Oedipus 'Vengeance In Sophocles' Antigone

“Fortunate is the man who has never tasted God’s vengeance!” (Sophocles, pg. 215) this statement is about fate, where it is trying to pity Creon as the God’s will curse him because of his unjust law. Although the quote implies “men” Antigone, who is the daughter and sister of Oedipus, is also pitted because the gods have cursed the family. Both Creon and Antigone are unfortunate human beings because the gods are punishing them.

Also, due to past disastrous event, specifically when Oedipus killed his father and married his mother, it had angered the gods and cursed the Oedipus’ family. This is evident in the following quote: “Where once the anger of heaven has struck, that house is shaken” (Sophocles, pg.215). It can also reference the gods have the ability to cause great trouble to a person or family.

Furthermore, this stanza, once again, implies that the gods will take revenge and bring hardship to the Oedipus’ family members. Especially may be referring to the fate of the Oedipus’ children, foreshadowing a curse that will continue to haunt Antigone. As the Oedipus’ children are paying for the wrongdoers in the family.

This creates a metaphor, which provides a perspective on the over-whelming powers of the vengeance and the gods. The image of an enormous, unstoppable wave, “like a wave cresting of the black northeast” (Sophocles, pg.215) reinforces that the Oedipus children cannot escape from this punishment. This also provides a visual imagery of the events taking place in Scene II and the future happenings for Antigone. Also, “wind whipped sand” (Sophocles, pg.215) associates to the Oedipus’ family that have previously encountered the hardship and the death of Oedipus, his father, and his mother. This may foreshadow that other Oedipus’ relatives such as Antigone will have more obstacles and challenges