Post by kkudlick9 on Sept 28, 2011 16:10:08 GMT -5
In Scene IV, Antigone, who had been portrayed as a strong and heroic female character, can be seen as weak and less heroic. Antigone’s burial of her brother is very heroic in nature, however the natural pity one might feel for her is diminished by her blatant demand to “pity me” (225). Antigone proudly put herself in this position, so it sounds strange when she asks for pity, as if a victim. In addition, the chorus tells her, “you have made your choice, your death is the doing of your conscious hand” (227). The chorus recognizes that this is her decision which is inane and far from reason. She does not see any fault in herself: she replies with “let me go then” (227). Her behavior is hot-headed, and almost childish when she says that Creon’s punishment should “equal my own” (228). It does not come across as heroic when she points fingers. Antigone’s message throughout the play is that she “would not transgress the laws of heaven” (228).Antigone’s message was ultimately abandoned by her decision to “wait no longer” and commit suicide so quickly after being placed in the cave (228). Her fight for her brother was a personal matter and she made no effort to change anything else, giving into the idea of death almost with pride, which is not heroic. Killing yourself, in the end, is giving up and not fighting. By committing suicide, Antigone becomes a weak female character, and not a hero.