The Tremendous Impact of Egotism, Self-Rationalization, and Societal Expectations on the Construction of the Self and a Tragic Destiny

Identity is a multidimensional notion; it is the product of a person’s struggle to conform to the expectations of society. The subconscious struggle to become the ideal “self” is entangled with misconceptions of personal abilities that can result in self-glorification and unrealistic delusions. According to Sigmund Freud—the father of psychoanalysis—narcissism is defined as the “state of being the center of a loving world in which the individual could act spontaneously and purely out of desire” (Brown 643). Likewise, a lack of respect for authority and higher order can stem from overt egotism and a sense of self-righteousness. Narcissistic behavior can lead to illusions that serve as alternates to the truth, and create catastrophe (Brown 672). The endless battle of morphing into the ideal self is a difficult route. Individuals often strive to justify their transgressions to reduce anxiety. Rationalization is best described as a defense mechanism that allows the masking of intolerable feelings and actions by justifying them as credible and distorting their truth (Brown 646). Furthermore, social standards are the basis of a person’s values and decisions (Goode 490). Elements that are valuable and substantial to society become a part of a person’s principals and shape their identity. Antigone is Sophocles’ closure to his infamous trilogy, and is certainly a tragic finale to the Theban plays. It revolves around imperfect protagonists that exude excessive pride. Likewise, Gurney’s Another Antigone follows the conflict of the sanctimonious college senior—judy Miller—and her narrow-minded professor—Henry Harper. Despite being set in vastly different eras, both plays revolve around the protagonists’ flawed identities and the misfortun...

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...e of self. Furthermore, one’s identity is strongly influenced by the surrounding society and the roles that must be taken to follow set standards that enable them to maintain a pre-determined sense of self. Both Antigone and Another Antigone involve protagonists that fall victim to a misconstrued identity that is heavily influenced by pride, rationalization, and the society. As a result of their false sense of self, each character faces a tragic end: Antigone commits suicide, Judy loses faith in her original principles, Creon loses his beloved wife and son, and lastly, Henry loses the only stabilizing force in his life—his career as a professor. It is clear that the self is a fragile entity—under the control of many powerful mechanisms. Finally, it is vital to realize that once these elements take over an individual’s identity, they can have a catastrophic impact.