Theme of Power in Antigone Essay Example

Throughout reading the Greek Tragedy Antigone by Sophocles, data visualization was used to analyze the text. The theme it was based on was the different effects of power. Before starting, the hypothesis formed was that people in power will have a more negative than positive effect on the lives of those who are not. To test the hypothesis, analysis was done, tracking characters throughout the text by collecting data on the level of power that one factor had, and how it affected the life of another person or thing. The evidence supported that as the power was played throughout the tragedy, the characters were negatively impacted by the powerful factors. 

Fig. 1. Sunburst Diagram displaying collected data involving characters in power and characters affected.

Figure 1 illustrates the connection between those in power and those who are affected. The inside ring has the people or things that are in power with colors based on how much power was forced. With the white being the lowest and dark red being the highest, viewers can see who had the biggest impact on other characters. Furthermore, on the outside ring, there are the characters who are affected by the powerful factors, and same as before, white being the least and dark red being the most effecting on the characters. Through this readers can gather information about the different characters that have the amount of power and how having the sum of the power can negatively affect the lives of others. An example of one of the factors having a negative impact would be where it was said that “Money topples cities to the ground, seduces men away from happy ground.” (page 203, Sophocles) In this, money has affected the lives of many and the ways that people live their lives, causing the people to hold money above everything else. Money depicts a negative effect on the men, with the graph proving the darkest red, meaning the most severe effect and the strongest level of power. In the graph, viewers see the lightest color on Tiresias. In this, Tiresias had used his words to convince Creon to change his mind about not killing Antigone. "Do not be surprised that heaven and hell have set furies loose to lie in wait for you, ready with the punishments you engineered for others...go free the maiden from her vault." (page 239, Sophocles) Tiresias had a very positive impact on Creon, by saving Antigone’s life here on out. Viewers see how the graph depicts the position that the character in power had on the character that was affected. 

Fig. 2 (pt. 1). Line Chart displaying collected data involving the amount of power versus page numbers.

Figure 2 (pt.1) depicts two different aspects of the data collection process. On the vertical side, the amount of power that was forced is shown, and shows the fluctuation as the tragedy goes on. In the beginning of the Greek Tragedy, readers see how the power is very mellow and then part way into it, the power picks up and then changes a lot from then on. Figure 2 (pt. 2) also depicts two different aspects of the data collection process. On the vertical axis, the amount of effect played is shown, whereas on the horizontal axis, the page numbers are shown to see how the characters are affected. “After being almost skinned alive by all your flailing threats.” (page 207, Sophocles) This is a conversation between Creon and Sentry that proves that Sentry feels targeted and threatened by Creon's actions and words. Through this analysis, it was shown that there was a very high level of power and also a very high level of effect, which is the main spike in the chart. Viewers see the graph at a low around the middle of the image. "I'll take her down a path untrod by man. I'll hide her living in a rock-hewn vault, With ritual food enough to clear the taint of murder from the City's name. I'll leave her pleading to her favorite god, Hades. He may charm her out a way to life. Or perhaps she'll learn through late the cost of homage to the dead is labor lost." Creon had affected Antigone as he was allowed to dictate her fate and when, where, and how she was killed. This had placed a negative impact on her, as her life was possibly coming to an end. 

Fig. 3 (pt. 1 on left) (pt. 2 on right). Infographic displaying collected data involving the number of positive versus negative; level of effect

Furthermore, Figure 3 (pt. 1) shows the collected data and how hypothetically if there were 66 leaders, only 9 of them had a positive effect on characters. That leaves 57 of them to have a negative impact, which is not a very good sign. "Remind ourselves that we are women and as such are not made to fight with men" (page 193, Sophocles). In this, Ismene is saying that women have no place to challenge men thus leading to her believing that the cause is not worth fighting for which shows how there was a partial positive impact on women, but the power was placed by men. Figure 3 (pt. 2) shows on a level from positive to tragic, that about 41.6% of the events were deemed as tragic. This takes a huge turn on the Greek tragedy. "Your queen is dead, the suicidal thrust" (page 249, Sophocles). The queen had committed suicide due to the fact that Haemon had died. This had an evil impact on herself, but digging into it even deeper, Creon had this effect on her, because he had done the death. Viewers may see how Figure 3 shows a dramatic impact on this Tragedy, and displaying the different types of effects of power on many characters. 

Readers see how people in power will have a more negative than positive effect on the lives of those who are not, has now evolved into as the power was played throughout the tragedy, the characters were negatively impacted by the powerful factors. All of the evidence proves that there clearly was an effect that the person in power had shown on the person who was affected, and how some of them were a positive influence, however most of them were negative. The hypothesis formed had essentially changed into the thesis created, by analyzing the data on a different level and seeing the true form of how all of the characters were affected.