Gods In Antigone

While some may argue the Gods have nothing to do with the tragic events in Antigone, various pieces of evidence indicate that the Gods are ultimately responsible for the various tragedies in the play Antigone. Throughout the play many tragedies occur, the most prominent being the deaths of Haemon, Eurydice and most importantly, Antigone. Many analyzers of Greek Tragedies say King Creon is to blame for the tragedies, since he plays a major role in the disagreements among characters. However, one can not fully support that argument without a proper understanding of the role the Gods played in greek society at the time of the play.

Throughout Antigone and numerous other Greek tragedies, characters make references to the God’s and their state

A prophecy is a prediction or prognosis of one's future. The prophecy is typically assigned by a god and revealed through humans. Perhaps the most well known prophecy is the prophecy of Jesus Christ: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel'--which means, 'God with us.' - Matthew 1:22-23. Most prophecies are fulfilled over time, such as the prophecy of Oedipus. In the play: Oedipus the King, Oedipus receives the prophecy that he will marry his mother leading to a horrible future. This prophecy is carried out in Oedipus the King despite Oedipus’s various attempts to deny it. If prophecies are created by gods and can not be denied by humans, the gods must be fully responsible for the outcomes of prophecies. The following quote by Antigone supports the fact that prophecies are made by gods and carried out by humans: “Yes, was it not Zeus that made the proclamation; nor did Justice, which live those below, enact such laws as that, for mankind.” (page 198, line 494.) In the case of Antigone, the gods are responsible for the prophecy of Creon’s misfortune and Antigone's death.

The human interpretations of the feelings and emotions of the gods directly impact the behaviors and lifestyle of humans. This can be seen in Antigone when Sophocles says: “We prayed to Hecate, goddess of the crossroads, and also to Pluto that they might restrain their anger and turn kind.” (page 227, line 1275.) This is an example of a plea to the gods, asking them to have mercy on Creon, despite actual evidence of how the gods feel. The angry emotions associated with the gods reactions to wrongdoings causes the people to pray for the well being and safety of their king and