IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL while obedience to orders, as the ranks hold straight, saves the limbs and lives of most. (666-76) In all probability the eulogy of the values of order and disci pline in these terms struck a familiar note of appeal for the original audience, even though we can no longer assume that the young Athenians in the theater recognized in Creon's speech specific references to the Attic ephebic oath. Some sort of military training for the service of the state must have een a normal experience for young men of Athens during the mid-fifth century B.C., and the fact that the youthful Haimon is here the recipient of Creon s lecture therefore adds to the seeming appropriateness of Creon's use of military examples But at the same time there are further significances to the imagery and mode of expression in the speech whose effect is to raise suspicion rather than approval for Creon's views. The military images frame the statement of principles and infuse it from both ends to suggest that the final basis, if not the complete purport, of Creon's views here is military This element in the tone of the passage is by all counts anti- thetical to Athenian views of youthful training and the func tion of the state in the fifth century so far as we know them. And the suggestion of a totalitarian basis in the speech further developed by the almost "Freudian slip"whereby Creon betrays a demand for absolute obedience, such as we know only too well to be a characteristic of a military mode of thought when carried beyond its proper provinces. This i where Creon says Whomever the city may establish, this man must be obeyed in small things and just things and things of the opposite sort. (666-7 It is extremely difficult to imagine the original audience feel- ing in complete rapport with this sentiment. And there is no evidence to indicate that they would, or that the poet expected that they would, even though, to be sure, they expected mill tary training for their youths and even though allegiance to the state above their private interests was rightfully de- This content downloaded from 128... 148 on Thu, 23 Mar 201709: 44: 24 UTC Allusesubjecttohttpaboutjstor.org/terms
IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL while obedience to orders, as the ranks hold straight, saves the limbs and lives of most. (666-76)14 In all probability the eulogy of the values of order and discipline in these terms struck a familiar note of appeal for the original audience, even though we can no longer assume that the young Athenians in the theater recognized in Creon's speech specific references to the Attic ephebic oath.15 Some sort of military training for the service of the state must have been a normal experience for young men of Athens during the mid-fifth century B.C., and the fact that the youthful Haimon is here the recipient of Creon's lecture therefore adds to the seeming appropriateness of Creon's use of military examples. But at the same time there are further significances to the imagery and mode of expression in the speech whose effect is to raise suspicion rather than approval for Creon's views. The military images frame the statement of principles and infuse it from both ends to suggest that the final basis, if not the complete purport, of Creon's views here is military. This element in the tone of the passage is by all counts antithetical to Athenian views of youthful training and the function of the state in the fifth century so far as we know them.16 And the suggestion of a totalitarian basis in the speech is further developed by the almost "Freudian slip" whereby Creon betrays a demand for absolute obedience, such as we know only too well to be a characteristic of a military mode of thought when carried beyond its proper provinces. This is where Creon says, Whomever the city may establish, this man must be obeyed in small things and just things and things of the opposite sort. (666-7) It is extremely difficult to imagine the original audience feeling in complete rapport with this sentiment. And there is no evidence to indicate that they would, or that the poet expected that they would, even though, to be sure, they expected military training for their youths and even though allegiance to the state above their private interests was rightfully deThis content downloaded from 128.122.230.148 on Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:44:24 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL manded of them in many aspects of their lives. But to qualify this statement of principles still further within the play there is a noteworthy responsion here to Creon's earlier tion of money(295-3o1). The half-personification of An- archy in these lines clearly echoes expressions used in the earlier instances, so that one is invited again to question the depth of Creon's perceptions into human motivations. The impinging of these two image sequences here seems, indeed, to suggest that Creon's views of law and order in military terms are part of a more far-reaching limitation and inade- In the later parts of the Haimon scene, lesser sustaining ecurrences of the military sequence appear. Haimon in reply g to his father endeavors at first to meet him on his own grounds so far as possible. It is, he says, his natural function as his father’sson to scout out(proskopein) in your behalf all things that men say or do or find to blame.(688-9)8 Creon, however, reacts violently against the information and intelligence which Haimon goes on to report from his observa tion of the dark regions of popular feeling. They flare into open argument in which the confict of autocratic and demo- cratic ideas of government finally become explicit(732-9) And immediately following these lines, Creon again draws on a military metaphor to dismiss his son's democratical no tions as special pleading for Antigone(740) The next recurrence of military images is in th e.士e1res1as scene;all the remaining military metaphors are, in fact, concentrated in this pivotal scene. Here Creon,'s half angry. half disdainful reaction to Teiresias' first warning begins with a simile from bowmen Old man, like bowmen at a target, all of you bend your bows at me; not even by you seers have i been left When Teiresias later is aroused to express his full insight. he uses a parallel simile to conclude his warning to Creon and This content downloaded from 128... 148 on Thu, 23 Mar 201709: 44: 24 UTC Allusesubjecttohttpaboutjstor.org/terms
IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL manded of them in many aspects of their lives. But to qualify this statement of principles still further within the play there is a noteworthy responsion here to Creon's earlier personification of money (295-301). The half-personification of Anarchy in these lines clearly echoes expressions used in the earlier instances, so that one is invited again to question the depth of Creon's perceptions into human motivations.17 The impinging of these two image sequences here seems, indeed, to suggest that Creon's views of law and order in military terms are part of a more far-reaching limitation and inadequacy of view. In the later parts of the Haimon scene, lesser sustaining recurrences of the military sequence appear. Haimon in replying to his father endeavors at first to meet him on his own grounds so far as possible. It is, he says, his natural function as his father's son to scout out (proskopein) in your behalf all things that men say or do or find to blame. (688-9)18 Creon, however, reacts violently against the information and intelligence which Haimon goes on to report from his observation of the dark regions of popular feeling. They flare into open argument in which the conflict of autocratic and democratic ideas of government finally become explicit (732-9). And immediately following these lines, Creon again draws on a military metaphor to dismiss his son's democratical notions as special pleading for Antigone (740). The next recurrence of military images is in the Teiresias scene; all the remaining military metaphors are, in fact, concentrated in this pivotal scene. Here Creon's half angry, half disdainful reaction to Teiresias' first warning begins with a simile from bowmen: Old man, like bowmen at a target, all of you bend your bows at me; not even by you seers have I been left untried. (1033-5)19 When Teiresias later is aroused to express his full insight, he uses a parallel simile to conclude his warning to Creon and This content downloaded from 128.122.230.148 on Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:44:24 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL to drive home the reality of his threats in Creon's own lan Since you provoke me, archer-like and in anger I have sped such [warnings] at you-shafts to pierce the heart and fasten there. Their hot sting you shall not escape. (Io84-6)20 The obvious repetition gives direct point and edge to Teiresias reply, while also providing a link and balance within the this episode the military images which have tended to mark Creon's attitude and policies can also be felt to be reacting against him at the turning point of dramatic action, much as do the images of the monetary and animal patterns. For closely following this exchange, two additional, less ized military expressions appear, as though to reflect former attitude and show its limitations. Both occur cantly, in the crisis of Creon's"recognition"where he seeks to alter his policy and forestall the catastrophe. The first is in his initial comment on Teiresias'angry exit, an expression of fear and self-doubt somewhat vaguely worded I know too well [his proven truthfulness] and my mind is troubled. For to give ground (eikathein) is dire, but to make a stand (antistanta) and bring down the stroke of Calamity upon one' s soul is a dread alternative (I095- Then, less than ten lines later, Creon voices the final military estimate that appears within the play as he decides to yield to Teiresias warnings Alas! But, though it's hard, I turn now from my hearts resolve and do it. One must not fight a hopeless fight (dysmacheteon)against necessity. (IIO5-6) Still partially, but at least in some measure, Creon in these words recognizes at last that the business of personal and civic conduct involves more complex forces and less simple procedures than the kind of ordonnance at which he had This content downloaded from 128... 148 on Thu, 23 Mar 201709: 44: 24 UTC Allusesubjecttohttpaboutjstor.org/terms
IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL to drive home the reality of his threats in Creon's own language: Since you provoke me, archer-like and in anger I have sped such [warnings] at you—shafts to pierce the heart and fasten there. Their hot sting you shall not escape. (1084-6)20 The obvious repetition gives direct point and edge to Teiresias' reply, while also providing a link and balance within the particular exchange of speeches. But at a deeper level, in this episode the military images which have tended to mark Creon's attitude and policies can also be felt to be reacting against him at the turning point of dramatic action, much as do the images of the monetary and animal patterns. For closely following this exchange, two additional, less specialized military expressions appear, as though to reflect Creon's former attitude and show its limitations. Both occur, significantly, in the crisis of Creon's "recognition" where he seeks to alter his policy and forestall the catastrophe. The first is in his initial comment on Teiresias' angry exit, an expression of fear and self-doubt somewhat vaguely worded: I know too well [his proven truthfulness] and my mind is troubled. For to give ground (eikathein) is dire, but to make a stand (antistanta) and bring down the stroke of Calamity upon one's soul is a dread alternative. (1095- 7)21 Then, less than ten lines later, Creon voices the final military estimate that appears within the play as he decides to yield to Teiresias' warnings: Alas! But, though it's hard, I turn now from my heart's resolve and do it. One must not fight a hopeless fight (dysmacheteon) against necessity. (1105-6) Still partially, but at least in some measure, Creon in these words recognizes at last that the business of personal and civic conduct involves more complex forces and less simple procedures than the kind of ordonnance at which he had aimed. This content downloaded from 128.122.230.148 on Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:44:24 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL In summary, then, it is apparent that the iterative military imagery relates in great measure to Creon as do the images of the other two sidered in this chapter serve to shade in the quality of his thought concrete in vision and expression, admiring the orderly, impatient of what cannot be brought under an elementary, direct kind of order. And this sequence of images serves also to suggest very early in the play, and then progressively to confirm, the system of government to which Creon's kind of attitude and action may lead under stress---namely, to a rigorous autoc- racy. Moreover, up until at least the middle of the Haimon scene(to about 683 or perhaps not until the exchange in 733-4o) this is a revelation of qualities and attitudes in Creon which to a great extent lie beneath the surface of intel lectual honesty, everyday common sense, and general respecta bility. Thus in the lecture to Haimon (639-8o) the poet does not offer simply one or another interpretation of Creon's attitude but affords us instead several levels of meaning and evaluation simultaneously. At this point in the action Creon is the master of the action. He has the allegiance and general approval of the Chorus. And it seems, dramatically at least, that he may be in the right; whereas Antigone, for all her lofty appeals to divine law, is likely to seem self-centered highly emotional, and overly forward, especially in view of the conventions limiting feminine enterprise in fifth century Athens. The dramatic peripety is still to come and, with it, the full recognition that Creon has been terribly short sighted and wrong in his conception of his subjects and in the means by which he tries to control Antigone and Haimon, So in his lecture to his son we find Creon still presented with a specious attractiveness of a sort: his appeal to filial duty the call for an higher allegiance to civic good as above one's private interests, the familiar notes he may have struck in respect to the duty of military training, etc. But foreshadowed in Antigone's opening speeches and later latent within Creon own language are the ominous suggestions which we have observed, and these prepare in a most functional manner for the dramatic revelation and the catastrophe. By this deeply This content downloaded from 128... 148 on Thu, 23 Mar 201709: 44: 24 UTC Allusesubjecttohttpaboutjstor.org/terms
IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL In summary, then, it is apparent that the iterative military imagery relates in great measure to Creon as do the images of the other two sequences considered in this chapter. They serve to shade in the quality of his thought: concrete in vision and expression, admiring the orderly, impatient of what cannot be brought under an elementary, direct kind of order. And this sequence of images serves also to suggest very early in the play, and then progressively to confirm, the system of government to which Creon's kind of attitude and action may lead under stress—namely, to a rigorous autocracy. Moreover, up until at least the middle of the Haimon scene (to about 683 or perhaps not until the exchange in 733-40) this is a revelation of qualities and attitudes in Creon which to a great extent lie beneath the surface of intellectual honesty, everyday common sense, and general respectability. Thus in the lecture to Haimon (639-80) the poet does not offer simply one or another interpretation of Creon's attitude but affords us instead several levels of meaning and evaluation simultaneously. At this point in the action Creon is the master of the action. He has the allegiance and general approval of the Chorus. And it seems, dramatically at least, that he may be in the right; whereas Antigone, for all her lofty appeals to divine law, is likely to seem self-centered, highly emotional, and overly forward, especially in view of the conventions limiting feminine enterprise in fifth century Athens. The dramatic peripety is still to come and, with it, the full recognition that Creon has been terribly shortsighted and wrong in his conception of his subjects and in the means by which he tries to control Antigone and Haimon. So, in his lecture to his son we find Creon still presented with a specious attractiveness of a sort: his appeal to filial duty, the call for an higher allegiance to civic good as above one's private interests, the familiar notes he may have struck in respect to the duty of military training, etc. But foreshadowed in Antigone's opening speeches and later latent within Creon's own language are the ominous suggestions which we have observed, and these prepare in a most functional manner for the dramatic revelation and the catastrophe. By this deeply This content downloaded from 128.122.230.148 on Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:44:24 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL ironic, two-level manner of presentation we are, I feel,re- minded that the things in which Creon genuinely believes- civic order, filial duty, discipline, the duty of the individual to the social organization are genuine qualities and true necessaries for men in terms of society. We are not, that is, led to deny the values or the needs but we are required to suspect their self-sufficiency, their validity when appealed to as ends in themselves and not treated as parts of a larger of the individual person and religious values. s the value oral complex which, in the play, definitely includes the value Men Brutes Gods en THE IMAGERY OF ANIMALS AND THE CONTROL OF ANIMALS The images drawn from animals and their control in the Antigone appear with greater frequency than either the mone- tary or military images, and their implications for the valua- tion and direction of human beings extend more deeply. The extensive interactions within this image pattern introduce into the total structure a basic relationship between the animal, the human, and the suprahuman and show it to be part of the moral order of the tragic universe. In briefest terms this relation can be diagrammed as the ratio which forms the heading of this section: as men are to brutes so are the gods to men. In the developments of the animal im agery from which this ratio can be extracted, the play makes clear not only the superiority of gods to men but also, and equally emphatically, the cy of that kind of human arithmetic which transfers the terms within the ratio and leads a man to set himself up as mentally and morally superior to his fellow men In a sense, Creon breaks the ratio and broken by it. Or one might also say that the sequence of nimal images very concretely embodies Creon's species of intellectual and moral hybris, the human pride that assumes it can judge finally for itself all problems that face it and brings retribution from the gods. To observe specifically the manner in which the animal imagery is developed to work these implications integrally 26 This content downloaded from 128... 148 on Thu, 23 Mar 201709: 44: 24 UTC Allusesubjecttohttpaboutjstor.org/terms
IMAGERY OF EVALUATION AND CONTROL ironic, two-level manner of presentation we are, I feel, reminded that the things in which Creon genuinely believes— civic order, filial duty, discipline, the duty of the individual to the social organization—are genuine qualities and true necessaries for men in terms of society. We are not, that is, led to deny the values or the needs, but we are required to suspect their self-sufficiency, their validity when appealed to as ends in themselves and not treated as parts of a larger moral complex which, in the play, definitely includes the value of the individual person and religious values.22 {Men : rBrutes :: Gods : <!71den THE IMAGERY OF ANIMALS AND THE CONTROL OF ANIMALS The images drawn from animals and their control in the Antigone appear with greater frequency than either the monetary or military images, and their implications for the valuation and direction of human beings extend more deeply. The extensive interactions within this image pattern introduce into the total structure a basic relationship between the animal, the human, and the suprahuman and show it to be part of the moral order of the tragic universe. In briefest terms this relation can be diagrammed as the ratio which forms the heading of this section: as men are to brutes so are the gods to men. In the developments of the animal imagery from which this ratio can be extracted, the play makes clear not only the superiority of gods to men but also, and equally emphatically, the inaccuracy of that kind of human arithmetic which transfers the terms within the ratio and leads a man to set himself up as mentally and morally superior to his fellow men. In a sense, Creon breaks the ratio and is broken by it. Or one might also say that the sequence of animal images very concretely embodies Creon's species of intellectual and moral hybris, the human pride that assumes it can judge finally for itself all problems that face it and so brings retribution from the gods. To observe specifically the manner in which the animal imagery is developed to work these implications integrally 2 6 This content downloaded from 128.122.230.148 on Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:44:24 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms