Sophocles, in Antigone, says that in a world where we cannot tell between what is right and what is wrong, we should be cautious with the pride that we inherently feel in our self-values. He warns us not to let our pride keep us from being open to outside ideas, otherwise consequences will assuredly arise. Everyone has a set of beliefs which they hold to be their guidelines for life. Everyone has values, things that they believe are “right.” Sophocles’ three main characters all have vastly different beliefs on how people should live their lives. Yet, even with completely different views, they all think that their way of living is the truly right/virtuous way. Haemon believes that people should live according to logic and reasoning. He supports
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Overwhelmed by pride, people can stubbornly refuse to back down, even when it would prove beneficial. This concept can be seen in the very first scene. Antigone, so that her values in the gods are right, that she tells Ismene to back off and to “leave [her to her] foolish plan, not [being] afraid of the danger” (Scene 1 II. 79-80). She is well aware of the risks, yet still refuses to surrender to Creon when questions. She is so proud of her actions that she claims to even “[deserve] praise and honor for what [she’d] done” (Scene 2 I. 98). Despite Creon’s warnings that “the inflexible heart breaks first” (I. 78), Antigone holds her head high, sure that her prideful actions based on her values are virtuous. As a direct result of her “headstrong” attitude, she earns herself the punishment of spending the rest of her days in a tom, never to see “the sun [any] longer” (Scene 4 I. 7). Yet, even after being punished for her crimes, she absolutely refuses to learn her lesson. She is so sure that her beliefs can’t be wrong that she goes as far as to “[make] a noose of her fine linen veil and hang herself” literally moments before she would have been saved (Scene 5 II. 59-60). Antigone, the supposed hero of the story, died from depriving herself of air. Sophocles did not give his hero a noble death. Despite the story revolving around a time when divine intervention was
Overwhelmed by pride, people can stubbornly refuse to back down, even when it would prove beneficial. This concept can be seen in the very first scene. Antigone, so that her values in the gods are right, that she tells Ismene to back off and to “leave [her to her] foolish plan, not [being] afraid of the danger” (Scene 1 II. 79-80). She is well aware of the risks, yet still refuses to surrender to Creon when questions. She is so proud of her actions that she claims to even “[deserve] praise and honor for what [she’d] done” (Scene 2 I. 98). Despite Creon’s warnings that “the inflexible heart breaks first” (I. 78), Antigone holds her head high, sure that her prideful actions based on her values are virtuous. As a direct result of her “headstrong” attitude, she earns herself the punishment of spending the rest of her days in a tom, never to see “the sun [any] longer” (Scene 4 I. 7). Yet, even after being punished for her crimes, she absolutely refuses to learn her lesson. She is so sure that her beliefs can’t be wrong that she goes as far as to “[make] a noose of her fine linen veil and hang herself” literally moments before she would have been saved (Scene 5 II. 59-60). Antigone, the supposed hero of the story, died from depriving herself of air. Sophocles did not give his hero a noble death. Despite the story revolving around a time when divine intervention was