Critical Analysis on Antigone
Following good morals according to the gods will not always satisfy the one who
is ruling.
An example of a figurative language shown in Antigone can be seen in this quote, “I'll
take her to some remote place and bury her alive in a rocky hollow… Leave her there alone;
it is her choice whether she lives or dies. Our hands are clean: we leave her in her grave with
food and water. We are only depriving her of the company of the living.” This quote
expresses euphemism. Creon here is stating that Antigone will be taken to a rocky hollow
and that it is up to her to stay alive or die; that his hands are clean whether she lives or dies.
Creon wants for Antigone to die because of what she did but he wants to remain blameless.
What he said was substituted by something that made him look innocent that was not so
direct, because what he truly meant was unpleasant and of course undesirable. Leaving her in
the rocky hollow does not leave his hands clean because he already knows that she is going
to die if she is left there. This is exactly why this quote expresses euphemism, because what
he is meaning is being replaced with something less offensive.
In ‘Antigone’ by Sophocles there are several metaphors, types of euphemism and
similes’ all over. Personification is also in the story and here is an example. “Passion always
wins the fight; Passion ravishes all.” This is a perfect example of personification because
passion cannot actually win a fight; however what is implied is that if a person has passion
they will always succeed in whatever he is fighting for. Passion ravishes all. Passion cannot
ravish anything because it is an emotion however a person that inquires passion within him
can overcome all and ravish all.
An example of Hyperbole stated in this passage of Sophocles was expressed in this
quote of the story, “In Aeschylus, god can confront god and major questions are raised about
conflicting rights. Sophocles shows man confronting god and a world which can never be
knowable. Euripides shows man confronting himself, and sometimes losing the battle.
Sophocles presents us with the hero, and Euripides shows us the antihero.” For some reason I
believe that in this quote is exaggerating a little, when he states the great difference between
Sophocles being the hero, and Euripides being the antihero. When I state that he is
exaggeration, I don’t mean that he is lying for stating this, I truly believe that what he says is
true, but in the way that he states it, makes me think that the author exaggerates a little.