Light Symbolism In Antigone

The "Golden Age" of Greece is notorious for its many contributions to the creative world, especially in its development of the play. These performances strived to emphasize the Greek morals, and were produced primarily for this purpose. Antigone, by Sophocles, typically separates the law of mortals to follow divine law. The moral focused on in Antigone is the conflict between physis, nature and nomos, law. Between the two physis ultimately governs over nomos. Throughout Antigone, King Creon is a symbol for nomos, while Antigone stands for physis. To portray these ideas, light and dark images are used as a frequent motif to reinforce the theme that demonstrates the power struggles within the text. Light is used to show something good is happening, …show more content…
However, Creon and the strong-willed Antigone clash on the issue of the burial of Antigone and Ismene's brother Polyneices. Creon fully agrees with this assessment of burying the brother, because it aligns with the Nomo’s, or the government's law that Antigone so desperately yearns for, but she despairs over the injustice of it-in her view, everyone should be given a proper burial, according to the physis, or natural law. Sophocles makes use of contrasting light and dark imagery to portray the Chorus' perception of not only the play's characters and events but, of the conflicting laws that they discus. Light and darkness, whether it they are literal or metaphorical, are reliant on a character’s understanding. The theme of light and darkness is dependent on involving insight and lack of knowledge among the characters. Metaphorically, if a character refuses to accept a truth or possibly he or she is too narrow minded, making them cursed with a lack of knowledge, he or she will be darkness because they do not have that light of knowledge and knowing. This type of darkness refers to their intellectual state of mind. An example of the metaphorical theme occurs between Antigone and Creon; Antigone sets the conflict of the play into motion when she buries her brother’s body even though the law is set against it. It is the knowing of light and darkness …show more content…
In a play, specifically Antigone, when a stubborn, close minded and ignorant character finally sees the truth of reality they will see how their failure to accept knowledge and understanding weighed down the many important segments in the play. Only when the character chooses to not acknowledge their faults do they feel at peace and happy. For example when Creon chooses not to listen to his son Haemon and, go easy on Antigone, or how towards the end of the play when the chorus declares that indeed he did a wrongdoing. These themes are also present in the story of Oedipus. He lived a happy life as king, unaware that he was fulfilling the prophecy he tried to prevent. Yet, he was cast into darkness and suffering like the suffering of Creon after the death of Antigone, Haemon, and his wife. In the beginning of the play, Creon and Antigone are all unaware of their haste choices. Creon believes himself to be inclined with intelligence because of his vanity and pride, as does Antigone. Each character specifically states why he or she is right and to why they believe it although, their stubbornness leads to in fact many deaths that could have been avoided. This is the metaphorical theme of light and darkness that leads to the Greek tragedy this play is today. The two characters believe themselves to be ‘in the light,’ but in reality they are clueless and take no doubt of the