Diction In Antigone

In Ode 1 in Antigone, the tone toward man's achievements is reverential, whereas the tone toward man's limitations is pitiful. Sophocles states that "statecraft is {man's}, {a}nd his the skill that deflect the arrows of snow, {t}he spears of winter rain" (14-17). In ancient Greek times, a well-respected man was a man who fought the enemy; this is illustrated when Eteocles, who defended Thebes, is respected by the Theban people and given a proper burial. Sophocles uses diction by choosing words such as arrows and spears, both of which are weapons, to describe snow and rain. In doing this, Sophocles suggests that nature is an enemy that man is able to defend against successfully, thus eliciting respect toward man from the audience. Moreover,