Antigone

This book explores the figure of Antigone and her many reconceptualizations from antiquity to the present. One of the most popular heroines of classical literature, Antigone defied political authority to carry out the forbidden burial of her brother. Readers will become familiar with the key themes of Antigone’s story, such as the law and politics, gender, and death, tracing their survival and transformations over time. Notably, the book explores the thorough de-politicization of the heroine in philosophy and psychoanalysis, followed by a reversal and re-politicization through feminist and socio-political theories. It provides a useful tool to approach postmodern receptions of Antigone in the arts and society in the modern era, particularly in the contexts of occupied and civil war-era Greece, in Palestine, and in Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon. It also addresses issues of Antigone-like struggles of individuals or collectivities to overcome obstacles of systemic and racialized violence and gender-based oppression in the 21st century, while challenging heteronormative practices and policies to allow new subjectivities to emerge. Though Antigone’s story is complex, Karakantza provides an accessible, fascinating overview of this enduring figure’s legacy and impact over the course of history. __Antigone__ provides a comprehensive study of this classical heroine, suitable for students and scholars of classical literature, reception studies, and gender studies. It also appeals to theatre practitioners interested in adapting and staging Sophocles’ __Antigone,__ or any Antigone of the ancient sources. This book explores Antigone and her many reconceptualizations from antiquity to the present, examining key themes, modern analysis, and postmodern receptions of the heroine in the arts and society. Suitable for students and scholars of classical literature, reception studies, and gender studies. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 Gods and heroes of the ancient world: series foreword 11 Acknowledgements 14 Abbreviations 15 Note on translations used in the volume 16 WHY ANTIGONE? 18 The scope of this book 20 INTRODUCING ANTIGONE 21 The family 21 Oedipus casting a curse upon his sons 22 Antigone 23 Sophocles’ Antigone 26 Overview 29 PART I: KEY THEMES 32 1. ANTIGONE AS A ‘BAD’ WOMAN 34 Antigone as a threatening woman-in-charge figure 34 Antigone as a ‘bad’ mother and wife 37 Overview 39 2. THE DIVINE VS HUMAN LAWS CONTROVERSY 42 The dichotomy of divine and human laws in Sophocles’ Antigone: true or false? 42 Not all dead are equal 46 Antigone disobeying a political order 47 Non-burial in Euripides and Aeschylus 50 Overview 53 3. GENDERED AND ANTI-GENDERED ANTIGONE 57 Antigone in exile 57 Antigone in Thebes 59 Sophocles’ anti-gendered Antigone or Antigone goes public 64 Haimon defending Antigone or here comes the groom 67 Re-gendering Antigone or stepping back into the female world 70 Overview 71 4. THE POLITICS OF LAMENTATION 77 Dissident lamentation 77 Lamenting the brothers in the Seven against Thebes 79 The pathos in mourning the three slain in Phoenician Women 82 Lamenting the father in Oedipus at Colonus 84 Sophocles’ Antigone: the most dissident of all lamentations 86 Overview 95 5. DEATH AND POSTHUMANISM IN SOPHOCLES’ ANTIGONE 100 Tragedy and posthumanism 100 Dying becomes her 101 Antigone in the Light of László Nemes’ Son of Saul 103 Antigone: restating her humanity 105 Overview 109 6. ANTIGONE IN ROME 112 Seneca’s Antigone 112 Antigone in Statius’ Thebaid 115 Overview 120 PART II: ANTIGONE AFTERWARDS 124 SECTION A: In critical thinking 124 7. DE-POLITICIZING ANTIGONE: HEGEL, LACAN, AND BEYOND 126 Hegel’s Antigone 126 Criticism 129 Lacan and Žižek on Antigone 131 Classical scholarship in depoliticizing Antigone 135 Overview 139 8. RE-POLITICIZING ANTIGONE: IRIGARAY, BUTLER, AND BEYOND 144 Irigaray 144 Butler: Antigone’s claim 148 When lamentation becomes political praxis 151 Overview 157 SECTION B: In the arts and society 164 9. FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE MID-20TH CENTURY 166 Middle Ages to renaissance 166 18th–19th centuries 167 20th–21st centuries: resistance 168 Overview 170 10. WAR: ANTIGONES IN WWII, NAZI OCCUPATION, AND CIVIL- WAR GREECE 173 Kalavrita des mille Antigones (‘Kalavryta of the Thousand Antigones’) by Charlotte Delbo, 1979 173 Elias Venezis’ Antigone, 1950 175 Aris Alexandrou’s Antigone in post-war Greece 177 An Antigone born in a state of exception: from the Nazi Occupation to Al Dab’a and Makronisos 178 (Back to) Aris Alexandrou’s Antigone: the play 180 Overview 186 11. DISPOSSESSION: PALESTINIAN ANTIGONE 191 Dispossessed Palestine 191 The 2011 production of Antigone by Adel Hakim 194 Overview 197 12. EQUALITY ANTIGONES OF MANY SUBJECTIVITIES: PROJECTS AND FILMS IN THE 21ST CENTURY 201 Projects: Antigone now, Antigone in Ferguson, Anti/gones_Anti/somata 201 We are not princesses by Bridgette Auger and Itab Azzam (2018) 203 Antigone by Sophie Deraspe (2019) 207 Strella by Panos H. Koutras (2009) 212 Overview 216 Further reading 220 Works cited 227 General Index 240 Index Locorum 249 Antigone;,Sophocles;,ancient,greek,theatre;,greek,tragedy;,classical,heroine;,gender;,female,resistance;,classical,reception;,reception,studies;,feminism;,tragic,heroine;,Aeschylus;,Seven,Against,Thebes;,Euripides;,Phoenissae;,Oedipus,at,Colonus;,Oedipus;,Jocasta;,Oedipus,Rex;,Attic,drama;,Greek,myth;,Greek,elegy;,Mimnermus;,Ion,of,Chios;,Ancient,Greek,poetry;,Polynices;,Eteokles;,Ismene;,Creon;,Greek,polis;,Oikos;,Thebes;,Haimon;,burial;,funerary,rights;,Accius;,Latin,poetry;,Seneca;,Roman,theatre;,Phoenician,Women;,Statius;,epic;,Thebaid;,ancient,philosophy;,philosophy;,German,Idealism;,Hegel;,Judith,Butler;,feminist,theory;,feminist,thought;,feminist,critical,thinking;,Jacques,Lacan;,Posthumanistic Antigone,Sophocles,ancient greek theatre,greek tragedy,classical heroine,gender,female resistance,classical reception,reception studies,feminism,tragic heroine,Aeschylus,Seven Against Thebes,Euripides,Phoenissae,Oedipus at Colonus,Oedipus,Jocasta,Oedipus Rex,Attic drama,Greek myth,Greek elegy,Mimnermus,Ion of Chios,Ancient Greek poetry,Polynices,Eteokles,Ismene,Creon,Greek polis,Oikos,Thebes,Haimon,burial,funerary rights,Accius,Latin poetry,Seneca,Roman theatre,Phoenician Women,Statius,epic,Thebaid,ancient philosophy,philosophy,German Idealism,Hegel,Judith Butler,feminist theory,feminist thought,feminist critical thinking,Jacques Lacan,Posthumanistic "This book explores the figure of Antigone and her many reconceptualizations from antiquity to the present. One of the most popular heroines of classical literature, Antigone defied political authority to carry out the forbidden burial of her brother. Readers will become familiar with the key themes of Antigone's story, such as the law and politics, gender, and death, tracing their survival and transformations over time. Notably, the book explores the thorough de-politicization of the heroine in philosophy and psychoanalysis, followed by a reversal and re-politicization through feminist and socio-political theories. It provides a useful tool to approach postmodern receptions of Antigone in the arts and society in the modern era, particularly in the contexts of occupied and civil war-era Greece, in Palestine, and in Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon. It also addresses issues of Antigone-like struggles of individuals or collectivities to overcome obstacles of systemic and racialized violence and gender-based oppression in the 21st century, while challenging heteronormative practices and policies to allow new subjectivities to emerge. Though Antigone's story is complex, Karakantza provides an accessible, fascinating overview of this enduring figure's legacy and impact over the course of history. Antigone provides a comprehensive study of this classical heroine, suitable for students and scholars of classical literature, reception studies, and gender studies. It also appeals to theatre practitioners interested in adapting and staging Sophocles' Antigone, or any Antigone of the ancient sources"-- Provided by publisher Offers a comprehensive overview of Antigone, one of classical literature's enduring heroines. The book traces important themes in Antigone's story as well as an insight into the de-politicization and re-politicization of this figure in the modern era. It also offers fascinating approaches to postmodern receptions of Antigone