metaphor;
telling Creon
that he is
tampering with
the Fates'
decisions, also
making the gods
unhappy
Antigone Individual Oral Commentary / Lines 970 - 1012
(the seer's divination TEIRESIAS Know that you are walking on the razor edge of fate.
was based off the CREON What is it? How I shudder at your words!
behavior of birds) TEIRESIAS You will know, when you hear the evidence of my art.
As I sat on my ancient seat of augury, where every kind of bird
finds a haven, I heard a strange cry from the birds, screeching
with a terrible, incomprehensible frenzy. I realised that they
were tearing on another with murderous talons; for the
flapping of their wings made that quite clear.
In fear I at once tried burning offerings on blazing altars; but
the god of fire did not glow from the sacrifice. An oozing
moisture dripped from the thigh-pieces onto the embers, and
smoked and spat; the gall was spattered into the air, and the
melting thighs lay bare of the fat that had covered them. This I
learned from the boy here, that my augury had failed, and that
my rites gave no answers; for he is my guide, as I am guide to
others. And it is through your decision that the city is sick. Our
altars and all our hearths are polluted with the carrion of birds
and dogs, from that ill-fated fallen son of Oedipus. So the gods
"obdurate" no longer accept prayer and sacrifice from us, nor the flame of
stubbornly refusing to roasted thigh-pieces, nor does any bird shriek a cry that we can
one's form of action. understand, now they have fed on the fat of a dead man’s
blood.
So think about this, my son. Mistakes are common to all men;
but when a man makes a mistake, he is not foolish or doomed
to failure if, after falling into trouble, he finds the remedy,
valour = courage; there
instead of remaining obdurate. Stubbornness brings the charge
is no courage in what
of stupidity.
Creon does
Yield to the dead man; do not stab him when he has fallen.
What valour is there in killing the dead again? With good will
towards you I give you good advice. Nothing is sweeter than
"good will
learning from one who speaks well, if he speaks to your
towards you,"
advantage.
"if he speaks
CREON Old man, you all shoot at me like archers: I am your
to your
target, and not immune even from your prophetic art. I have
advantage" long been trafficked by your type, treated as merchandise. Take
Teiresias is
your profit, trade, if you wish, with the silver-gold of Sardis
willing to
and the gold of India. But you will not bury that man in a
help Creon
tomb, not even if the eagles of Zeus care to plunder the carrion
body and take it to the throne of Zeus; not even in fear of that
pollution will I allow him to be buried. I know well that no
human has the power to defile the gods. The clever of men,
aged Teiresias, fall into shameful ruin when they make elegant
Doesn't hesitate to
defy the gods and
but shameful speeches for their own advantage.
970
an offering made to
the gods so that
the seer would
know their
attitude; the
offering was not
accepted = the
anger of the gods
annouce it.
Notes
- Teiresias talks of hubris; specifically Creon's hubris.
- Creon starts to turn around and see his mistakes.
- Wisdom is far more important than any other trait.
- Important passage because of relationship to Creon's hubris.
975
the form of
sacrifice; using
sheep's fatty thighs
980
Creon's fault and decisions caused
the sickness in the city (the
pollution in the birds, etc.)
985
(in context): Oedipus' curse
is ruining the lives of the
family he left behind
990
HUBRIS
995
Teiresias' general messages: "yield,"
and just let go of the whole thing;
"do not hurt more that who has
already been hurt enough"
1000
in Creon's mind, everyone is after him, he
can't escape the seer's prophecies
1005
Under no circumstances
will Creon allow
Polyneices to be buried.
1010
when men try to make long
speeches or talk their way to get
things, they usually fail
hugely ironic: CREON also talks a
lot and makes mighty speeches but
really he's nothing; almost all his
speeches were to his advantage