Antigone: a reference for revolution
The act of revolution, as well as the feelings of disagreement, oppression and injustice, directly associated with this, represent a constant in the history of humanity and in a certain way, they encapsulate behaviors inherent to the human being such as struggle, cooperation and search of freedom. In this way, the revolution has become a central axis in countless stories and has been embodied by endless characters.
A character to stand out in the endless list of figures associated with the concept of revolution is Antigone, protagonist of the work with the same name. In this text, it is intended to make a brief analysis of this character and the factors that influence their actions, in order to identify the discrepancies between them and the ideal of revolution through a contrast between the two, as well as a comparison with Polycarpa Salavarrieta , a paradigmatic representative of the spirit of the Colombian revolution and independence process.
To this end in mind, it is appropriate to clarify the concept of revolution; For this purpose, the Royal Spanish Academy (2019) will be used, which defines revolution as follows: “Deep change, generally violent, in the political and socio -economic structures of a national community.”(Para. two.). From this appointment, a detail can be extracted that will be important later in the analysis of Antigone, said detail is the intention of the revolutionary act, which must reside in the search for a change for a community and therefore must pretend to solve a situation that harms or affects a population group and not only a few individuals. This constitutes the first discrepancy between Antigone and the paradigm of the revolution.
Starting from the above, Antigone is understood from two perspectives: as part of the work and from the act that defines it, both aspects of the character that are considered when calling it revolutionary.
One of the main reasons why Antigone is sustained as a revolutionary banner, is the transgression that represents in the field of literature of ancient Greece, where heroism used to reserve for men. According to the above, Antigone is seen as a young heroine who acts in the name of the good despite the fact that the laws of man prevent it. This is the position of authors such as Guyomard (2005) who says:
Antigone is, in every sense of the word, absolutely contemporary. She mixes and subverts the usual provisions of history, of temporality, of all possible from that act that makes it a heroine and puts it on stage (p. 1).
The involvement of positions like this is that the character of Antigone revolutionizes the social sphere significantly incorporating women into the literature of the time. Where this position is wrong, it is to assume the intention of Sophocles when molding the character.
Regarding the author’s intention, it is fallacious to assume that Antigone represents an effort to include or empower women. On the contrary, it seems clear that the character of the character was determined by the relationships already previously established in Oedipus Rey and Oedipus in Colono, as well as their implications in the narrative of the work. For example, if not for her sex, in the context of ancient Greece, Antigone would have risen to power after her brothers’ death, thus being able to avoid any affront against the corpse of polynices. This approach, eliminates the object of conflict from the work and creates a narrative need that forces the author to assign the female gender to the character. On the other hand, and perhaps more disappointing, it is the role that Antigona’s genre plays in the subtext of the work, where it serves as a mockery and as a tool to add a comic appearance to the tragic treated premise. Again examining the cultural field of ancient Greece, you can see how the figure of a young woman, trying to win in a crossed heroic to maintain the decrees of the gods and that, ultimately, dies on behalf of it, unleashing tragedy for Those who surround it, more than a parody of the traditional heroes of the time. Thus, in the eyes of a deeply macho and exclusive audience with the woman, Antigone tells the story of an imprudent teenager, looking for greatness in a heroism that, how woman, she does not correspond to her. With the above, an intention of mockery can be evidence.
Regardless of what is thought about the character of Antigone, it is clear that her acts take a leading role in the development of the narrative of the work. These are at least transgressors and are usually seen as an act of revolution against the system, however, it is vital to analyze them in depth to objectively glimpse the factors that are part of this and how they relate to the end of the writing.
While it is clear that Antigone and her actions are directly faced with the established political power, in the same way that it would be expected of an alleged revolutionary act, there is a significant distance between an act of rebellion, such as Antigona’s and a true fact of revolution. This difference is born from the intention of the act and the end pursue.
With the above, it is appropriate to remember the definition presented at the beginning of the text, as regards the concept of revolution and the clarifications given in this regard. Among them, it is worth highlighting the importance of pursuing a common good and pretending a change in favor of a community. This is precisely what separates Antigone from the revolutionary ideal, his work does not seek more than his own interests; He did not intend to achieve a good for his fellow citizens, neither did he seek to impose a new system that was fairer, on the contrary, he only faces the legitimate power to achieve a benefit in his favor and in his family. Being things like that, Antigone lacks that foundation that pushes the revolutions and, therefore, she cannot be considered revolutionary in her work.
Now, having deepened the act that defines the character of Antigone, it is pertinent.
Polycarpa does not keep much documentation, so many aspects of her biography are objects of conjecture and speculation; However, it is well known that she was an essential character for the independence struggle and several particularities of her character are known. The "Pola", like Antigone, comes out of the usual and, in fact, shares with it a seemingly similar personality: bold, with archetypes inclined towards justice and freedom and with a tenacity that could put its ideals on top of his own life.
Despite the important similarities, it is important to clarify that differing from what is considered normal, being a woman with an important role, or even more, going against what is raised, does not determine in itself the importance of each of these characters. In the case of Polycarpa, her revolutionary status is based on the primacy of the common good, which remained invariant through her contributions to the Colombian independence campaign as a spy and parcel of Encomiendas.
Like Antigone, her conviction cost her life, who was shot on November 14, 1817 in Bogotá. Even so, unlike the first, Polycarpa died fighting, not for her, not for her family, but for the freedom of her homeland, perpetuating her name in history as a true revolutionary woman.
To conclude, although it is true that Antigone turns out to be a character other than the typical in the time of ancient Greece, and that he is considered a revolutionary character both by his actions, as for his social importance, such common perceptions in the environment current cultural, or erroneously assume the author’s intention or are based on a very blurred concept of revolution. Ultimately, this situation is better described by Gil (2015) who synthesizes like this: "Perhaps, as in no other piece of the Greek theater, the antigone commentator is exposed to incorrectly understand the author’s intentions" (P.9.).
References
- Royal Spanish Academy. (2019) Revolution. Spanish Language Dictionary Tricentennial Edition [electronic version]. Madrid, Spain: Royal Spanish Academy, https: // dle.RAE.It is/revolution
- Guyomard, p. (2005). Antigone, forever contemporary. Le Malaise Adolescent Dans la Culture, 68-77.
- Gil, l. (2015) Antigone, Bogotá D.C., Colombia: Penguin Random House.
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