Antigone By Sophocles

Greek Theater Plays were presented 2x/year on religious festival honoring Dionysius – the Great Dionysia in March focused on a tragedy competition Each day at dawn a different author presented a trilogy that portrayed a myth or legend Sophocles won 24 times 3 actors on stage at a time, 15 chorus members Performed at an outdoor amphitheater, up to 17,000 audience members might attend. Actors were all male and wore masks which helped project their voices and that helped audience members identify characters and archetypes (Literature 1375-8) (Cartwright, Ancient Greek Theater)

Tragedy allowed its audience to reflect on values, ideals, morals, and where these things might conflict, such as the conflict between personal values and civic duties as we see in Antigone Tragedy required empathy as performers and audience members had to put themselves in different roles and situations from war to politics to domestic crises “Plato in The Republic was particularly scandalized that male citizens played at being women gripped by irrational passions [ . . . ] Sophocles, however, understood that the impersonations necessary to theater did not degrade the actors and audience but expanded their humanity” Aristotle believed tragedy facilitated a catharsis (or purging) of emotions such as pity and fear “We are not altogether sorry, perhaps, to see an arrogant man such as Oedipus humbled, and yet it is difficult not to feel that the punishment of Oedipus is greater than he deserves [ . . . ] our compassion for Oedipus [to what are we, too, blind?] and our terror as we sense the remorselessness of a universe in which a man is doomed. (Literature 1379-80) Role of Drama

Role of Drama: Hegelian Tragedy Tragic figures often find themselves caught between two just and right realities. This leads to chaos as two conflicting truths cannot coexist either in the protagonist’s mind or in the society portrayed by the work. From this chaos, order can only be obtained by eliminating, through death, exile, or restructuring of consciousness, one of those opposing forces. “The original essence of tragedy consists then in the fact that within such a conflict each of the opposed sides, if taken by itself, has justification, while on the other hand each can establish the true and positive content of its own aim and character only by negating and damaging the equally justified power of the other.” (Georg Wilhelm Frederich Hegel) Creon and Antigone, representing two seemingly irreconcilable points of views, cannot coexist. The inability of either to admit there may be a flaw in their position and enter dialogue is the real tragedy of the work. Role of Drama: Hegelian Tragedy

Structure and Vocabulary Prologue: preparatory scene Parados: song for entrance of chorus Strophe: sung while the chorus danced from stage right to stage left Antistrophe: sung while the chorus danced from left to right Episodes Exodos: last scene Hamartia: error or transgression that leads to downfall Hubris: excessive pride Anagnorisis: recognition or discovery Peripeteia: reversal of fortune (Literature 1377-81) Structure and Vocabulary

Background: The Curse of Oedipus After being exiled by his own decree, Oedipus wanders the wilderness. No city wants to admit him because of his tainted past. Antigone accompanies him and cares for him. He finally finds refuge in Athens, at the edge of the underworld. Because his sons did not take care of him, he curses them to kill each other in battle. Oedipus’ sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, are supposed to rule Thebes, but end up quarreling. In one account they are supposed to switch every year, but before Polyneices’ turn, Eteocles banishes him. Polyneices attacks Thebes and the brothers kill each other. (Literature 1424) (“The House of Thebes”) Background: The Curse of Oedipus

Creon takes over rule of Thebes and decrees that Polyneices remain unburied as a traitor to the polis. Huge dilemma because in Greek religion even enemies had to be buried (at least ceremonially) because not only would their soul be unable to travel to the underworld, but you risked upsetting the gods or the unburied coming back and meddling. Antigone decides to bury her brother even though he is guarded and it means certain death for her. Background:

Cartwright, Mark. “Ancient Greek Theater Cartwright, Mark. “Ancient Greek Theater.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. 14 Jul 2016. https://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Theatre/ Accessed 13 Feb 2019. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama 8th ed. Kennedy and Goia, eds. Longman, 2002. Struck, Peter T. “The House of Thebes.” Classics.Upenn 2000-2019. http://www.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/tragedy/index.php?page=thebes Accessed 13 Feb 2019. Works Cited