After the Kommos, Antigone says the following as Creon gives the order to have her entombed:
Antigone:
Oh my tomb and bridal chamber—
my eternal hollow dwelling place,
where I go to join my people. Most of them
have perished—Persephone has welcomed them
among the dead. I’m the last one, dying here
the most evil death by far, as I move down
before the time allotted for my life is done.
But I go nourishing the vital hope
my father will be pleased to see me come,
and you, too, my mother, will welcome me,
as well as you, my own dear brother.
What does Antigone mean by “tomb and bridal chamber,” and what is the hope she has for what comes next?
When Antigone refers to her tomb as her "bridal chamber," she is expressing the belief that death is not just a finality, but also a union with her loved ones who have passed before her. In Greek mythology, the afterlife was often seen as a continuation of life, where the deceased would reunite with their family and loved ones in the underworld.
Antigone's hope for what comes next is that she will be welcomed by her father, mother, and brother in the afterlife. She believes that despite the tragic circumstances of her death, her family will be pleased to see her and that they will be reunited in death. This hope gives Antigone some solace as she faces her impending entombment and death.