Quote:
“Creon. And you were about to throw it away… A moment ago, when we were quarreling, you said I was drinking in your own words. I was. But it wasn’t you I was listening to; it was a lad named Creon who lived here in Thebes many years ago. He was thin and pale, as you are. His mind, too, was filled with thoughts of self-sacrifice… Be happy. Life flows like water, and you young people let it run away through your fingers. Shut your hands; hold on to it, Antigone. Life is not what you think it is.” (41).
Commentary:
Creon is an understanding character that focuses on redirecting Antigone’s self-sabotaging thoughts in order to keep less personal losses from his reign over Thebes as in Antigone by Anouilh. Through the use of flashbacks, the author is able to show the nature of Antigone from Creon’s point of view. Based on the way Creon explains things, he is characterized by his thoughtfulness towards life. Metaphors also enhanced the way Creon elucidates on the importance of it. These specific elements and their effects on the reader help define character personalities and foreshowing.
In the first half of the passage Creon thinks back to an earlier part of his life from a different perspective. He mentions this in the quote, “But it wasn’t you I was listening to; it was a lad named Creon who lived here in Thebes many years ago. He was thin and pale, as you are. His mind, too, was filled with thoughts of self-sacrifice…” (lines 4-6). By using the words “thin and pale” one can assume that, that individual has almost nothing to lose. This initial analysis suggests that he had learned something about life that caused him to rethink his plans on “self-sacrifice”. The fact that Creon had lived to tell this to Antigone also shows that he had given life a second thought (or second chance). Through this act, he developed patience to find what his daily motivations were in order to continue on. Antigone, on the other hand, desires a proper burial for Polynices knowing the current consequences for doing so. Instead, she had continued with her actions instead of letting matters settle before planning. Patience is one of the traits that Antigone lacked, which led to her eventual demise.
Once Creon explains his thoughts to another character, he begins to use a simple philosophy of life. The experiences Creon had gained, led him to realize that “life is not what you think it is” (line 10). This automatically gives Antigone a purpose to live for. From the quote, one can also assume that Creon is attempting to grasp a greater idea of life. Earlier in the passage, he mentions, “Be happy.” (line 7). Despite the length of this phrase, it shows that he is relentless in supporting plain ideas in the context of self-sacrifice. The author characterizes him this way to foil Antigone’s imminent desire of death.
Adding on to the idea of life, Creon uses supporting metaphors in order to help Antigone comprehend his way of thinking. When he refers to the previous quarrel he mentions, “you said I was drinking in your own words” (line 2). This line gives us the sense that Creon was only supporting Antigone’s desire to die. Creon brings this up to parallel this thought process when he was a child. Later in the passage, he explains that, “Life flows like water, and you young people let it run away through your fingers. Shut your hands; hold on to it, Antigone.” (line 8-9). This suggests that Anouilh is using water as a measure of time. Water, being an invaluable substance, is squandered when it is not contained properly. When he mentions that one has to, “shut your hands; hold on to it”, he is merely telling her to increase her possible lifespan by focusing on life and vitality. It is the nature of water to escape through cracks and crevices which shows that despite not being able to live life infinitely. Due to this nature, water can escape through the crevices of a cupped hand, suggesting that time moves on.
The author effectively uses flashbacks, characterization, and metaphors in order to convey the overarching theme that life’s unique qualities can shape a person’s experience. This is reflected throughout the passage to suggest that some characters are affected by the idea of self-sacrifice. These elements are utilized by the author to represent the mindset of Antigone and Creon while maintaining a certain society.
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