Nicholas Marra
Professor Avra Spector
English 2800
22 May 2017
Antigone and Modern American Democracy
Throughout Sopchocles’ play, Antigone, a major leitmotif is the struggle of politics through the structure of the Greek city state. Antigone, the protagonist, fights her uncle, King Creon, by disobeying his command in grabs for power. Although uncommon for females to have political influence at the time (Robinson 300), Antigone goes against social norms and does what she feels is right by disobeying the king’s orders and giving her brother a proper burial. When Antigone is brought to Creon for questioning, she is sentenced to banishment for her actions. In the US, people who are tried for crimes against the state are judged by their peers, through the process of due process. Looking through political authority in the United States, democracy in a modern interpretation could have allowed for a more just outcome for Antigone’s final judgment in the play.
Democracy, as defined by the United States Department of State website, “promotes such fundamental American values as religious freedom and worker rights, but also helps create a more secure, stable, and prosperous global arena” (Democracy – U.S. Department of State). These ideas are based from the US Constitution (The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription). In the United States, the three forms of government are controlled through a system of checks and balance, not allowing one branch of government to become too powerful. They consist of: executive branch, being the president, the legislative branch, being congress and senate, and the judicial branch, being the Supreme Court. In Antigone, lines 320-400, Antigone is brought to Creon after being caught covering her brother again with dirt. Creon first condemns her to death, and then changes her sentence to be banished and locked away in a vault, absolving the state of responsibility. If one looks at the crimes of Antigone through an American political view, the roles would change. Instead of King Creon having the power of judge and jury, he would act as the executive branch, and the judiciary branch would handle this matter. Under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution, all citizens are giving the right of due process, or protection of a person’s right against the federal government (Due Process) and to a fair and speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment (The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription). Antigone would be represented by counsel, to avoid incriminating herself. All citizens in the United States that are arrested must be read their Miranda rights, stating the suspect has “the right to remain silent, anything you [suspect] may say or do can be held against you in a court of law. You [suspect] have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you (Miranda Rights). After Antigone was arrested, she incriminated herself when Creon asked her if she committed the crime and she stated she did in line 353. Additionally, she would have been tried by a jury, overseen by a judge, and the state would be represented by a district attorney (Due Process).
Antigone argued the reasoning for covering her brother was religious. The Bill of Rights in the US Constitution includes the freedom to practice one’s own religion. Her actions would be evaluated by a group of jury members that would interpret the law. Further, this law instated by the King (in this case the President), not to bury Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, would violate the First Amendment of the Establishment Clause. Under the Establishment Clause, set under the precedent of Lemon vs. Kurtzman, the US government cannot promote or prevent religious practices, and there can be no liaison between church and state (First Amendment and Religion). Furthermore, under the Fourteenth Amendment, all citizens of the US are protected against the act of entrapment by government agents. In lines 324-350, Sentry explains to Creon how he and his men uncovered Polyneices’ body and waited for somebody to arrive, “…for it is a good thing to escape from death, but it is no great pleasure to bring death to a friend. Yet I always say there is nothing so comfortable as your own safe skin.” It is evident here that Sentry and his men set Antigone up, not for justice, but rather to “save his own skin”.
Conversely, however, one can see the beginning ideas of American democracy in Antigone. In lines 554-559, during the discussion between Haimon and Creon, Haimon describes how what Antigone has done is not a crime, but it is honorable – as viewed by the people of the city. Line 597 is a perfect example of an idea from American democracy through checks and balances “Haimon: It is no City if it takes orders from one voice”. This can be viewed as an example of freedom of speech in the First Amendment (First Amendment and Religion). Further, line 583, is a representation of checks and balances, the people are telling the King to listen to his son and the people, while at the same time, the people are telling Haimon he should listen to Creon. If they had listened to this advice, this equal balance would have allowed for a better outcome for Antigone and Haimon, and the state overall.
Antigone is a play of political struggle through divine judgment and unfair treatment of characters through religious persecution; but also excuses for grasps of power between Antigone and her uncle, King Creon. Antigone saw the opportunity to go against the king, knowing the consequences, thus defying him for a power tussle. Looking through the lense of the political system of the United State of America, after Antigone was caught committing her crime against the state, she would have been given the right to be tried fairly by her peers. Her peers would decide whether or not her actions were justifiable, and according to the US Constitution, they would have been. The question arises about gender role, and how Antigone’s actions were revolutionary, going against societal norms of the time.
Works Cited
“The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription.” National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, Web. 22 May 2017.<https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript creon>
“Democracy.” U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State. Web. 22 May 2017.<https://www.state.gov/j/drl/democ/>
“Due Process.” LII / Legal Information Institute. 06 Aug. 2007. Web. 22 May 2017. <https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/due_process>
“First Amendment and Religion.” United States Courts. Web. 22 May 2017. <http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/first-amendment-and-religion>
“Miranda Rights.” Miranda Rights. Web. 22 May 2017. <http://www.mirandarights.org/>
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Robinson, Eric W. Ancient Greek Democracy: Readings and Sources. Malden. Blackwell, 2005. Print.
Sophocles, Dudley Fitts, and Robert Fitzgerald. The Antigone of Sophocles; an English Version by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1939. Print.