Antigone: A Persona From the World of Ancient Literature

Antigone
Jim Mo
Antigone
Antigone makes for one of the heroines studied from the world of ancient literature and whose exploits in the classical texts still echo in contemporary and modern works of literature. Antigone is a female mythological character in one of the classical plays by the great Greek playwright, Sophocles. The Greek playwright uses Antigone to explore various themes including state control, the adulteration of man-made laws, the supremacy of the divine law, and devotion to family. Antigone is a representation of the outlined themes in Sophocles’’ classical Greek tragedy. These issues are also recurrent in the contemporary historical era as modern societies are characterised by different social injustices and social disorderly behaviors that would suit Antigone’s brave pursuit of justice. It is, therefore, no surprise that she reincarnates in contemporary literature in the same capacity as an adamant activist for social justice. Sara Uribe’s Antigona Gonzalez makes for one of the contemporary works of literature alluding to Sophocles’ heroine in highlighting the social injustices facing modern society. The Mexican author offers a metaphorical representation of Antigone in delivering the plight of thousands of Mexicans seeking to find their loved ones lost in the federal government’s war on crime. Like in Sophocles’ play, Uribe’s text uses the Antigone persona to explore various themes echoing the issues presented in the classical text. The characterization of this ancient persona also provides an interesting aspect of analysis to identify any similarities or differences in its presentation across both texts. A comparison of Antigone’s presentation in the two texts creates an effective platform for understanding some of the aspects defining the historical moments from which they emerged.
Sophocles’ presentation of Antigone highlights the quest for justice and upholding moral standards of operation in a society characterized by state-sanctioned socio-political injustices. Antigone goes against all odds to seek justice for her slain brother, Polyneices, who is denied a proper burial by the state. Polyneices’ demise follows a political disagreement with his brother, Eteocles. The socio-political injustices begin with Antigone’s deceased siblings as Eteocles refused to follow their father’s decree to leave the throne for Polyneices. The ensuing political instability leads to a war between the brothers leaving them both dead. The rightful heir, as per their father’s decree, remains unburied and his corpse left for the hungry bird’s beholding. Polyneices is a victim of the socio-political injustices characterizing the Kingdom of Thebes as he is denied access to his rightful place on the throne and further disgraced by Creon’s decree denying him a proper burial. Creon, who becomes the king of Thebes after the demise of the two brothers, exercises state control over individuals by enacting oppressive laws and decrees across the social, political, and cultural spectrum. Antigone witnesses these injustices and alludes to the natural or divine laws of the gods in an attempt to provide a proper burial for her late brother. She...