Post by epolak9 on Sept 28, 2011 15:49:49 GMT -5
In Sophocles' "Antigone," Antigone, the main character, has had her life depicted and judged by her father, Oedipus', actions. The wrongs that her father committed that left her life more challenging than most caused a deep confusion within Antigone as to if she truly hated her father or loved him dearly. Throughout most of Antigone, there is little mention of Oedipus and the wrongs he had against Thebes and the Gods. As his daughter, Antigone never seemed spiteful from what her father did. In her final scene, she shows the resentment that she had for him. In her anger, the feelings that she has for her father come out. “You have touched it at last: that bridal bed Unspeakable, horror of son and mother mingling: Their crime, infection of all our family! O Oedipus, father and brother! Your marriage strikes from the grave to murder mine. I have been a stranger here in my own land: All my life The blasphemy of my birth has followed me” (226). Antigone shows the hatred that she has for the acts of her mother and father in this passage. Although this may be reasonable, there is an irony to her disgust. One of Oedipus’ tragic flaws was anger, which is something that Antigone has a lot of. Even though she has so much anger towards her father, they are incredibly similar. They both have a rageful way of being, and are both very short tempered.
After cursing her father for his actions, Antigone states just a few lines later that she “shall soon be with my own again Where Persephone welcomes the thing ghosts underground: And I shall see my father again, and you, mother” (227). Antigone seems to have a somewhat bipolar moment in these few pages in this scene. This can be perceived as acceptance, because she knows that she will soon be dead. She goes from exclaiming about how her father cursed his family and the generations that will follow, to being anxiously awaiting her reunion with her parents. All throughout this scene, her emotions are hitting new limits. They range from resentment to acceptance, and many other feelings in between. Her oncoming death is definitely the cause of this behavior. Since she has these polar opposite emotions for Oedipus as she reaches her final moments, it is hard to tell how she really feels about her father/brother. Is there too much disgust with his actions? Or does her love for her father overwhelm any obstacles? Either way, Antigone is very unclear as to if her feelings for her father are positive or negative, even in her final moments of life.
After cursing her father for his actions, Antigone states just a few lines later that she “shall soon be with my own again Where Persephone welcomes the thing ghosts underground: And I shall see my father again, and you, mother” (227). Antigone seems to have a somewhat bipolar moment in these few pages in this scene. This can be perceived as acceptance, because she knows that she will soon be dead. She goes from exclaiming about how her father cursed his family and the generations that will follow, to being anxiously awaiting her reunion with her parents. All throughout this scene, her emotions are hitting new limits. They range from resentment to acceptance, and many other feelings in between. Her oncoming death is definitely the cause of this behavior. Since she has these polar opposite emotions for Oedipus as she reaches her final moments, it is hard to tell how she really feels about her father/brother. Is there too much disgust with his actions? Or does her love for her father overwhelm any obstacles? Either way, Antigone is very unclear as to if her feelings for her father are positive or negative, even in her final moments of life.