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ESSAIVolume 7 Article 254-1-2010Sophocles' Antigone: Tragedy as Satire?Graham JohnsonCollege of DuPageFollow this and additional works at: http://dc.cod.edu/essaiThis Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@C.O.D.. It has been accepted for inclusion inESSAI by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@C.O.D.. For more information, please contact koteles@cod.edu.Recommended CitationJohnson, Graham (2009) "Sophocles' Antigone: Tragedy as Satire?," ESSAI: Vol. 7, Article 25.Available at: http://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol7/iss1/2573Sophocles’ Antigone:  Tragedy as Satire?by Graham Johnson(Honors English 1101)s it possible for a tragedy to be satirical? Sophocles’ play, Antigone, is considered a tragedy, andfor good reason. It contains appalling actions and cataclysmic consequences. Lives aredevastated, and many of the characters have expired by the end of the play. However, uponleafing through the story more carefully, you find a cynical view of the traditional and accepted waysof Greek life. If you are acquainted with Sophist/Aristotelian moral philosophy and you take acareful look at the play from a distance, the outline of a satire becomes apparent. It can then beconcluded that Sophocles used a tragedy to make the case for his moral philosophy. I believe the playwas not intended to be overtly satirical, but the elements of one are evident. By presenting thecharacters in the play at the extremes of emotion and action, Sophocles crafted Antigone as a tragicsatire to make viewers of the play consider how moderately and virtuously they lived their lives.In his great treatise, the Poetics, Aristotle outlines his definition of tragedy as it refers to therealm of literature and arts. He declares that:Tragedy, then, is the imitation of an action that is heroic, complete, and of a certainsize, in language embellished with all kinds of ornaments, each used separately in thedifferent parts of the play, in dramatic, not narrative form, and accomplishing withpity and fear the catharsis of these emotions (Battin 294).Sophocles was a close contemporary of Aristotle, and would have been intimately acquaintedwith this codification of tragedy. Antigone is a tragedy closely modeled after this definitionpromulgated by Aristotle.  From this definition, we can infer that tragedy is designed to release(cleanse or purify) emotion from the audience in order to bring reason and rationality back into theirminds. This dovetails nicely with satire, because satire is a tool of criticism, often used to alert peopleto corruption and foolish things. We will see next how this ties into Sophocles’ intent for this play.Both Sophocles and Aristotle held to the same moral philosophy of virtue ethics, which isunderpinned by a rule commonly called the “golden mean” (Cunningham 6). The golden mean is inessence the idea of moderation - that virtue is found between two extremes. Stanley B. Cunninghamstates that:Aristotle’s moral philosophy is sometimes referred to as virtue ethics and is based onthe theory of the golden mean. He believed that virtue lay between the extremes ofexcess and deficiency…For example, courage is the middle ground betweencowardice and foolhardiness. Pride is the mean between vanity and humility. (6)Sophocles was also the proponent of the philosophy that “man is the measure of all things.”That is, man himself is adequate to determine what is good (virtue) and to be self-sufficient withoutexterior help (i.e. from the gods). The impact of his viewpoints is evident in the play that he crafted.He portrays negative consequences for those who live at the extremes, believe in the fickle gods, oradhere to forms of non-democratic government (tyranny, etc…). Those who stray from but return tothe principles of reason and virtue are saved, but those who are steadfast in their passions and causesperish. Sophocles’ intent with Antigone was to urge people think and challenge the old norms andtraditions around them.The antithesis of Sophocles’ philosophy is the lead character that he created, Antigone. She isa child born into a cursed family and is a rebel by circumstance and choice. Her name literally means“born against,” and she lives up to it (Woodruff xvi). The reason for her passion in the play is theI1Johnson: Sophocles' <em>Antigone</em>: Tragedy as Satire?Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 200974prohibition by Creon, her uncle and the ruler of Thebes, to bury her treasonous brother, Polyneices.She is a ardent believer in the old gods, and believes that the unwritten laws of the gods and of justiceprevail over any rule that man can make:What laws? [referring to Creon’s edict not to bury Polyneices] I never heard it wasZeus who made that announcement. And it wasn’t justice, either. The gods belowdidn’t lay down this law for human use. And I never thought your announcementscould give you-a mere human being-power to trample the gods’ unfailing unwrittenlaws…they live for all time… (Sophocles 450-458)1.One of the reasons for Antigone’s demise in the play is that she constantly lives at theextremes of behavior. She believes that the gods have cursed her family, and as a result thinks shemust pay the debt to Zeus for her father’s missteps (Sophocles 2-3). This is why she throws all herbeing into this crusade for her dead brother; she thinks that she is destined to die, and in her mind,and it would be best to sacrifice herself for a worthy cause. Simply put, Sophocles mocks her asdeluded. The Chorus in the play supports this interpretation, advising Antigone that “You’ve gonetoo far! You are extreme, impetuous. My child, you caught your foot and fell…” (Sophocles 853-854). Antigone has clearly not kept on the virtuous path, straying from the ideal of the golden mean,and living at the extremes of emotion and action. Sophocles satirically illustrates her unpredictabilityand volatility, and almost makes her seem unstable at times. However, is there something in her thatwe can admire? Indeed - her resolve in the face of death and despair is laudable. She is noble andpassionate, making her characteristics almost covetable. In critiquing his own philosophy, Aristotleeven said that some values and virtues are not conducive to the compromise required by hisphilosophy (Cunningham 6). And I think this is the case with Antigone. She portrays qualities thatare rarely seen in one person, but in the end she is too much for herself and is overcome by her ownemotional volatility, like a volcano, ending her life in cowardly fashion rather than suffering.Creon, the ruler of Thebes, was a reasonable man, but has become tyrannical in recent times.His edict that prohibits the treasonous Polyneices from being buried ignites a family struggle thatessentially pits everyone else against him. Before this situation arose, Creon had not been particularlyheadstrong. He had frequently listened to the wisdom of Tiresias, the blind prophet, when makingdecisions (Sophocles 993-995). He consulted with others and asked their advice. However, in anunwise move, he decrees that Polyneices should not be buried at all because he had committedtreason, leading a foreign army against Thebes. In Athens, Sophocles’ city, it was lawful to forbid theburial of traitors in Athenian territory. This provision then allowed for the burial of traitors outside ofAthens. Similar laws existed in the other city-states, like Thebes, as well (Holt 663). The Athenianswatching the performance of Antigone, then, would have been familiar with this law. Creon,however, orders that Polyneices cannot be buried anywhere, and that he should lie exposed where hefell, to be ravaged by the birds and dogs. This order goes far and above the limits of the law and ofreason, and ignites the passion of Antigone. Creon has just taken his first step in becoming a tyrant -he believes that he is the absolute authority, and that people should blindly follow him, whether hiscommands are right or wrong (Sophocles 663-667). Sophocles ladles some of his most scathingcriticism on Creon (and tyrants in general) throughout the play. He exaggerates their vices and showstheir blatant stubbornness. Creon’s inflexibility is illustrated when Haemon, his son, and thebetrothed husband of Antigone, confronts him and tries to convince him that he must bend, and allowPolyneices to be buried:Don’t keep on saying that this, and nothing else, is right…You’ve seen trees tossedby a torrent in a flash flood: if they bend, they’re saved, and every twig survives, butit they stiffen up, they’re washed out from the roots (Sophocles 712-714).Haemon appeals to Creon the he must come back toward the mean of wisdom from theextreme of power; otherwise he will fall, just like a tree. Before this conversation, Creon had decidedto kill Antigone by sealing her in a cave, and even after this passionate plea by Haemon, carries2ESSAI, Vol. 7 [2009], Art. 25http://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol7/iss1/2575through on his plans, only to have a change of heart soon after giving the order. He hurries to theunderground chamber, only to witness a grief stricken and raging Haemon end his life at the feet ofAntigone, who had hung herself not moments before. These events, along with the grief-motivatedsuicide of his wife, break Creon, bringing him back to moderation of virtue. He finally bends, and issaved. He admits that these senseless deaths were the fault of his “bad judgment” and the “sins of astubborn mind” (Sophocles 1269, 1261). He is humbled by his experiences and comes away betterfor it.  For the majority of the story, Creon had not been a virtuous ruler, but Sophocles showed that itis possible to return to a virtuous life - all hope is not lost. Through the tragedy and satire, hopeshines through.The tragical aspects of Antigone are undeniable. Sophocles, however, did not just want theviewers of his play to walk away in tears – he wanted them to think about the views and choices ofthe characters. And that is where the satire enters. He used satire guised as tragedy to stir theaudience to thought and awaken their minds to the benefits of his philosophy. Sophocles’ masterfulplaywriting makes it clear that if people continue to believe in and practice the old ways of life anddo not live in moderation, dire consequences are inevitable. However, once the audience realizestheir mistakes, he doesn’t leave them hanging. He shows them a way out, a life preserver. Hedemonstrates that no matter how far to the extremes you have gone, redemption is possible.Notes1As this play is not divided into distinct acts and scenes, the play will be referenced using linenumbers.Works CitedBattin, M. Pabst. “Aristotle’s Definition of Tragedy in the Poetics.” Journal of Aesthetics and ArtCriticism 33.2 (Winter 1974): 293-302. EBSCO. College of DuPage Library. 20 April 2009 <http://0-search.ebscohost.com.lrc.cod.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=7657453&site=ehost-live>Cunningham, Stanley B. “Getting it Right: Aristotle's ‘Golden Mean’ as Theory Deterioration.”Journal of Mass Media Ethics 14.1 (1999): 5-15. EBSCO. College of DuPage Library. 20April 2009 <http://0-search.ebscohost.com.lrc.cod.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=2201104&site=ehost-live>Holt, Phillip. “Polis and Tragedy in the Antigone.” Mnemosyne 52.6 (December 1999): 658-690.EBSCO. College of DuPage Library. 20 April 2009 < http://0-search.ebscohost.com.lrc.cod.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=2697447&site=ehost-live>Sophocles. Antigone. Trans., with Introduction and Notes by Paul Woodruff. Indianapolis: Hackett,2001: 1-58.Woodruff, Paul. Introduction. Sophocles. Antigone. Trans., with Introduction and Notes by PaulWoodruff. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2001: vii-xxvii.3Johnson: Sophocles' <em>Antigone</em>: Tragedy as Satire?Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2009

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