Quote:
"The Father of Heaven abhors the proud tongue's boasting;/He marked the oncoming torrent, the flashing stream/Of their golden harness, the clash of their battle gear;/He heard the invader cry Victory over our ramparts,/And smote him with fire to the ground" (130).
"Deeper Meaning" Analysis:
This quote foreshadows Creon's future humiliation (interestingly, through the illusion to Polynices's attack) that arises from his own over-confidence in the righteousness of his law. It also complements Antigone's position as a Greek tragedy: no matter how triumphant the characters may feel, their happiness will be ruined by spiritual means (4-5). Most of all, however, this quote is a rebuke towards human pride. It mocks the concept that human beings can even have pride at all--this quote specifically emphasizes this idea because of Polynices's assumption of what he thought the future would look like, and for this arrogance he was punished. Only the gods, then, know what the future holds because they are the only ones with the power to affect it. This power translates to what Man calls "fate", which ultimately got the best of the prideful Polynices and Creon. Also, the setting, diction, and imagery within this passage portray human pride as not only a foolish sin, but an aggressive declaration of war, so to speak, of Man against God. As far as setting goes, this analogy is apt because of the story it describes--Polynices's arrogant preparations for battle. Some examples of diction and imagery are shown in phrases like "flashing stream of their golden harness", and words such as "battle gear", "invader", "Victory" and "ramparts". The Chorus's inclusion of this ostentatious description of Polynices and his destruction serves to solidify the objectivity (and thus credibility, given the typical "observer" role of the Chorus) of the concept of the foolishness, and futility, of Man's pride.
"Personal Meaning" Analysis:
I chose this quote because of its powerful imagery (i.e. "the golden harness", "smote him with fire to the ground"), and the intensity it lent to the concept of pride leading to a fall. I also knew that one of Antigone's major themes is the law of the gods v. the law of Man. Therefore, I saw this account of Polynices's (attempted) attack on Thebes, and his consequent downfall, as an excellent quote for both pride and thematic examination (what man expected v. what the gods knew--this is the essence of law, at least on Earth). The aforementioned ideas shown in this quote also applies to society today: people (especially Christians) who believe that they are capable of living strictly to please their own desires make themselves gods in their own minds. This leads to nothing but a lack of fulfillment, and an abundance of confusion and low self-esteem. On a personal level, I have come to understand that giving in to pride and assuming that I can proclaim "Victory over the ramparts" does nothing but form a wall between myself and God. As a Christian, it is my spiritual responsibility to constantly remind myself that without God's intervention, any talents or even dreams I have are absolutely nothing. For example, I hope to one day get an M.D.-Ph.D., entering vascular surgery and genetic research. However, even stronger than a desire to get these degrees for me is the knowledge that God is the only Being Who will ever hold the answers to unlocking the mysteries of the human body. I have no right to walk about attempting to achieve such a goal off of my own abilities; to do so would be, in my own way, putting on the "armor" of Polynices and challenging God in a field He already possesses and understands. Simply put, my place before God (as well as every other person's) is to glorify Him by remaining humble and acknowledging that His law and Will are always supreme to those of Man.
