Doorway to Fate and Free Will

In the play Antigone by Sophocles, there are many examples of the theme fate vs. free will. The play as a whole seems to endorse that fate is an unshakeable force that dictates the lives of all the characters in it. While it shows us that they all have free will, as seen when the Chorus tells Antigone “It is your own self-willed temper that has destroyed you” (Chorus 920-21), this does not necessarily break down the idea that free will can overcome predestination. Ismene's speech about the curse of tragic death in their family (Ismene 55-78) is a prime example of foreshadowing the fate of Antigone if she should choose to undertake the task of burying her brother Polyneices. While Antigone does have the choice whether or not to carry out the burial rites, we can tell Antigone's steadfast stance on the rights of the dead brothers when she says “The god of death demands these rites for both” (Antigone 570), which also shows us she has a clear understanding of the hierarchy of gods and spiritual beings versus kings of men.

A blind prophet named Teiresias comes to Creon after Antigone is sent to her tomb. He even warns the king that he is in danger by saying “Then you realize you are on the razor edge of danger.” (Teiresias 1042-43). He urges Creon to give up his stubborn mindset, but Creon rebukes him and his attempts. He then later makes the prophecy “And you must realize that you will not outlive many cycles more of this swift sun before you give in exchange one of your own loins bred, a corpse for a corpse,” (Teiresias 1121-24). A chilling prophecy indeed. After hearing this, Creon sees the error of his ways and acts to correct his actions. But Antigone does not live as Ismene earlier foreshadowed, and in turn, Haemon takes his own life. The chorus speculates “Truly his own hand? Or his father's?” (Chorus 1242), which presents the idea that Creon has taken one life and has in turn has given up another, hence “a corpse for a corpse”.

Near the end of the play is the summary of Sophocles' argument that we indeed are all trapped by our own fates. In the final lines of the chorus they exclaim “Pray for no more at all. For what is destined for us, men mortal, there is no escape.” (Chorus 1400-01). Creon then acknowledges this in the following line by saying “My hands are crossed. A most unwelcome fate has leaped upon me.” (Creon 1407-08). Creon had chosen his fate indeed, but it was always meant to be. While he had the will to decide for himself how the events would play out, all signs pointed that this play would end in tragedy.

While Sophocles does seem to promote fate as the prominent mindset of this play, he definitely provokes ideas of free will being the right of all people. It goes back and forth between the themes of the characters being trapped by fate and desperately trying to escape the future. But the final lines seem to make a concrete answer that the future is already written, and while none of us are able to predict the outcomes perfectly, it is simply the moves in which the players will make that will lead to the final score.