Critical Essay on Instances of Wisdom and Arrogance in 'Antigone'

Introduction

"Wisdom is supreme for a blessed life, and reverence for the gods must never cease. Great words, sprung from arrogance, are punished by great blows. So, it is one learns, in old age to be wise." (Sophocles, 1348-1353). The words above end the play and are spoken by the Chorus. The words seem to embody the theme of the play by encompassing all the characters in a single stanza. Essentially, the sentence can be used to demystify each character in the play. It can be used to show various instances of wisdom and arrogance in the decisions that the characters make. Lines 376-625 are sufficient to show the embodiment of the above concluding statement by the Chorus.

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Line 375 starts with Antigone being caught in the act of burying his excommunicated brother's body. It was a decision she had come to after her Uncle Creon had declared that her brother Polyneices shall 'neither be mourned nor buried' and after also asking her sister for help and being denied. Antigone believes that reverence to the gods trumps any fear one may have toward man. It is an important decision and shows the degree of her arrogance to consequences, she believes herself to be on the right with the gods but forgets about man's authority [Uncle Creon]. The extent she goes to knowing the possible consequences also show a significant amount of arrogance. Antigone's arrogance is also displayed by her naivete and lack of understanding of the nature of power. Creon is determined to show his capacity to lead and cannot afford to lose face by such an act of treason. He deems it an act of treason because it seeks to serve Polyneices whom he had declared as treasonous for attacking Thebes with an enemy army.

Loyalty to the country makes us realize Creon's wisdom. His argument that a noble, respectful death for traitor is unacceptable stems from his love for country and his determination to lead without fear or favor. Creon ignores that Polyneices is his nephew and is determines to do right by his country and countrymen. However, Antigone's argument about first revering the gods and ignoring the laws of man seems to crush his loyalty to a country argument to dust.

Creon's first show of arrogance is his lack of regard for the gods as the supreme judgment. He is drunk with power and is relentless. Secondly, Creon is arrogant of the effect a quiet, respectful and honorable burial for Polyneices would have for his leadership. He fails to realize that Antigone will be at peace after her brother is buried and her marriage to his [Creon's] son would go as planned. The characters' lack of foresight shows their display of arrogance.

Another instance of wisdom and arrogance displayed by Antigone is seen soon after she is arrested. The Choragos charges her of double insolence and declares her and her sister as having won death. Antigone is a headstrong woman who follows only her gut and fear for the gods. Her first show of courage is in attempting to bury her brother in the first place. Antigone's lack of fear shows for her Uncle shows how arrogant she is in believing in herself. Consequently, she is arrogant of the consequences she knows are impending. In the same way, Antigone's ability to express herself when others are afraid to speak up shows confidence in adversity.

In line 390 Antigone asks Creon whether all he desires is her death, to which Creon answers that her death gives him everything. The wisdom depicted by both the question and answer is interesting. Antigone is aware that her death holds numerous advantages for Creon. Antigone's death leaves the entire kingdom to Creon. Creon is aware of this, and his answer is evidence of it. He knows that his son's marriage to Antigone would give him claim to the throne by marrying the rightful princess. He is determined to see Antigone dead to strategically secure his throne.

Ismene, Antigone's sister, comes to realize her mistake when Antigone is caught and arrested. Ismene tries to side with her sister, but it is too late since Antigone rejects her assistance; she tells her that she should have offered help the first time she was asked. Ismene's arrogance is observed when she does not realize that siding with Antigone could lead to nothing but death. She would also be declared a traitor like her brother and sister. She is arrogant in not realizing that there is a motive in Creon's disregard for his son's love for Antigone. In the same instance, Antigone's wisdom is expressed by her refusal to accept her sister's help. Antigone's fate is sealed and she knows that she is to face death. However, the reader is confused because it is not clear whether Antigone's refusal is motivated by honor or love. She tells her sister that she cannot allow her death [Ismene's] to lessen her own. Consequently, the words are uttered in the presence of both the Chorus and Creon and it is relatively difficult to determine Antigone's motive for saving her sister. Indeed, Antigone's wisdom is expressed in the vagueness of her expression.

In this same instance, Haimon's wisdom is observed in the way he addresses his father and the way his address is received by the chorus. Both father and son seem to be of sharp wit, and one gets an inkling of Haimon as a leader. Haimon is a threat to his father. However, his arrogance is displayed when he confronts his father in public over the death of his fiancee-a declared traitor. His arrogance on confronting his father with the serious matter is shown because he does not realize the weight of leadership. His father Creon needs to save face and remain a leader but Haimon does not realize this until it is too late.

Conclusion

The instances of wisdom versus arrogance displayed by the characters are hard to deny after a close examination. Each character shows their extent of wisdom while the Chorus remains neutral in order is effectively commentate on the tragedy. In essence, wisdom in life is observed to be a series of well moderated and measured decisions. Arrogance, on the other hand, is observed to be lack of knowledge and foresight for the consequences of one's actions. A close examination of the play shows that wisdom must be followed by a significant degree of arrogance for it to be wisdom at all. The above is clearly shown by the mixture of both traits by almost all the characters in the play.

References

Sophocles. 'Antigone'. Translated with Introduction and notes by Paul Woodruff. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 2001