Love Inspires Fierce Devotion: A Theme from Antigone

A detailed Summary of Love Inspires Fierce Devotion: A Theme from Antigone

It has been said that the ancient Greeks invented what is modernly referred to as the tragic drama. One of the most influential writers of the time was Sophocles, a fifth century Greek dramatist who penned one of the earliest surviving pieces of literature, Antigone. This play came as the third in a trilogy about a royal family of Thebes and the tragic events of the members' lives. While Sophocles' trilogy dabbles in discussing many Greek ideals and morals, his writing always carries a strong theme.

One could infer many themes in Sophocles' Antigone such as the laws of the state versus the laws of tradition, the social place of women, and the consequences of uncompromising pride. Sophocles' often touches base on many of the aforementioned themes, giving great amount of details that could be used to support them. However, another possible theme of Antigone is that love inspires fierce devotion. This theme surfaces in many ways throughout the play, specifically, in the characters' relationships to one another.

The first support of the theme occurs in the opening scene when Antigone decides to bury her brother, Polyneices, though it goes against the strict rule of Creon, the

for her and her well being grows. Haemon speaks against his father, trying to defend Antigone and keep her from an unfair punishment. His love for her causes him to break family ties, causing a climatic scene between himself and Creon in the middle of the play. During this conversation, Haemon tells his father of his future plans "So she shall die but one will die with her" (194). This line carries great significance because it occurs when Haemon tells his father that he understands the law of the land, but does not agree with it and because he loves Antigone so deeply, he will not let her die alone. From this love springs the devotion that causes Haemon to take his own life after finding the body of Antigone.

Creon, throughout the play, shows love and devotion for only one person: himself. He believes that as the King of Thebes, his law rules the land, no questions asked. He refuses to listen to any other ideas and acts purely on his own impulses. During his conversation with Haemon, Creon says, "The state is his who rules it, so 'tis held" (181). This can be interpreted that as the ruler of Thebes, his law goes, regardless of what others may think. In the end, Creon's lack of love for others causes them to show

proper burial, regardless of Creon's decree, because if not, then his spirit will never make it to the underworld. She is aware of the consequences, but her strong devotion to her brother makes the decision to bury him easy. She tells Ismene, her sister, "My brother and, though though deny him, thine/No man shall say that I betrayed a brother" (Sophocles 26-28). Antigone's love for

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Approximate Word count = 1096
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English