A Comparison Of Individuality, Free Will In Antigone And The Odyssey

Individuality, Free will and Freedom in Antigone and The Odyssey

Individuality, free will, and freedom are element keys to human life, intertwined in various ways though they may seem to stand alone. Free will cannot exist without the freedom, and it is both free will and freedom that give rise to individuality. In the face of a world where opposing forces threaten these three fundamental elements to human nature, it is essential for each person to understand them. This paper illustrates that despite individualism, free will and freedom being key to human life, realizing them is a struggle. In this paper, I will use popular Greek literature The Odyssey, a poem by Homer, and Antigone, a play by Sophocles, two different works from different ages,

as sources to analyze individuality, free will, and freedom.
Individuality is the social philosophy that underlines the moral value of an individual (Lukes, n.d.).

The ancient Greek epic The Odyssey expresses a desire to remain distinct from other people by focusing on describing the last 40 days of Odysseus's drift in the sea for ten years (Homer, 2018). He overcomes many difficulties and finally returns home to his wife and children. This epic extols the wisdom and power of humanity over nature and is the first masterpiece written by an individual in the West, highlighting individualism that people should exert their initiative. Also in the Antigone, Antigone openly resists King Creon who sticks to social laws and finally is killed for her persistence on natural law to bury Polynices, regardless of her noble quality (Sophocles, 59-128). Through the suicide of Haemon and eventual desperation of Creon, this play also emphasizes that the younger generation should not be made to repay the sins of the ancestors. In the play, such emphasis on the power of independent individuals and resistance to unfair destinies is also a reflection of individualism. Odysseus and Antigone perfectly portray individuality, struggling till the end for what they believe in while King Creon and Odysseus’ journey prove that at times, depending on the position of influence you are in, there will always be hurdles that will attempt to block your individuality (Griffith, 1999; Homer,

2018).
Free will is the ability to choose from various alternatives despite the inhibitions (Free will, 2010). However, not many people can exercise free will because there seem to be so many impediments that hamper an individual’s effort to make their own decision. In the play Antigone, the desire to free the soul from various bondages is shown where Antigone dose not bother herself with the change of regime, but all she desired is to put to an end to the curse that haunted her family members--- --- the death of their father, the suicide of their mother by hanging herself and eventually the battle between their two brothers killing each other (Sophocles, 59-128). The main character Antigone risks death by defying the King of Thebes rule that no one should bury Polyneices ---Antigone’s brother (Griffith, 1999). Unlike her sister Antigone, Ismene can hardly make any decision on her own, usually afraid of the consequences. She says that she and Antigone must submit to the law of Thebes because a curse runs in their family (Sophocles,62; Griffith, 1999). Antigone, on the other hand, owes her duty to the gods who, she says, would be happy to see her bury the body of her brother (Sophocles, 59-128). Also for Haemon, King Creon’s son, he attempts to persuade his father to spare Antigone, but his free will is depressed when his father threatens to kill Antigone (Sophocles, 93-99). However, facing King Creon’s supremacy, nothing is useful but the death. King’s authority and the social law constrains both Antigone and Haemon, finally leading to their death and Creon’s dilapidated family. In The Odyssey, people also always break through the external constraints to decide on their own. The spirit of freedom is the self-pursuit and self-affirmation through a series of mythological stories and hero legends. On the island of the Goddess Calypso, Odysseus experiences the biggest temptation during his journey (Homer, 2018). After all of his shipmates die, he spends seven years with Calypso in endless grief and pain no matter how the life was affluent. After seven years, when Hermes informs Odysseus that he could go back home, Calypso lures Odysseus that he would be immortal if he chooses to marry her. However, Odysseus refuses Calypso’s seduction with no hesitance and hopes to set off immediately, (Homer, 2018). For Odysseus, though experiencing illness and death, he would rather be an ordinary person and still wants to go home (Homer, 2018). An immortal life on an island cannot make him happy, but experience with difficulties and death can bring him hope and motivation. What Odysseus really seeks for is the freedom and being the glory of Greeks. As in other ancient Greek literature with the original concept of "heroism," The Odyssey emphasizes on the realization of the individual's value and honor. For Odysseus, instead of endless life and Calypso’s love, being remembered is the only original immortality for a victorious warrior (Homer, 2018). Heroes, like Odysseus and also Antigone, pursue the individualism, self-esteem, and self-honor, breaking down external constraints posed by others, or gods.
Freedom is also the entitlement to act, think or speak as one wishes without hindrance (Freedom, n.d.).

But freedom is still inseparably tied to responsibility, consequences, and justice. That is, if someone has the right to think and act, it is his responsibility to think and act correctly and to take charge for the consequence. The true “freedom” only means much when people holds right knowledge and right training since one’s exercise of his/her entitlement must be linked to certain limits. (Freedom & Responsibilities, n.d.). In the Antigone, it could be said that King Creon has his own freedom to make decrees and control the regime in his way. However, in fact Creon infringes on the freedom of the people of Thebes by expecting them to obey him without question (Sophocles, 59-128). When Creon regards himself as the incarnation of the city-state, he demands all the people bow down to the dictatorship and completely abandon the rational pursuit as independent entities (Griffith, 1999).As Tiresias says, “Stubbornness brands you for stupidity---pride is a crime (Sophocles, 112),” what Creon believes in is only kind of mistakes and tyrants instead of real truth and freedom. However, for Antigone, she dares to exercises her freedom to act and speak by openly resisting King Creon’s ban to bury her brother Polyneices due to love, loyalty, and humanity (Griffith, 1999). She shouts indignantly, "Yes! He is my brother...No one will ever convict me for a traitor…No; he has no right

to keep me from my own” (Sophocles, 61). For Antigone, it is not only an irreplaceable obligation for her as a sister but also a duty of every alive person for the dead to rest Polynieces' soul in peace. Paying her young life as price, Antigone complete the defense of human nature and to practice her pursuit of freedom. What Antigone fights for is actually the real truth and meaningful freedom. In the Greek poem The Odyssey, when Odysseus fails to return home after the war, more than one hundred suitors camp in his palace to woo his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. In their prospects, they live large at the castle, enjoying the best that the mansion has to offer. They have the freedom to do as they wish. However, such freedom is not meaningful because what it brings is the anguish and anger of others. What they do to Odysseus’s wife Penelope and son Telemachus is actually the sin instead of freedom. Also, on the island of the Sun God Helius, Eurylochus and other crew does not obey Odysseus’ command and thinks that it is right to eat the cattle without the consequence of death. However, finally what they face is not the pity from gods but the death. Their behavior could not be termed as “freedom” but “lust” (Homer, 310-313). Both these instances from Antigone and The Odyssey indicate that no matter the level of freedom, there is always a limit and some responsibility attached. Only the freedom with good intention could be meaningful.

CONCLUSION
This paper has comparatively analyzed the themes of individuality, free will and freedom as presented in great works of Greek literature-the poem The Odyssey and the play Antigone. This paper also has shown that personality comes at a price, free will is restrained and only real freedom has means, with responsibility and justice attached to it. The Greeks first won the identity of “free people” before other nations. Through the analysis of ancient Greek literature, not only The Odyssey and Antigone, people could clearly understand Greeks’ unchanged persistence on free will. During the struggle for true freedom, there must be suffering and resistance, but there must also be more pride. No matter the transition of the ages, or even the disintegration of the city-states, the ancient Greeks still holds their freedom. As in The Odyssey and Antigone, in despite of the plundered city-states, the restricted life, unrecognized belief, or the fleeting death, the consciousness of freedom and individuality in Odysseus’ and Antigone’s hearts will not be able to take away as long as they do not abandon it. It is this rare free will that makes them independent, facing harsh nature and life bravely.