Post by timlehms on Sept 28, 2011 14:23:44 GMT -5
Sophocles demonstrates through Antigone’s actions how civil disobedience should be the driving force behind any society though it may be met with dire consequences. This is presented through Antigone’s character during the fourth scene as she draws attention to herself in order to make her point. She again proudly admits that it was she who had given Polyneicês a proper burial, just as the god’s call all to be buried, and goes on to state that she has not sinned before God as a testament to her disobedience. The scene that she has effectively created leaves the city of Thebes with a reminder that no one should go up against the gods, which Antigone has always done. It is even possible that this was Antigone’s intent from the very beginning as she states that she is not afraid of death and this death would not be the worst of death, showing the predisposition to the idea of creating from her possible death an example for “the righteous way”. Through her actions, she demonstrates to the people of Thebes that while her actions may have led her to her death, ultimately they were the right decisions to make as they are the honorable and humble decisions to make, to put the will of your god and your morals before the will of a man. All of her actions and words here are Sophocles’ attempt to teach Greek society that one should always challenge the unjust in order to prevent tyranny from occurring. He has here staged the common man in such a way that they are weak to fighting their tyrannical leader, though from them Antigone is the one to rise, a commoner in respect to her power in this society, and ultimately is the one to show what the course of action should have been. This shows that Sophocles’ ultimately supports the democratic system as it encourages its people to be the focal point of its rule and to challenge the unjust position.