Antigone
Oedipus’ two sons, Polynices and Eteocles, each lead an army which clashes at the gate of Thebes. The two brothers kill each other. Their uncle, Creon, orders an honorable burial for Eteocles but orders that Polynices’ body be left to rot, vowing death to anyone who disobeys his command.
Antigone, Creon’s niece and sister of the two fallen combatants, tries to persuade her sister Ismene to help her bury Polynices’ body. The fearful Ismene refuses. Antigone buries the body herself, contending that the laws of the gods supersede the laws of the state.
Discovering what Antigone has done, Creon sentences her to death, even though she is betrothed to his son, Haemon, who pleads for her life. Antigone is led to a cave where she is to be entombed and left to die. Tiresias, the seer, finally persuades Creon that his edict defies the will of the gods. Creon rushes to the cave but arrives too late. Antigone has already hanged herself.
Haemon discovers Antigone’s corpse, rushes his father with a sword, spits on him, and then impales himself. Upon hearing that her son is dead, Creon’s wife commits suicide. Creon’s reign is over. He goes into exile outside the city-state.
The first written and performed play of the Oedipus trilogy, which also includes OEDIPUS THE KING (about 429 B.C.) and OEDIPUS AT COLONUS (about 407 B.C.), ANTIGONE suggests that Oedipus’ whole line is doomed to ultimate disaster.
Bibliography:
Kitto, H. D. F. Greek Tragedy: A Literary Study. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1954. Addresses types and elements of Greek tragedies, and compares Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Discusses problems with the early exit of Antigone and argues that she is more than “mere antithesis to Creon” who is “more than the stubborn fool who kills her.”
Melchinger, Siegfried. Sophocles. Translated by David A. Scrase. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1974. Provides a biography of Sophocles and explains Greek theater, chorus, staff, and actors, as well as each scene of Antigone.
Oudemans, Th. C. W., and A. P. M. H. Lardinois. Tragic Ambiguity: Anthropology, Philosophy, and Sophocles’ “Antigone.” New York: E. J. Brill, 1987. Applies Greek theology to Antigone and explains separative and harmonizing interpretations. One chapter explicates each episode of the play, another, the Greek tragic elements. A thorough study.
Segal, Charles Paul. “Sophocles’ Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone.” In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodward. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1966. Focuses on the individuality of Creon and Antigone instead of, as many other studies do, on their contrasts and conflicts. Identifies aspects of Athenian democracy in the play.
Winnington-Ingram, R. P. Sophocles: An Interpretation. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1980. Compares the common religious and political themes and plots of Sophocles’ extant plays. Compares Antigone and Creon, assuming that all of Sophocles’ plays focus on a hero who “suffers a wrong.” Sees Antigone as “no reasoner.”
Expert Q&A
What is the relationship between Antigone and Ismene?
Antigone and Ismene, characters in Sophocles' play, are sisters and the last surviving members of their family after their father's disgrace and their brothers' deaths. They embody contrasting approaches to familial duty: Antigone is resolute in honoring her brother Polynices despite the risk of death, while Ismene fears the consequences and prioritizes their survival. Antigone values divine laws over human edicts, whereas Ismene is concerned with obeying the state's authority.
Is it strange or ironic for Antigone to be portrayed as a mother?
It is both strange and ironic to portray Antigone as a mother. Although she is unmarried and childless, her situation echoes her mother's anguish and curse, stemming from the incestuous marriage of her parents. The guard's comparison of Antigone to a wailing mother bird is ironic because she mourns her brother, not children. Her statement that she wouldn't risk her life for a son highlights her unique familial circumstances, reinforcing the irony of the maternal portrayal.
In Antigone, how do Antigone and Creon demonstrate commitment and suffering?
Who was Antigone's father?
Antigone's father was Oedipus, the king of Thebes, who unwittingly married and had children with his own mother, Jocasta.
Comparison between Antigone and Niobe
Antigone and Niobe are both tragic figures from Greek mythology who suffer due to their defiance and pride. Antigone defies King Creon to bury her brother, resulting in her death. Niobe, boasting of her superiority to the goddess Leto, loses all her children and is turned into stone. Both characters' fates underscore the consequences of challenging authority and divine will.
The initial conflict between Antigone and Ismene in Sophocles' "Antigone."
The initial conflict between Antigone and Ismene centers on their differing responses to King Creon's decree. Antigone wants to defy the order and bury their brother Polynices, believing it is her moral duty, while Ismene fears the consequences and urges compliance with the law.
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