The chorus, a group of common people who follow the actions of the play
Antigone, waver in their support of either Antigone or Creon, depending on their actions
during a particular part of the story-line. Early in the play it is evident that they are
extremely pro-Creon, but a short time later they seem to sway into the direction of
Antigone and support her actions. This incongruency about the them, however, was an
extremely interesting feature of this Sophocles drama, causing the reader to question the
reliability of the chorus.
The opening lines from the chorus merely inform the reader about the war which
had just taken place between Thebes and Argos. Their last lines of this opening choral
passage, however, introduced king Creon, making him seem quite noble yet mysterious to
his loyal subjects. They state such questions as: "what new plan will he launch?" and
"Why this sudden call to the old men summoned at one command?" (Lines 175-178)
These lines are utilized by Sophocles as a suspenseful introduction to Creon's orders
concerning the body of Polynices.
Nikiforos Lytras, Antigone in front of the dead Po...
Cadmus Sowing the Dragon's teeth, by Maxfield Parr...
Antigone And The Body Of Polynices - Project Guten...The chorus's next appearance blatantly shows their biased attitudes against
Antigone and her exiled father Oedipus. At this point they still sing praise for King
Creon and his unwavering decisions concerning the law which was placed upon the city
regarding the body of Polynices: "When he weaves in the laws of the land, and the
justice of the gods that binds his oaths together, he and his city rise high--but the city
casts out that man who weds himself to inhumanity thanks to reckless daring. Never
share my hearth never think my thoughts, whoever does such things." (Lines 409-416) In
my opinion the man laying down the law here is Creon and Antigone is the...