Sophocles: Antigone (Companions to Greek and Roman Tragedy)

Antigone is Sophocles’ masterpiece, a seminal influence on a wide range of theatrical, literary, and intellectual traditions. This volume sets the play in the contexts of its mythical background, its performance, its relation to contemporary culture and thought, and its rich reception history. But its main aim is to encourage first-hand engagement with the complexities of interpretation that make the play so enduringly thought-provoking and rewarding. Though Creon’s actions prove disastrous and Antigone’s are vindicated, the Antigone is no simple study in the excesses of tyranny or the virtues of heroic resistance, but a more nuanced exploration of conflicting views of right and wrong and of the conditions that constrain human beings’ efforts to control their destinies and secure their happiness. The book’s chapters consider the extent of the original audience’s acquaintance with earlier versions of the legends of Antigone’s family, the structure of the plot as it unfolds in theatrical performance, the presentation of the characters and the motivations that drive them, the major political, social, and ethical themes that the play raises, and the resonance of those themes in the ways that the play has been interpreted, adapted, performed, and appropriated in later periods. The volume sets the play in the contexts of its ancient mythical background, its original circumstances of performance, its relation to the culture and thought of contemporary Athens, and the rich and complicated history of its reception. The Antigone (it is argued) is no simple study in the excesses of tyranny or the virtues of heroic resistance, but a more complex and nuanced exploration of conflicting views of right and wrong and of the conditions that constrain human beings’ efforts to control their own destinies and secure their own happiness. The individual chapters consider the extent of the original audience’s acquaintance with earlier versions of the legend, the structure of the plot as it unfolds in theatrical performance, the presentation of the characters and the motivations that drive them, the major political, social, and ethical themes that the play raises, and the resonance of those themes in the ways that the play has been interpreted, adapted, performed, and appropriated in later periods. Antigone is Sophocles' masterpiece, a seminal influence on a wide range of theatrical, literary, and intellectual traditions all over the world. This volume sets the play in the contexts of its ancient mythical background, its original circumstances of performance, its relation to the culture and thought of contemporary Athens, and the rich and complicated history of its reception. But its main aim is to encourage readers to engage with the text at first hand and to appreciate the inexhaustible richness that makes this play in particular so hard to pin down, so enduringly thought-provoking, and hence so rewarding to study. Though Creon's actions prove disastrous and Antigone's are vindicated, theAntigone (it is argued) is no simple study in the excesses of tyranny or the virtues of heroic resistance, but a more complex and nuanced exploration of conflicting views of right and wrong and of the conditions that constrain human beings' efforts to control their own destinies and secure their own happiness. The book's chapters consider the extent of the original audience's acquaintance with earlier versions of the legends of Antigone's family, the structure of the plot as it unfolds in theatrical performance, the presentation of the characters and the motivations that drive them, the major political, social, and ethical themes that the play raises, and the resonance of those themes in the ways that the play has been interpreted, adapted, performed, and appropriated in later periods. Antigone is Sophocles' masterpiece, a seminal influence on a wide range of theatrical, literary, and intellectual traditions all over the world. This volume sets the play in the contexts of its ancient mythical background, its original circumstances of performance, its relation to the culture and thought of contemporary Athens, and the rich and complicated history of its reception. But its main aim is to encourage readers to engage with the text at first hand and to appreciate the inexhaustible richness that makes this play in particular so hard to pin down, so enduringly thought-provoking, and hence so rewarding to study. Though Creon's actions prove disastrous and Antigone's are vindicated, the Antigone (it is argued) is no simple study in the excesses of tyranny or the virtues of heroic resistance, but a more complex and nuanced exploration of conflicting views of right and wrong and of the conditions that constrain human beings' efforts to control their own destinies and secure their own happiness. The book's chapters consider the extent of the original audience's acquaintance with earlier versions of the legends of Antigone's family, the structure of the plot as it unfolds in theatrical performance, the presentation of the characters and the motivations that drive them, the major political, social, and ethical themes that the play raises, and the resonance of those themes in the ways that the play has been interpreted, adapted, performed, and appropriated in later periods Cover page......Page 1 Halftitle page......Page 2 Series page......Page 3 Title page......Page 4 Copyright page......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 7 Abbreviations......Page 10 The myth and its background......Page 12 The play in the theatre......Page 21 Whose tragedy is it anyway?......Page 40 Who is right?......Page 48 Which side are you on?......Page 66 The first stasimon......Page 70 The first and second stasima compared......Page 74 Delusion and disaster......Page 77 Mind, madness, and the nature of happiness......Page 92 Causes and explanations......Page 99 Friends and enemies......Page 104 Sex and death......Page 115 Marriage and death......Page 117 Back to the polis......Page 121 5 Reception......Page 126 Ancient reception......Page 127 Our Antigone: Hegel and after......Page 133 Conclusion......Page 164 Notes......Page 166 Guide to Further Reading......Page 210 Bibliography......Page 212 Glossary......Page 238 Index......Page 240 Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Series page 3 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgements 7 Abbreviations 10 1 From Myth to Plot 12 The myth and its background 12 The play in the theatre 21 2 Tragedy and Sympathy 40 Whose tragedy is it anyway? 40 Who is right? 48 Which side are you on? 66 3 Progress and Pessimism 70 The first stasimon 70 The first and second stasima compared 74 Delusion and disaster 77 Mind, madness, and the nature of happiness 92 Causes and explanations 99 4 Love and Death 104 Friends and enemies 104 Sex and death 115 Marriage and death 117 Back to the polis 121 5 Reception 126 Ancient reception 127 Our Antigone: Hegel and after 133 Conclusion 164 Notes 166 Guide to Further Reading 210 Bibliography 212 Glossary 238 Index 240 The Book's Chapters Consider The Extent Of The Original Audience's Acquaintance With Earlier Versions Of The Legends Of Antigone's Family, The Structure Of The Plot As It Unfolds In Theatrical Performance, The Presentation Of The Characters And The Motivations That Derive Them, The Major Political, Social, And Ethical Themes That The Play Raises, And The Resonance Of Those Themes In The Ways That The Play Has Been Interpreted, Adapted, Performed, And Appropriated In Later Periods.--page [4] Of Cover. From Myth To Plot -- Tragedy And Sympathy -- Progress And Pessimism -- Love And Death -- Reception. Douglas Cairns. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 201-226) And Index.