A Few Good Quotes

Antigone:

There is a lot I can say about Antigone. I will keep to posting a quote and replying right after it. That is how I reacted to the text after all. Also, it reflects my thought patterns accurately. So, enjoy:

“We have to keep this fact in mind: We are women and we do not fight with men. We’re subject to them because they’re stronger, and we must obey this order, even if it hurts us more. As for me, I will say to those beneath the earth this prayer: ‘forgive me, I am held back by force.’ And I’ll obey the men in charge. My mind will never aim too high, too far.” (ISMENE 3) 

This is some cowardly shit. It is a very nice excuse for inaction. It is even appears justified. But really: you always have a choice. Your ‘character’ comes out in moments like this. Ismene’s character is frightened. I guess it is rightly so but that does not excuse her inaction. She does not stop at explaining her chicken shit behaviour. She moves on to bash Antigone over the head for wanting to do what is right. She implies, in the last line there, that Antigone is aiming too high and too far. This, as all Greek tragedy can testify to, is not a good idea. Antigone is hardly driven by personal gain and hubris. Her weakness, if any, is that she is too good for her place. And I don’t mean her place in society. I mean her place on the planet. This world she is trapped in is not good enough for her. If it were the play would read much differently if it would be written at all. If I were Antigone, I would slap that bitch Ismene in the face when she said the last line. Hey, she probably wouldn’t retaliate so it’s a free hit.

“You’ll be more enemy to me if you are silent.” (ANTIGONE 4) 

This is so true. If I walk over to the coffee shop, find some random guy, and start kicking the shit out of him for no good reason while his 4 friends look on and do nothing, what do you think he will say to his friends if he survives? I bet he doesn’t say ‘hey guys, its ok, I know you probably didn’t have much of a choice’. And if he did say that I’d kick his ass again for being a moron. Nothing is quite so aggravating as silent onlookers to pain.

“Have you ever seen a criminal honored by the gods?” (CREON 12) 

I haven’t seen anyone honored by the gods. I have, however, seen criminals prosper down here on earth. In fact, I’ve seen non-criminals suffer more than criminals. I might be tempted to argue that it is better to be a criminal than not.

“Money is the nastiest weed ever to sprout in human soil…It is the source of every shameful human deed. Money points the way to wickedness” (CREON 12) 

I’m not certain what the root of every shameful human deed is, but I am certain that money is no good.  We do plenty of bad stuff without a thought about money. But when money is involved we’ll do just about anything for our fair share and more.