Antigone And Pilate Dead

Sophocles’ Antigone and Toni Morrison’s Pilate Dead share similar characteristics: an intense and almost strange sense of family, a general disregard for written law and courage in the face of death. To compare Antigone and Pilate, however, one cannot lose sight of the inner drive in these women. Antigone fears the power and wrath of the gods, while Pilate only fears disappointing her dead father’s ghost.

Family is such a large part of both of these stories. The very first line of Antigone makes it clear that blood ties are very significant to Antigone: "Now, dear Ismene, my own blood sister," The fact that Ismene is her blood sister is important enough to verbalize it, even when addressing Ismene. Throughout the play, several other aspects of the story indicate that Antigone is slightly obsessive about her family. She is willing to give up her life to honor her dead brother, all the while discussing how she would be honored to "lay down with the man I love". This is horrifyingly close to implying incest. She feels she has a duty to bury him. "Yes. I’ll do my duty to my brother and yours as well, if you’re not prepared to. I won’t be caught betraying him."

In Song of Solomon, family and blood are also key concepts. Pilate Dead declares proudly, “Ain’t but three Deads alive”. She implies that the only way to carry her blood is to have been born of her father, whom she adores. She lives with her daughter and her granddaughter, and is intent on keeping her family together. Pilate and her brother Macon have a significant falling out, but she disregards that to help when Milkman is born. When Milkman firsts meets his cousin Hagar, Pilate introduces him to her as her “brother”. When Pilate’s daughter Reba argues that they are actually cousins, Pilate responds with, “What’s the difference in the way you act toward ‘em? Don’t you have to act the same way to both?” it’s almost as if Pilate is afraid that Hagar and Milkman will be attracted to each other, which turns out to be a very perceptive fear. They begin an incestuous relationship, but Pilate turned a blind eye.

Another aspect of Pilate and Antigone’s sense of family is that they are both very concerned with their heritage. Antigone makes this comment to Ismene, “Now you know, and you’ll quickly demonstrate whether you are nobly born, or else a girl unworthy of her splendid ancestors.