Antigone - Journal #4

Mini Commentary

"Yes, I am ugly! Father was ugly, too. [Creon releases her arms, turns and moves away. Stands with his back to Antigone.] But Father became beautiful. And do you know when? [She follows him to behind the table.] At the very end. When all his questions had been answered. When he could no longer doubt that he had killed his own father; that he had gone to bed with his own mother. When all hope was gone, stamped out like a beetle. When it was absolutely certain that nothing, nothing could save him." (Anouilh 43)

"Yes, I am ugly! Father was ugly, too."
Very little is given about Antigone's physical qualities, but this is not a line meant to be taken literally. Antigone is referring to the ugliness of her character, and I believe there are absurdist undertones in this passage because of:

"When it was absolutely certain that nothing, nothing could save him."
Rather bleak outlook, and it brings to mind an image of utter defeat followed by acceptance evidenced by the next line, which is not in this selection but very important, "Then he was at peace; then he could smile, almost; then he became beautiful..."

"At the very end. When all his questions had been answered."
Antigone is in a similar situation. She does not know if the unburied body really is that of Polynices, and she probably will never know, so the only solution to put herself at ease is to bury the body anyway. The original question of, 'Is that Polynices', has not been answered, but by burying the body that question ceases to be an issue.

"[Creon releases her arms, turns and moves away. Stands with his back to Antigone.]"
This stage direction here gives the sense that Creon is giving up rather exasperatedly, and by turning his back on her is symbolically beginning to give up on attempting to save her.