Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #220547 in Books
• Published on: 1994-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Customer Reviews

Actually, Sophocles' play tells of the tragedy of King Creon
Following the ending of "Oedipus the King," Oedipus was exiled from Thebes, blind and a beggar. We learn from "Oedipus at Colonus" that his sons, Eteocles and Polyneices engaged in a civil war for the throne of Thebes (covered in "Seven Against Thebes" by Aeschylus). The two brothers kill each other and Creon, brother of Jocasta, becomes king. He orders that Eteocles, who nobly defended his city, shall receive an honorable burial, but that Polyneices, for leading the Argive invaders, shall be left unburied. This leads Antigone, sister to both of the slain brothers, to have to choose between obeying the rule of the state, the dictates of familial binds, and the will of the gods. This, of course, is the matter at the heart of this classic tragedy by Sophocles.

It is too easy to see the issues of this play, first performed in the 5th century B.C., as being reflected in a host of more contemporary concerns, where the conscience of the individual conflicts with the dictates of the state. However, it seems to me that the conflict in "Antigone" is not so clear-cut as we would suppose. After all, Creon has the right to punish a traitor and to expect loyal citizens to obey. Ismene, Antigone's sister, chooses to obey, but Antigone takes a different path. The fact that the "burial" of her brother consists of the token gesture of throwing dirt upon his face, only serves to underscore the ambiguity of the situation Sophocles is developing. Even though the playwright strips Creon of his son, Haemon and wife, Eurydice by the end of the drama, it is not a fatal verdict rendered against the king's judgment, but rather the playing out of the tragedy to its grim conclusion.

Note: Although not a universal sentiment, I have always enjoyed Jean Anouilh's "modern" version of the play, produced in 1944 and rampant with symbolism of the Nazi occupation of France. The two plays offer a fascinating analog and students are usually quick to appreciate how Anouilh revitalizes the ancient myth with the political situation in which he lived. Anouilh's play also has the virtue of making the title character the main character of the play.

"Individual versus State", "Conscience versus Law", "Divine Law versus Human Law" = this play
"Antigone" (441 BC), written by Sophocles, is a very old and well-known play. It is a tragedy, because in the end things go wrong for nearly every everyone. I say nearly for everybody because if you pay attention when you read this book, you will have enjoyed a good play, and appreciated the various themes the author tackles in it. So, in that case, things won't go wrong for you :)

The plot is not complicated. Creon is a king, and Antigone is his niece. Creon orders that Antigone's brother, recently killed, must remain without sepulture, due to the fact that he was a traitor. The punishment for anybody who defies his orders will be death. Despite knowing that, Antigone cannot help but think her duty forces her to give sepulture to her brother, and in the end does exactly that. Alas, she is discovered, and of course everything goes downhill from that moment onwards.

Several dichotomies are defined in the play, the main ones being "Individual versus State" (that is, Antigone versus Creon), "Conscience versus Law" (that is, Antigone following her conscience even though she know she doesn't respect the law) and "Divine Law versus Human Law". Antigone and Creon defend what each of them considers to be right, the first one justice, and the other one the law of the city. But which one has priority when they clash? And who should decide that?

All in all, I enjoyed this play. I read it at university some years ago, for History of Political ideas, as an introduction to Greek thought. The above mentioned themes are considered repeatedly by different Greek philosophers, but also by many other thinkers of different nationalities throughout time. Why did (and does) that happen? Read this play, and find your answer, or pose more questions. You won't be alone...

Belen Alcat

Full of passion
Antigone is a great play. The translation reasds well. Antigone is a brilliantly strong female character and the play is full of passion.