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Sophocles’ Antigen presents Oedipus’ daughters Antigen and Kinsmen as a non- conformist and a conformist. In postwar Thebes, Antigen must persuade Kinsmen to help bury their brother Policies, who is branded a traitor by the new king Croon. In a new decree Croon states that he will not give any traitors a proper burial. Antigen’s indignation over Screen’s decree makes her the non-conformist. Because of her loyalty to her brother she wants to “bury him” even though, as Kinsmen points out, “the new law forbids it.
Kinsmen’s choice to obey the unjust decree makes her the conformist. Kinsmen believes that they should Just “give into the law’ because “the law is strong. ” Antigen disobeys out of loyalty to her brother even though she knows she will be punished for her non-conformity. Kinsmen is a coward and even though she conforms in the beginning, it does not stop Croon from making her guilty by association. In Antigen, both Antigen and Hammond commit suicide. Like her mother Antigen hangs herself, and at the sight of her body Hammond plunges a sword into himself.
The pain that they both felt stemmed from Screen’s stubbornness and pride. The Messenger tells the Chorus that Hammond was “driven mad by the murder his father had done” referring to the imprisonment and death of Antigen. Enclosing Antigen alive in a tomb was intended to kill her. The Chorus and the Messenger blame Croon for the deaths of Antigen and Hammond because Croon would not listen to reason from Terrifies. Telesales tells Croon that by putting Antigen In “a grave before her death” he has incurred the wrath or the gods and “curses will be hurled” t him.
By directly causing Antigen to end her life the gods punished him by taking away his son, and eventually wife, In the same manner. Screen’s refusal to bury Policies and the harsh punishment of Antigen are partly vengeance against their father Oedipus. The Chorus compares Oedipus and Antigen as “both headstrong, deaf to reason. ” Croon still harbors resentment at Oedipus’ Insolence as cursed Thebes. Oedipus greatly disrespected Croon and exiling Oedipus was not enough for Croon.
Croon enjoyed humiliating Oedipus and now enjoys humiliating Antigen, which Is why he will not back down even when he Is warned by Telesales. Embarrassed at the way Oedipus dismissed him as a traitor, Croon now has the satisfaction of not burying one of Oedipus’ children and Imprisoning the other. Antigen also realizes that the “blasphemy’ of how she was conceived curses her and their family. Screen’s vengeance against Oedipus Is a character fool that curses Screen’s family. Not only Is Croon blabs against Antigen because she Is Oedipus’ daughter, but he also looks down on her because she Is a woman.
Screen’s gender Inequality Is apparent especially when he often points out that Antigen Is a “wicked woman”, also when he mentions that Hammond was seduced and “has sold out to a woman. ” Croon Is annoyed when Hammond stands up for Antigen and says that he has been “taken In” by her. Croon has a very traditional view of how a woman should act and Antigen threatens that view. Her outspokenness and defiance make her “wicked” In his eyes. Because Antigen did not beg for her life or apologize when accused of burying her brother, Croon calls her Insolent.
The Chorus even says that “she has never earned to yield” Like a woman should. Antigen’s constant refusal to yield damaged Screen’s pride and only makes his anger grow. Croon tell t threatened that a woman had stood up to him, only made his urgency to punish Antigen greater……. Patriarchy plays a large part in the way Croon rules and even how he talks and interacts with his family. Croon thinks of men as superior and that a son should show his father great respect. Even Hammond says that Croon is his “guide” and that he will “obey’ him.
When Hammond fights on Antigen’s behalf Croon is shocked that his son loud stand up for an “anarchist. ” Croon calls Hammond an “adolescent fool” for being “taken in by a woman. ” Croon is appalled by Hansom’s insolence when Hammond tells him that if Croon were not his father he would say he was “perverse. ” Hammond and Screen’s father-son relationship is now damaged. Hammond even told his father that “you will never see my face again. ” By speaking against his father, and even when Antigen disobeyed Croon, Hammond challenged the patriarchal dominance that Croon had so often exploited to make people fear and obey him.