Oidipous’s concern for his daughters’ nutrition is equally misplaced, for while he portrays them as weak dependents, the audience knows that Antigone will prove to be one of the strongest-willed individuals ever conceived, a woman willing and able to stand up to the full force of state authority and to endure any amount of privation in order to uphold what she perceives to be her sacred duty. [Gm] [P] [Mg] [Md] Oidipous’s worry about the provision of her food thus entirely misses the point. Her own willingness to sacrifice her physical wellbeing for her family’s spiritual protection contradicts his concern and suggests that her dogged insistence upon displaying of piety through public ritual is a response to her father’s and grandparents’ impiety. Her example suggests that, once imbalance enters into mortal attitudes, particularly in relation to the gods, one can anticipate its continuation into the next generation. The parents’ actions place their children in the direst of difficulties. This offers yet another angle for concern for Athens’ future. [Gt-a] [Mw]