Role Of Love In Antigone
Love strikes in a manner that either allies one with the gods, or against them. In this manner, it also divides people between those that are aligned with the gods’ position and those that are not. In the above cases, Antigone’s love for Polynices is in favor of the gods’ rule of law over Creon’s rule of law. This separates Antigone from Creon, Ismene, and temporarily Haemon, who support Creon’s rule of law over the gods. Many of these characters are well aware of how their shifting allegiance to one person, is in effect giving support to others by association. Haemon’s support for Antigone in turn supports Polynices’ cause and the gods. In this manner, love not only causes death but also serves to shift allegiances, in so doing acting as a vehicle for fate. The “Ode to Love” gives more clues to the power of love beyond those already mentioned. The line “mortal man, in his one day’s dusk, trembles before your glory” (647) both alludes to love’s ability to conquer man by
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bringing him to death, but also loves ability to transcend death itself. Death is powerful; it ceases one’s existence in the living world, and brings one to the underworld. However, death is finite in its scope, it only affects the man who has died. Love is force that compels death, and even lives on after one has died. Ismene and Creon serve as examples as those who will live on with the love of their dead ones. Further, I would argue that love gives meaning to the deaths of Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice meaning. It is the deep degree of love that is immortalized in stories such as Antigone by Sophocles and Euripides, and in Greek vases. Love is such a powerful force, that it brings people to their death knowingly. Both Antigone and Haemon foretell their own death for another. When Antigone tells Ismene of her plan to bury their brother Antigone says “… I shall lie down with him death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me” (56-57). As Haemon is arguing with his father Creon, Creon says “You’ll never marry her while she lives” (609). In response, Haemon says, “Then she must die. – But her death will cause another” (610). This poignant line hints at Haemon’s plans to join his fiancé in death. It also shows how death is a representation of love. Haemon is essentially saying that he must marry Antigone, even if it is when dead. This not only provides an example that love transcends death, but that death is even a representation of love. Antigone’s death represents her love for her brother Polynices. Haemon shows his love for Antigone with his death, and Eurydice to Haemon.
There are several representations of god’s presence intervening in the lives of these men and women.
Aphrodite, as the goddess of love, is a notable example. The last line of the “Ode to Love” references Antigone’s call to Aphrodite, “A girl’s glance working the will of heaven: pleasure to her alone who mock us, merciless Aphrodite” (655). Antigone’s grand gesture of love thus far, to bury her brother, had not yet brought Aphrodite to the cave. The question up until this Ode was whether Creon would change his mind, or Haemon would save Antigone from her doom. As a tragedy, and with the many hints of foreshadowing the audience already expects Antigone will die. This line however further reinforces the gods’, and especially love’s, presence in working their fate, while also foreshadowing Antigone’s death. Love of course is so unconquerable, that no one can save themselves from fate, not Antigone’s “glance working the will of heaven” nor Creon’s realization and futile attempt to reverse his
order.
Creon’s own hubris in calling upon the gods further condemns the death of his loved ones. Creon knowingly calls for the death of Antigone three times, thereby invoking Hades, the god of the underworld. Creon tells Antigone directly in “find [your love] in hell!” (420), and to Haemon “Let her find her husband in Hell!” (515) and to Choragos “let her pray to the gods of hell” (636). After all this, the blind prophet Teiresias counters that Creon’s crime is that he has actually disobeyed Hades, “kept from the gods below the child that is theirs” (845) referring to Polynices. In turn, Teiresias proclaims “the Furies and the dark gods of Hell are swift with terrible punishment for you” (848). Creon’s frequent call upon Hades, while disobeying Hades himself, would only spell his own doom by bringing his own loved ones Haemon and Jocasta to death. Love paired with death can be seen frequently as a device of the gods to exercise the fate of arrogant and cursed men. The chorus’s “Ode to Love” helps the audience recognize the impact of love in the development of the narrative. It also shows the nuances of love and death, including death as a representation of love, and love as being able to surpass death. One could even argue that Sophocle’s positive portrayal of Antigone to the audience was to elicit the audience’s love for her. Antigone is represented not only bravely, but also righteous, in defense of the gods and her family. The unattractive Ismene serves as a foil to Antigone. As the audience falls in love with Antigone – the only character from beginning to end that shows noble virtue – the audience experiences the death of a love one (albeit fictitiously). The audience’s love for Antigone only potentiates her death, and the audience’s interest in the themes and messages displayed.
bringing him to death, but also loves ability to transcend death itself. Death is powerful; it ceases one’s existence in the living world, and brings one to the underworld. However, death is finite in its scope, it only affects the man who has died. Love is force that compels death, and even lives on after one has died. Ismene and Creon serve as examples as those who will live on with the love of their dead ones. Further, I would argue that love gives meaning to the deaths of Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice meaning. It is the deep degree of love that is immortalized in stories such as Antigone by Sophocles and Euripides, and in Greek vases. Love is such a powerful force, that it brings people to their death knowingly. Both Antigone and Haemon foretell their own death for another. When Antigone tells Ismene of her plan to bury their brother Antigone says “… I shall lie down with him death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me” (56-57). As Haemon is arguing with his father Creon, Creon says “You’ll never marry her while she lives” (609). In response, Haemon says, “Then she must die. – But her death will cause another” (610). This poignant line hints at Haemon’s plans to join his fiancé in death. It also shows how death is a representation of love. Haemon is essentially saying that he must marry Antigone, even if it is when dead. This not only provides an example that love transcends death, but that death is even a representation of love. Antigone’s death represents her love for her brother Polynices. Haemon shows his love for Antigone with his death, and Eurydice to Haemon.
There are several representations of god’s presence intervening in the lives of these men and women.
Aphrodite, as the goddess of love, is a notable example. The last line of the “Ode to Love” references Antigone’s call to Aphrodite, “A girl’s glance working the will of heaven: pleasure to her alone who mock us, merciless Aphrodite” (655). Antigone’s grand gesture of love thus far, to bury her brother, had not yet brought Aphrodite to the cave. The question up until this Ode was whether Creon would change his mind, or Haemon would save Antigone from her doom. As a tragedy, and with the many hints of foreshadowing the audience already expects Antigone will die. This line however further reinforces the gods’, and especially love’s, presence in working their fate, while also foreshadowing Antigone’s death. Love of course is so unconquerable, that no one can save themselves from fate, not Antigone’s “glance working the will of heaven” nor Creon’s realization and futile attempt to reverse his
order.
Creon’s own hubris in calling upon the gods further condemns the death of his loved ones. Creon knowingly calls for the death of Antigone three times, thereby invoking Hades, the god of the underworld. Creon tells Antigone directly in “find [your love] in hell!” (420), and to Haemon “Let her find her husband in Hell!” (515) and to Choragos “let her pray to the gods of hell” (636). After all this, the blind prophet Teiresias counters that Creon’s crime is that he has actually disobeyed Hades, “kept from the gods below the child that is theirs” (845) referring to Polynices. In turn, Teiresias proclaims “the Furies and the dark gods of Hell are swift with terrible punishment for you” (848). Creon’s frequent call upon Hades, while disobeying Hades himself, would only spell his own doom by bringing his own loved ones Haemon and Jocasta to death. Love paired with death can be seen frequently as a device of the gods to exercise the fate of arrogant and cursed men. The chorus’s “Ode to Love” helps the audience recognize the impact of love in the development of the narrative. It also shows the nuances of love and death, including death as a representation of love, and love as being able to surpass death. One could even argue that Sophocle’s positive portrayal of Antigone to the audience was to elicit the audience’s love for her. Antigone is represented not only bravely, but also righteous, in defense of the gods and her family. The unattractive Ismene serves as a foil to Antigone. As the audience falls in love with Antigone – the only character from beginning to end that shows noble virtue – the audience experiences the death of a love one (albeit fictitiously). The audience’s love for Antigone only potentiates her death, and the audience’s interest in the themes and messages displayed.