Published: December 2020, Issue 38


Keywords:
Sonia Lazaridis, Antigone, Grief, Mourning, Creon, Siblings, Logic, Feeling, Intuition, Woman, Tragedy, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Unconscious, Moral Law, Polis (City), State, Socrates, Aristotle, Freud, Bion, Winnicott, Loewald.

Lazaridi Sonia

Clinical Psychologist, teaching analyst, Karolou Dill 25, 54623 Thessaloniki, 2310-286023, 6974056295, ainasofia05@hotmail.com

Abstract

Sonia Lazaridi combines Antigone, her mourning and revolution, with psychoanalysis delving into the human psyche's depths; philosophy reflecting, the social gaze completing complexity and Tragedy connecting to ancient roots and contemporary agonies. A speech at the North Hellenic Psychoanalytic Society, in the winter of 2020 – the year of COVID-19.

The story of Sophocles' Antigone begins with the decree issued by the new king of Thebes, Creon, after the victory of Thebes against Argos.

The king demands from the citizens to pay tribute and glory to the dead Eteoklis who fell fighting for his homeland, while forbidding the burial of his brother Polynices who acted as a traitor to the city.

Antigone informed about this decree, is calling for her sister Ismene to ask her to bury their dead brother. Soon she realizes that she has no help to wait for, so she decides to act on her own.

She insists boldly that she had better follow the unwritten, sacred laws of gods which have eternal power, defying mortal Creon's decree, who represents the voice of power, claiming that what is good for the city stands above everything.

When Oedipus' young daughter is arrested, Creon denies any opposite opinion, insists dogmatically in his own point of view and decides to punish her by death penalty burring her alive in a rocky cave. In vain Haemon, his son, and Antigone's betrothed, is trying to convert him.

During the conflict, the chorus of older men, king's advisors are present, whose role is important as they reinforce the features of both the protagonists.

Antione's punishment is now inevitable, and her destiny predetermined. She is guided to death far from everyone. But Antigone is not the only one who is punished. Creon's punishment follows her death through a series of deaths: those of his son Haemon and his mother's Eurydice.

Creon reaches the top of his own tragedy, and the story ends, proving that the arrogant words lead human to catastrophe as the chorus observe aptly.