When the chorus comes in at line 365, they’re exemplifying the greatness of man in relation to the earth, and subsequently contrasting those achievements with the inevitability of death. They start out by listing the physical obstacles man has overcome; “He crosses to the far side of white seas, blown by winter gales, sailing below huge waves; he wears Earth down… plowing her soil back and forth year after year.” They then transition into the topic of man’s ability to construct, overcome and think; “He has taught himself speech… thought… and all the talents that govern a city; How to take shelter from cold skies or pelting rain… He accepts every challenge.” Once the reader is given the bait, to create this amazing outlook on the human race, they are struck with the reality that the one thing that man has not been able to conquer is Hades, aka death. From here, the chorus gives an existential ultimatum; “When he follows the law Earth teaches him- and Justice, which he’s sworn to the gods he will enforce – He soars with his city. But reckless and corrupt, a man will be driven from his nation disgraced.”
This passage is definitely paralleling the power, and lack thereof, of man to Kreon. Just like in The Odyssey, in which Homer included extended metaphors here and there, Sophocles is analogizing Kreon’s extreme power hunger and belief of self-righteousness to the “indestructibility” of man. The King thinks that he has absolute control over all of his subjects, and can determine whether or not they die at his hands in the name of justice. However, in the eyes of the chorus and impliedly Sophocles, the gods have and always will have absolute power over everything and everyone, including Kreon.
The passage also serves as a contrasting of physical human capability and the ever-strong human mind. As the story goes on, one sees a King become enraged enough over an arbitrary concept, and indirectly cause the suicides of three+ people. Why are we able to overcome such obstacles and still be controlled so strongly by something that isn’t tangible?
Hey Regina,
I like how you phrased your idea in the beginning as, “Once the reader is given the bait…” It signifies that a major shift is coming in the passage, which is when the Chorus discusses how man cannot overpower death. I also found it interesting how you wrote that Kreon becomes enraged over “an arbitrary concept,” and because of this arbitrary concept, tragedy ensues. It works well with the other theme about law and where law comes from in the play. Your post helped me see that this early passage sets up the play as a whole, not just for Antigone herself but also for Kreon and even for Thebes as a whole. All the destruction that has occurred in Thebes, ever since Oedipus’s curse, results partially from dissenting ideas, disagreement, and pride. In Kreon’s case, it’s his insistence that his word is law.
I liked your conclusion here on the gods having absolute power of everything and everyone, and also on the thick-headed nature of humankind. While Kreon intended to keep control of his subjects as a whole with his edict, the carrying-out of his edict destroyed his family and had a far worse effect on his society than he ever could have imagined. While Kreon was right to punish Polyneike’s treason in order to set an example for his people, he should have chosen an action that did not contradict the laws of the gods. It is not right for him to force a person to decide between following the law of the gods or the law of a human. It was unrealistic and ultimately tragic for Kreon to expect that his followers would put own his law above the law of the gods. By Kreon trying to rule over the law of the gods with the intention of keeping a tight control over his society, he lost all control and the fate of the gods prevailed.