Theme Of Blindness In Antigone

In a greek tragedy “Antigone, Sophocles argues that insight is more valuable than eyesight by showing the consequences of blindness to the truth. He uses Tiresias the blind prophet as the basis of insight, he who does not have literal sight sees the inner nature of things. Creon the King of Thebes is used as an example of someone who has who has sight but is blind figuratively to the reality surrounding him. Creon is not the only character who is blind to something. Antigone the protagonist of the play is blind to the importance of Creon 's decisions. Creon’s and Antigone’s pride and stubbornness is what does not let them see the situation in clear and true form. These absences of insight directly leads to the main tragedy of this play.
The …show more content…
Creon clearly refuses to acknowledge the importance and superiority of the laws of gods. Even when Haemon tries to persuade him saying: “Yet there are other men who can reason, too; and their opinions might be helpful.You are not in a position to know everything that people say or do, or what they feel ….I have heard them muttering and whispering in the dark about this girl.They say no woman has ever, so unreasonably,died so shameful a death for a generous act: ‘She covered her brother’s body. Is this indecent? She kept him from dogs and vultures. Is this a crime? Death? ––She should have all the honor that we can give her!’ This is the way they talk out there in the city”. Blinded by pride Creon is unwilling to compromise, to listen to the opinions of his people, or to appear to be defeated by a woman and continues to push on Antigone’s punishment and the importance of his order. Though he does gain insight by the end it is too late. “My own blind heart has brought me from darkness to final darkness. Here you see the father murdering, the murdered son––And all my civic wisdom! Haimon my son, so young, so young to die,I was the fool, not you; and you died for me … That is the truth; but you were late in learning it.” After Antigone death, Ismene hangs herself, Haemon’s and his wife kill …show more content…
Polyneices on the contrast shall not be buried at all, he shall be left to rot and be eaten by animals. Antigone being fiercely devoted to her family and the laws of the gods, could not stand Creon’s order and declares to bury Polyneices despite Creon’s punishment. She refuses to listen to even her dearest sister Ismene when she tries to convince her not to go against the laws. “But oh, Antigone, Think how much more terrible than these, Our own death would be if we should go against Creon, And do what he has forbidden! We are only women,We cannot fight with men, Antigone! The law is strong, we must give in to the law In this thing, and in worse. I beg the Dead To forgive me, but I am helpless: I must yield To those in authority. And I think it is dangerous business To be always meddling.”. Ismene states that not only is Antigone being outrageous by going against the laws of the state aka Creon’s law but in addition she is a woman! This clearly is a death sentence and Ismene sees that Antigone’s stubbornness will bring no good not to the city nor to her family. As Ismene predicted Antigone’s extreme stubborn loyalty leads to her blindness to the importance of Creon’s laws which ultimately brings tragedy to her, Creon and Thebes. Even though Creon went against the laws of gods, he did what was best for the state during a period of civil