Honor In Sophocles Antigone

The Greek play Antigone written by Sophocles and translated by David Franklin in 2011 explores the issue of honour. Honour is represented throughout the text in how it is threatened, defended and lost. Sophocles examines this through the importance of state authority, family and the Greek gods explored through Antigone. The original version was written by Sophocles in 441 BCE, during which Greece was under constant turmoil with wars and revolts. This provoked the writing of Antigone as a way for Sophocles to question the way honour worked in his society. His use of literary and structural techniques helps the audience to understand and interpret the role of honour in a Greek society that can be applied to a modern reception.

The way in which

From Antigone’s perspective, this proclamation threatens the honour her family holds in society, and “...dishonouring the laws honoured by the gods.” Furthermore, Crean demonstrates the threat to his honour, as the head of state, felt throughout the play. His honour is especially threatened after it has been found that Polyneices’ body has been buried and Creon exclaims “...men in the city have been muttering against me … and resenting my rule…”, which is a form of dramatic irony, as the audience knows Antigone and Ismenes held a meeting in secret, discussing disobeying Creon’s rule. This demonstrates how threatened Creon feels his honour as King is and conveys to the

The first example of honour being defended is seen in Antigone deciding to provide her brother, Polyneices, with a proper burial. She does this to “...not be caught betraying him…” and provides him with the proper honour in death, whilst defending her own family's honour. This action also defends the gods’ honour, as they are being dishonoured by Polyneices not receiving proper burial rights, consequently, Antigone is trying to correct this by defending their honour. Furthermore, Antigone’s defence of her actions works to defend her family’s honour as she believes “...there is nothing shameful in honouring [her] own flesh and blood.”. She additionally works to defend the gods’ honour, by stating “Nor did I think [Creon’s] human proclamation had sufficient power to override … laws of the gods.”, using an allusion to the well-known Greek gods to a historical audience to convey that the gods’ have been dishonoured, when they should never be subject to this. Moreover, Creon has to defend his honour several times as the head of state and lawmaker of Thebes. He defends his honour against Antigone, Haemon, the Chorus and Teiresias, always reminding that Antigone committed “...outrageous deeds when she broke the laws..” and “...she boasts and laughs at what she has done.”. This demonstrates to the audience Creon’s notion as King, is his people should always listen to him