p. 77 Insight from the Chorus

p. 77: Man the master, ingenious past all measure
past all dreams, the skills within his grasp—
he forges on, now to destruction
now again to greatness. 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.

These lines from the second Choral Ode come directly after the scene where Creon learns that someone has disobeyed the law forbidding the burial of Polynices. This passage talks about the wonders of man, man’s relationship to the city, and the consequences of disregarding the natural balance of the city. We’ve learned that in Thebes, male is the status quo. When the solider tells Creon the news he responds, “What man alive would dare?” The audience knows that in fact it wasn’t a man that buried Polynices, but Antigone. This passage, while it says “man”, might actually instead be talking about woman too, particularly the woman Antigone and the heroic nature of her actions. At this time in the story, the audience might think that it is Antigone who is being cast out of the city because she is not following the “laws of the land” and she is definitely being very reckless. The audience at this point might also have mixed feelings about Creon due to his rash and unjust reaction to the innocent solider. As the story progresses, the one being cast out of the city is actually Creon. For a city and its inhabitants to remain happy, the balance between the laws of man and unwritten human rights must be maintained. In his recklessness, Creon denies the human right of burial to his enemies and the consequences of his own inhumanity spiral quickly out of control beyond his grasp. This passage comes at a point in the tragedy when it is vague who the Chorus is praising or condemning, but as actions unfold, this passage is defining which character, Antigone or Creon, truly has the best interest of the city at heart.