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Ismene and Creon were definitely the two that were most vocal about the place of women in society. While Creon made it a point to show how much a man such as himself shouldn’t be beholden to any woman, even if she’s got him beat on all fronts. I feel as though pride isn’t really his biggest weakness though. Knowing that he experienced the events of Oedipus Rex first hand, it stands to reason that he would already feel deeply insecure about being king. He put up his sister as a prize for defeating the sphinx (which has its own sexist narrative to address). After Oedipus rips out his eyes and traumatizes the rest of his family Creon gets to watch his grand/nephews kill each other over the throne. From his perspective it would be easy to blame yourself over the events, and he desperately clings to whatever authority he has. He is driven by fear and acts irrationally because of it.
ReplyDeleteAt the start of the play, we see that he firmly believes that his subjects should follow him regardless of how they view his decisions. A big part of Creon’s argument later is that if Antigone had been a man he would have relented. I believe that he does this primarily because Grecian society would view this as a valid reason for dismissing her. The problem with this statement is that multiple men then tell him he’s wrong. He doubles down on his last shred of credibility, telling his son that he is just as bad as a woman for his beliefs and that he is too young to counsel him. Honoring the Gods is not an inherently feminine stance, so his out lash makes no sense. When Teiresias warns him as well, Creon deems the man too old and self-interested, Creon is irrational and afraid of losing everything so he clings to the only edict he has decreed. If a random man had broken his law, that man would have been executed immediately and made into an example, if anything, Creon’s disregard for women is what led to the extensive implosion of his loved ones that we experience in the finale.
Enrique Perez
While reading Antigone and the assigned article, I noticed numerous parallels between the play and the current White House administration. In both Antigone and the White House we see two sexist, chauvinistic men (Creon and Trump) who are drunk on power and control. Creon decides to put Antigone to death for disobeying him, but more so because she is a woman who disobeyed him. It is widely known that in Greek society during the time of Antigone, women were to be subservient and tethered to the household and set apart from the business of men. While Trump is not putting women to death, he is doing everything in his power to silence women by either paying them for their silence or ridiculing them in public. We are seeing this time and again, from Stormy Daniels to Dr. Christine Blasé Ford. As many marginalized groups currently hold, “Silence equals death” in our current political climate.
ReplyDeleteCreon’s loathing of women is best revealed when he declares,“Better to be beaten, if need be, by a man, than let a woman get the better of us.” This parallels the election of 2016 when more men voted for Trump over Clinton, even in the face of his total inadequacy.
Ismene, Antigone’s subservient and docile sister, completely buys into gender norms, unlike Antigone. The parallel here is that the women who call Hillary Clinton ‘That Woman” and ‘Women for Trump’ groups are all versions of Ismene in that they buy into societal gender norms, even if to their detriment.
Creon’s obstinate attitude towards women leads to the collapse of his own life after the suicides of his son Haemon and wife Eurydice. It is then and only then that he sees the error of his ways and echoes Antigone’s beliefs of serving the laws of God, not the law of man. Under the Trump administration, we have a modern-day Greek tragedy unfolding in real time. Blind support for a sexist, racist, homophobic tyrant is leading to the collapse of a once civil society. I shudder to think of what has to happen for #45 to open his eyes and see the error of his ways.
Julietta Rivera
Considering that a majority of playwrights used the play format in order to mask their commentary on leaders and policy it’s interesting to note that the central Antigone is subverting the patriarchal hierarchy. My primary example of this is the entire conversation held between Creon and the Chorus in which it is heavily expressed that no man would be daring enough to go against a king’s orders. Now, while it could be argued that “man” was being used in the sense of mankind, male pronouns are used as well (i.e. him/his). As such, the dramatic irony lies in the fact that we, the audience, are aware that Antigone is responsible for going against the decree and so Creon is right to assume no man has gone against him.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I would argue that Antigone seems to hold a power over Creon - a near divine authority over him. Creon and the Chorus readily believe that if not man, then it must be the work of the gods. Furthermore, consider the later comparisons between Niobe and Antigone in which the Chorus refers to Niobe as a goddess or semi-divine; this is despite her tale often being one of human folly. This begs the question, why refer to her as a goddess/semi-divine if this is not the case in most interpretations; it suggests a purposeful parallel of Antigone as divine.
Another interesting parallel, or rather contrast, is between Creon and Antigone. Creon embodies duty to the state and emphasizes this readily throughout his dialogue, though, whether he embodies duty to state in a good light is besides the point for this parallel. Antigone in contrast serves as the pinnacle of a duty to family/blood, as we can see she is ready to go against a king in order to honor her brother. I would like to point out however, that she often justifies her action through the gods, imploring that these customary rites predate any sort of human authority.
Joaquin Castillo
As stated in the intro to "The Seagull Book of Plays," the resolution is "a state considerably less attractive than the original state of equilibrium." In layman's terms, the protagonists tend to find themselves in a WORSE situation than where they started. As Kelly states, this is to be expected with tragedies. A good portion of the time, resolution is often described as "the way the conflict is solved", which I don't believe is an accurate definition. The resolution to me is simply the result, or aftermath of the falling action. The resolution may or may not be a "good" ending. It may not even be this. I've seen plays/stories/movies where the resolution is completely ambiguous and is up to the reader/viewer to describe what the mood is. In my opinion, ambiguous resolutions create the strongest plays. I'd rather leave a play thinking "I wonder what happened afterwards" rather than "It's good the bad guy died."
ReplyDeleteIn the case of "Antigone", the resolution seemed to create a mixture of moods. Obviously, Haemon and Eurydice's deaths are meant to create a feeling of loss and sorrow. Creon's response at the very end combines not only pure sorrow, but regret that his actions had brought him to this state. Even now, the viewer is unsure of how to truly feel about the situation. Should we feel satisfied that Creon has finally learned his lesson? Or should we feel saddened because nobody deserves such a horrible fate? Regardless of what direct theme or message is being told, it remains a question to how we should feel towards it.
Michael McCormick
While reading through the play Antigone, I began to notice, around the time that Creon was having his argument with his son, that there seems to be theme’s that go along the line of younger generation vs. the older generation. Creon and the Chorus would be representing the older generation. And characters such as Antigone and Haemon representing the younger generation.
ReplyDeleteTheme’s of the recent generation going against the older generation are prevalent through the story itself. Antigone is already at a huge disadvantage when it comes to breaking the decree set by the older and self-proclaimed righteous king. It would make sense not to give burial rights to the traitor of the state, or normally it would, if said traitor was not the brother of the princess. But even as princess, and as royalty, she has no say in the matters of the king. Her sister protest going against the word of Creon, saying that they must abide by the law or face consequences. Further instilling the idea of where the younger gen. is subject to blindly and unquestionably follow the word of their elders, even if they feel their word is wrong and goes against their true opinions.
Haemon himself is forced to obey his fathers’ law, helpless to help the woman he loves, and asking his father to reevaluate his choice to imprison Antigone. His speech, in regards to how he tells Creon that his utter obedience to his father is important to him, felt rather forced, especially when he mentions how his word terrifies them. Bitter and angry, probably full of resentment, he lashes out towards his father, almost killing him in the process. It seemed similar to how a child would react toward a particularly controlling parent and they can do nothing but build up resentment.
I feel these themes mirror how the older generation of today often criticize the younger generation, or millennial's, for not copying how they make their life choices or how they reach their goals in life
Mirella Martinez
When I first read Antigone my initial impression of Creon was his fragile masculinity and inability to admit when he is wrong. I understand why he had to uphold his punishment even if the wrongdoer was family, but his good intentions were misguided. Creon is stuck in male superiority and that is his downfall. Earlier in the play Haemon says, “The man who keeps the sheet of his sail tight and never slackens capsizes his boat…” (765-770) Haemon’s words haunted me the rest of play. Owoeye’s reexamination of Antigone through a psychoanalytical lense calls attention to some not so obvious motifs behind Creon’s determination to forbid Polyneices a proper burial. The messenger reveals Polyneices is responsible for the murder of Megareus, Creon’s other son, which can serve as another grudge Creon holds against Oedipus’ kin. Owoeye’s scope on gender pride and the textual evidence throughout the play is an easy to miss theme on the first reading. I jotted down a few words I found repetitious throughout the play. The gender criticism of this play from Owoeye is worth digging into because of the very opposite stance Antigone and Ismene take on Creon’s punishment. The reaction Antigone gave in response to Creon’s punishment can be seen as an emotional response, which is what men considered to separate the two genders. Antigone and Ismene play by the rules of society, but Antigone has a different compass on what is right and man’s flaw in law. Throughout the play there is a sense of god’s law vs. man’s which reminds me of ethics vs. morality and the constant grey line between the two.
ReplyDeleteSamyra Perez
In the article, it mentions that Creon did not want to lose to a female, which resulted in the treatment inflicted onto Antigone. While reading Antigone I noticed Creon’s selfish and sexist behavior right away at the introduction of his character. In the play Creon says, “better to fall from power, if we must, by a man's hand; then we should not be called weaker than a woman.” He sounds like a sore loser who must not lose to a female in any means necessary. Even when he interrogates Antigone and stabs her with the crime she committed. It sounds like Creon is discriminating against females. This topic was also mentioned in the article. Creon further demerits Antigone’s status and power of her female role by saying, “know ye not that songs and wailings before death would never cease, if it profited to utter them? Away with her-away! And when ye have enclosed her, according to my word, in her vaulted grave, leave her alone, forlorn-whether she wishes to die, or to live a buried life in such a home. Our hands are clean as touching this maiden. But this is certain-she shall be deprived of her sojourn in the light.” Creon basically thinks his hands will remain clean for the act he committed against Antigone and her deceased brothers. The right thing to do is to let both brothers have an honorable burial. Will Creon be prohibited to have a funeral for his wife and son for their dishonorable deaths?
ReplyDeleteThe article also includes psychoanalysis to Creon’s characterization. It states that the actions committed by Creon in the play were all made unconsciously. During the play Creon is left dumbfounded by Teiresias’ prophecy, and asks his messenger for advice. Creon could not make a decision himself. It’s like he was not aware of any of the actions he’s committed prior to this confrontation. Teiresias tells Creon, “ but keepest in this world one who belongs to the gods infernal, a corpse unburied, unhonoured, all unhallowed. In such thou hast no part, nor have the gods above, but this is a violence done to them by thee. Therefore the avenging destroyers lie in wait for thee, the Furies of Hades and of the gods, that thou mayest be taken in these same ills. I feel like these last words of Teiresias plagued Creon’s mind. And possibly snapped him out of his unconscious state.
Danny Olivarez
After reading Owoeye’s article, the cause for the conflict in Antigone became much clearer. In Antigone, the audience sees Antigone against Creon who both represent different values. Antigone stands for feminism, change, family values and youth. On the other hand, Creon represents patriarchy, traditional thinking and older values. Old versus young as a recurrent theme becomes apparent when Creon is opposed by the younger characters Haemon and Antigone. However, the reason for the root of their conflict is still vague. Creon’s stubbornness in refusing to change his mind became clear until Owoeye explained the traditional gender roles.
ReplyDeleteAntigone’s refusal to obey the law and men, especially as a female, led to her death. Creon refused to believe he was wrong since she was a female. The play is more relevant to today’s society than I thought it would be. Gender is blurred in the play. Although Antigone is female, her attitude and beliefs are completely different to Ismene’s. Ismene portrays an old-school version of what a woman should be like. During the play, Ismene obeys the law and betrays family values. Ismene would risk Polyneices’s soul and afterlife so she can stay alive. Her attitude makes her a foil character to Antigone.
As well, Ismene’s and Antigone’s foil raises questions of what gender is. Antigone’s refusal to act obedient and like other Greek females of the time blurs gender and makes her seem masculine. Creon publicly refuses to treat Antigone as an equal and give her the benefit of the doubt of being correct.
Readers, however, can see Creon deep-down knew he was wrong due to how he has Antigone killed. Rather than directly causing her death, and stoning her, he wants to kill her in less direct manner. Instead, he wanted to give her food and leave her in a cave which makes her death in his eyes less of his fault. Overall, the play shows why pride is bad for any gender. Creon could have stopped so much tragedy if he would have been less prideful. As well, Antigone might have survived if she tried a different approach which made Creon feel threatened.
Zugay Trevino
I found the arrogance of power as a driving thematic force in the play; the women in the play and their fate are seemingly at the mercy of more powerful men. The repressive gender roles of Greek society are represented by Ismene and her resistance to her sister’s plans. Antigone represents the subversion of these roles, clear in her attempt to bury her brother and, in deciding to exercise this agency, risk her life by disobeying a decree by a powerful man. Creon, embarrassed to have his power questioned and masculine superiority undermined, becomes irrationally emotional with anger in the face of many attempting to reason with him. This is a strikingly ironic contradiction in the way woman-identified humans are stereotypically coded as the irrationally emotional gender of the species. The Chorus remarks to Antigone: “It is your own self-willed temper that has destroyed you.” Although a somewhat bleak statement, this only reinforces the success of Antigone in realizing her own agency, both as an individual and as a woman. After her brothers’ death Antigone finds herself faced with a choice: live the demure life of quiet and dutiful obedience or abide by her values and have a hand in her own undoing -- the last of which is the most appealing since, after all, it is still her own hand – doing. From birth Antigone’s agency had been tainted by the circumstances of her conception and her fate had been determined by her father’s actions. Eventually Antigone manages to finally and successfully achieve agency in death.
ReplyDeleteLinda Gonzalez
In Antigone, we see the the divide between genders early on in the play when Ismene tells Antigone, “You ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men” (pg. 7). This shows a sense of social commentary that it is frowned upon women to not fight a “man’s” fight, this instance ties into the third page (pg. XIII) of the introduction and the term “cultural context.” I would argue that the general consensus would agree that women can fight whatever fight they choose to engage in. Furthermore, the article itself that the professor directed us to read is an example of how to write an analysis paper. Meaning, there is an introduction that sets up the topic and then arguments that are being made which in academic writing have to be defended.
ReplyDeleteOne of the more eye-catching instances in the scholarly article is found in the psychoanalysis portion of the Owoeye article. The reason being, this is where the author is diving into what drives some individuals to do or think the way they do. Owoeye annotates, “The unconscious in every human is often packed with societal ideologies, family values and experiences and other issues that often creep daily into the human mind unnoticed” (pg. 104). This can correlate with “cultural context” because the audience can understand that during the time of the play, men believed they were superior. On a side note, Creon pursues to solve the matter with more lethal measures rather than a peaceful approach. He even boasts and says to Antigone that once she is taken away and executed he will have “everything.” This goes to show about the foolish pride that he has not only as a man, but as a leader.
There is a sort of balance beam between Antigone and Creon, as well as the blind prophet Teiresias. This beam of course with Antigone on one side, and Creon on the other with the heavier weight of the two. Of course, in relation to the article, the gender divide and difference is evident upon reading. So, Antigone being the woman and Creon acting as a foolish man, is then encountered by the third party of the prophet who acts as a moral compass to Creon and advises that even men make mistakes and should not take undeviating stands.
So, even though Teiresias is somewhat trying to talk sense into Creon, the beam is still unbalanced and fate takes its course. Which further exemplifies that gender attitudes that Owoeye talks about in the scholarly article. Men at the time of the play are deemed to believe they are superior than women, which is absurd by today's standards.
P.J. Hernandez