The Faith of Atigone

Emily, I'm glad you made this point.

Antigone's strength was not a manifestation of obstinence, but of faith. Indeed, the source of her strength was her clear vision and her alignment with godly morals. With such clarity, the choice was already made for her. With such a resolve, imbued with moral authority, she was at peace, and this made her indomitable. Antigone reminds her sister:

"I shall rest, a loved one with him whom I have loved, sinless in my crime; for I owe a longer allegiance to the dead than to the living: in that world I shall abide for ever. But if thou wilt, be guilty of dishonouring laws which the gods have stablished in honour." (3).

I revel in Antigone's boldness. With God on her side, all foes to her peace and purpose shrink to puny insignificance. She declares unabashedly to the king:

"I am not grieved. And if my present deeds are foolish in thy sight, it may be that a foolish judge arraigns my folly." (11).

"But royalty, blest in so much besides, hath the power to do and say what it will." (11).

I also revel in the great power of Antigone's mind, in her power of reason as she debates the king (Once aligned with God, all other approaches pale, and the disparity is blatantly clear). When the king asks if she knew about his edict, she replies:

"Yes; for it was not Zeus that had published me that edict; not such are the laws set among men by the justice who dwells with the gods below; nor deemed I that thy decrees were of such force, that a mortal could override the unwritten and unfailing statutes of heaven. For their life is not of to-day or yesterday, but from all time..." (10).

Is she strong because she stood against a male regime, or because she stood with her god?