Fate In Sophocles Antigone

Sophocles's Antigone and How It Relates to Its Greek Audience Throughout history, cultures have developed different beliefs and values about their lives. In the literary world, authors often use their audience's ideology to develop their works and make them more appealing. Their writings also give future readers a sense of what their society is like. In the play Antigone, Sophocles uses the Greek ideas of "Nothing in excess", the unities, and fate in order to reflect his audience's beliefs of the time. The phrase, "Nothing in excess," is inscribed at the Temple of Delphi as a reminder to the Greeks to not elevate or degrade themselves. In Antigone, both Antigone and Creon violate this principle. Antigone, in the beginning of the play, decides that she will bury Polynices and break Creon's law against it. As she describes her idea to her sister, Ismene cations Antigone, saying "Remember we are women, / we're not born to contend with men" (lines 74-75).

In Antigone, Tiresias warns Creon that he is "poised, / once more, on the razor-edge of fate" (1099-1100) and must bury Polynices before the gods punish him. Creon does not believe his prophecy as he is certain that he is in the right and believes that Tiresias just wants money. Tiresias is angry at Creon's accusation and tells him that before the day is over, he will "have surrendered/ one born of your own loins, [...]/ a corpse for corpses given in return" (1183-1185). Creon finally takes Tiresias's warning seriously and goes to give Polynices a funeral and free Antigone. However, when he goes to release Antigone, he discovers that she has hanged herself and Haemon has found her. Haemon takes his sword and tries to stab his father before killing himself with it instead, fulfilling Tiresias's prophecy. Despite his attempt, Creon could not escape his fate that the gods decided for