Post date: Sep 12, 2016 3:05:42 AM
Antigone is fascinating. Not only is she a powerful woman featured in a play written before feminism was even a twinkle in Western culture's metaphorical eye, but she's a woman who stands up for her beliefs against a ruler who would (and does) condemn her. In this sense, Antigone is the heroine of the play, she is ultimately viewed as in the right and, more obviously, the play itself is named after her. Conversely, Antigone never seems to evolve or change, something that is expected (at least nowadays) of a hero. Constantly she is firm in her beliefs, and dies for her beliefs. The audience doesn't see Antigone grow into her beliefs, nor do we see her falter. Instead we slowly come around to Antigone's world view and see her as in the right when contrasted with Creon. Antigone doesn't change, but we do. She has that effect on everyone. The people of Thebes see her actions as justified while they condemn Creon's decree. Creon's own son eventually sides with Antigone and the Seer Tiresias persuades Creon to see that Antigone's actions were in line with what Divine Law would want.
In this way, I view Antigone as changeless, almost like the deathless gods. She is the most inhuman in her actions, with her inability to change or develop as the play progresses. She's a heroine not just because her actions are noble and just but because she follows the gods's commands and wishes above those of the temporal world. Antigone shows both her audience and her fellow characters that living by the gods' laws must always take precedence over living by society's rules and expectations. Antigone practiced civil disobedience before Thoreau made it cool. Even if she died for her beliefs, she ultimately won in the battle of whims against Creon's pride and stubbornness.