Antigone, Part V

“Luck is once more on Fate's razor edge.”

Artwork: “Manto and Tiresias,” by Henry Singleton (1792)

Creon’s stubbornness grows. Antigone has an unexpected champion in Tiresias, the infamous blind prophet who brings a warning to the king. Tiresias warns Creon that his "luck is once more on Fate's razor edge,” and he must do everything Tiresias tells him. He reveals to Creon that the gods are displeased with his actions, especially his refusal to allow Polynices to be properly buried according to divine law. He warns Creon that defying the will of the gods will not stand: the king has invited divine retribution upon himself and the state of Thebes. He must turn back from such foolishness, or risk losing everything. In his pride, Creon dismisses the prophecy and accuses Tiresias of having accepted a bribe. But Tiresias holds firm: the gods cannot be ignored, and he warns that if Creon does not amend his ways, he will suffer a great loss. The greatest loss of which Creon can conceive, in fact: the death of his own son. The grim prediction shakes Creon to the core, and he begins to fear the consequences of his actions. Tiresias also tells the king that his actions have made the state sick—in other words, he is failing his people as a ruler. After Tiresias leaves, Creon asks the leader of the chorus for advice. The chorus tells him to do as he has been told: bury Polynices and free Antigone. Reluctantly, Creon agrees to the plan. Suspense builds: Can tragedy be averted? Tiresias reminds Creon that we need people to speak truth, even when it is hard and we do not wish to hear it. When counsel challenges our beliefs or positions, that’s when we need it the most. Creon’s stubbornness and delay reminds us of the perils of pride and the inability to change course in the face of wise counsel. True wisdom is found in humility and the ability to listen. We have to learn to see through the clouds of our own emotions and beliefs—especially when others speak truth and highlight our blind spots.