Antigone – a tragedy by Sophocles performed by the BSX at the Black Swan Theatre in Subiaco, Western Australia.

Last night I was treated to a visit to the theatre by a friend whose little sister has the lead role in the production we were to see. The review in the local paper was very good so I was looking forward to seeing a “Real Greek Play” like the ones I have been reading about in my fossicking around amongst the Greek myths and legends.
Antigone’s story is not an easy one to understand. Not only is she the offspring of an incestuous union, but her mother commits suicide, her father mutilates himself in shame, her brothers end up killing each other, her sister deserts her and her uncle condemns her to death. But the real drama comes from her decision to honour her dead brother despite the fact that he brought an army against their city.

What I find intriguing about the story is that it is as much about modern “whistle-blowers” as it is about a girl in ancient times obeying an older ‘law’ rather than the dictates of the current authorities. At various points observation is made that the audience, as “men of Thebes”, is also divided in its response to the directives to leave the son of the unfortunate Oedipus unburied and prey to the scavengers. Even Ismene, Antigone’s sister responds at first that they are ‘only women’ and as such cannot challenge the status quo of King Creon’s order.
Yet Antigone knows that this is the right thing to do, and because of her intransigence in going ahead with her vision, and because of her uncle’s immovability of purpose, the only members of the family left standing at the end are Ismene and Creon, neither of whom is very happy!

Whistle-blowers are also stuck in the situation of challenging the status quo, and frequently they are cast out like Antigone vilified for having obeyed the Spirit of the law which encourages the best in all of us, rather than complying with the letter of the law that can allow the wrong-doing to be “got away with”, sometimes for very long periods of time. Unfortunately, like Antigone, modern whistle-blowers also find that their casting out can also lead to death. Often the death of the hope of future employment as having once been tarred as someone who is willing to challenge the status quo, they may be regarded as potential trouble makers in subsequent employment. This can lead to suicide and the death of relationships in the family of the whistle-blower as time goes by and they struggle to come to terms with the choices they have made. It is not easy to be a challenger of the status quo, especially if one is “just” an ordinary person with little or no power.
Antigone faces this when towards the latter part of the play she calls herself Hades’ bride (Death’s bride), an implication that she accepts that she is going to die. Mind you, she makes it clear to her sister that she is more than willing to risk it to honour her brother “… fruit of the same womb that bore them …” right from the start of the play!

In ancient times this play would have been performed as part of the rights of Dionysus, where all the people watching the plays would have been aware of whom and why the Gods were called on in the play; all the stories that they were raised on that filled in the back-story of why the Furies would have been stirred by this sad tale, and why it was that this family was so cursed.
Watching it last night on a stage most effectively constructed of a bed of salt (ancient and sacred symbol of earth and purification) and a single door that stood for Creon’s palace and Antigone’s tomb and performed by a troupe of young people, there was a sense that for some present the Gods were paying attention again to those massive concepts for which they are labelled. Yet it was also obvious that for others there was little understanding of why Antigone would want to make sure that her brother’s body was treated respectfully, especially as the authorities represented by King Creon’s dictate had said Polynices was to go unburied.
This all leads to the personal question of what would I do in the same situation. All too frequently I fear I am like Ismene who complies with the authority of her uncle, even though she knows it is wrong in the wider scheme of things and that both her brothers should be buried decently. Yet I would like to have the conviction of Antigone when she stands up and says that to leave the dead unburied is offensive.