of the ruler. From tradition, the leader is to be followed by the people without any resistance since the gods guide his decision making. On the other hand, the value of wise judgment and not a judgment based on selfishness and pride is also to be considered by everyone irrespective of their social status. So I wish to direct another question your way. In the face of what happened after the death of the two brothers, what are your views about the position of women in the land and their ability to make wise decisions?
Antigone: every human being is born with the ability to make sound judgment in their every day life and none is denied that by the giver of life. However, at times the judgment may get obscured by pride, selfishness or any other human vice. Pride is one of the worst vice that impairs true and righteous judgment in human beings. The thought that one is equal to the gods is idiotic as well as blasphemous. How is it possible that out of a personal preference and prejudice I come up with a law or decree that is supposedly equal to the will of the gods? I leave the question at that even though I can advise my leader here that it is always wise to consult in decision making since a failure in results in poor judgment and this is a curse to all the people not just the leader making the decision. For this reason with all due respect I find it reasonable to offer a decent burial for Polynices as well since he is a warrior who fought for the justice of many and sacrificed his life.
Creon: that it seems is a judgment also based on preference and prejudice too. The consequences are well known, the land is cursed. Secondly, I make the laws and no other person in Thebes should question my authority or my judgment. I have a strong support from the gods that is why they made me a leader. My decision is ultimate and none should break it otherwise a death punishment is what is to be done. Women should know their place in the society too if they have to remain that society. A woman’s voice is to be heard in house chores not in justice about the leadership in place. I find a great disrespect in Antigone’ words and this is totally unacceptable.
Ismene: please stop judging and making threats to one another. I would have agreed with Antigone’s words as a woman and also out of mercy for Polynices but I dare not break the law. Polynices is just one person among many and furthermore he is dead so the issue of burial is not that very important. The people need to be guided after the violence they have just had. So I beg of you Antigone to respect the law and the authority of our leader. Justice after death can only be left to the gods and following the command of the leader is what is most important at this juncture.
Host; well, well that was quite a heated argument. Everyone seems to come from an original point of view but the stalemate needs to be broken so that the listeners may have a bit of clue on what will follow. So, my last question is, regarding your social status and ability, what will you propose be done on the fate of Polynices?
Antigone: I ask for a decent burial ceremony that will see a respectful send off to his body. This is because; he did not dishonor the agreement between him and Etocles. Secondly, he did not act out of greed for leadership but his sympathy with the people of Thebes. He wanted to ensure that the leadership is in good hands. His efforts to edge out a tyrannical rule by his brother was rewarded since the tyranny died. If this is not done, I will sacrifice my whole life in the footsteps of Polynices and see justice done.
Ismene: I wish for peace in this land and so I am afraid for the people and for Antigone. I will pray for everyone that this comes to a peaceful end and one gets what they want. I plead for more negotiations on the matter between Creon and Antigone. I do not wish to see more death and pain in my heart.
Creon; there is no negotiation that will take place on this matter. As I said before, my decision is final and I expect my decree to be followed to the exact detail. Anyone who defies my leadership or question my authority to make laws will be subject to full punishment. This will be the wrath of the gods on that person’s life.
Host: thank you all for coming out here and contributing towards the good of the people of Thebes. This discussion has helped shed light on the matter after the death of Etocles and Polynices. Everyone can now judge for themselves the expected turn of events from here. Thank you very much and may the gods be with the people of this land.
Works cited
Sophocles, Ian C. Johnston. Antigone. New York: Richer Resources Publications, 2007.
Sophocles, Nicholas Rydal. Antigone. Plays for performance, New York: Rodman & Littlefield, 1998
