Final answer:
Antigone is represented as a maternal figure in Sophocles' play, which is ironic considering her doomed fate that prevents her from becoming a mother herself. Her character embodies the conflict between familial duty and personal desires, and her maternal representation emphasizes her nurturing instincts despite her tragic lineage and personal sacrifices.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Sophocles' play Antigone, the title character is compared to a maternal figure, a motif that runs throughout the play. The comparison to a mother bird emphasizes her nurturing and protective instincts, especially towards her family and the laws of the divine. It might be considered ironic that Antigone is represented as maternal because, in reality, she has never been a mother; her imminent death at the end of the play seals the impossibility of her ever becoming one. Furthermore, her dedication to burying her brother according to divine law, at the expense of her possibility of marriage and motherhood, highlights the tragic conflict between her personal desires and familial duty.
This irony is compounded by her lineage—Antigone is the offspring of an incestuous union, which casts a shadow over her and results in a cursed life. The figurative language depicting Antigone in a maternal role is thus deeply poignant, considering her direct lineage to a family saga rife with tragic outcomes, and her own personal sacrifice that puts an end to the possibility of her continuing that lineage. This representation serves to elevate her moral choices above her doomed personal circumstances, crystallizing her legacy as one of unwed sacrifice, rather than maternal fulfilment.