Antigone

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Antigone

• By Sophocles

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Guiding Questions

• How does Greek drama compare to our modern
  theater?
• How do the themes in plays from other times and
  cultures relate to issues of today?

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TSWBAT

• Appreciate ancient Greek drama through study of a
  play by Sophocles
• Evaluate the cultural and historical context of
  Greek drama and its role in Greek society

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The Author- Sophocles

• The Pinnacle of Greek Tragedy
• Born in Athens 496BCE
• Born in the town of Colonus
• Lived to be 90
• Witnessed the rise and fall of the Greek Golden
  Age

• Grew up during Persian Wars
• Exceptionally talented Actor

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Greek Theater- Use the lecture to answer these
questions

• Where were Greek tragedies staged?
• What did the stage look like?
• What kinds of props and scenery were used?
• When during the year were plays performed? When
  during the day?
• Who performed in them? What costumes did they
  wear?
• Who came to the plays? How did they behave? What
  were they looking for -- entertainment,
  knowledge, enlightenment?
• What kinds of issues were addressed in plays?
• What was the playwright's role in the
  performance?

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The Theatre of Dionysoshttp//www.didaskalia.net/
studyarea/recreatingdionysus.html
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Location of The Theatre of Dionysos
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Ariel View of Theatre of Dionysos
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The Players

• Greek tragedy and comedy originated with the
  chorus
• the most important part of the performance space
  was the orchestra
• A tragic chorus consisted of 12 or 15 dancers
  (choreuts),
• Athenians were taught to sing and dance from a
  very early age.
• The effort of dancing and singing through three
  tragedies and a satyr play was likened to that of
  competing in the Olympic Games.

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Actors

• In contrast with the chorus of 12 or 15, there
  were only three actors in fifth-century Athenian
  tragedy.
• The original word for 'actor' was hypokrites,
  meaning 'answerer,' for the actor answered the
  chorus.
• Thespis is said to have introduced (and been) the
  first actor, later called protagonistes
  (literally 'first competitor').
• The introduction of a second actor
  (deuteragonistes) is attributed to Aeschylus and
• the third (tritagonistes) to Sophocles.

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Actors continued

• Each actor would undertake to play several
  different roles
• It is possible to divide the speaking parts in a
  Greek tragedy up by determining which characters
  were in the same scene.
• Often the division of roles had some thematic
  significance relevant to the play. Very
  occasionally a single role might be divided
  between two or more actors, as in Sophocles'
  Oedipus at Colonus

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Masks

• The large size of the theatre (in its final form
  it seated 20,000 people) and
• the distance of even the nearest spectators from
  the performers (more than 10 meters)
• dictated a non-naturalistic approach to acting.
• All gestures had to be large and definite so as
  to 'read' from the back rows.
• Facial expression would have been invisible to
  all but the closest members of the audience the
  masks worn by the actors looked more 'natural'
  than bare faces in the Theatre of Dionysos.
• The masks of tragedy were of an ordinary,
  face-fitting size, with wigs attached, and open
  mouths to allow clear speech.

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Structure of Greek Play- Know and be able to
identify the following

• The Greek Chorus and its various functions (with
  an example of each)
• Greek Theater, its structure and layout
• Episode
• Anagnorisis
• Catharsis
• Deus ex Machina
• Peripeteia

• Stichomythia
• Dramatic Irony
• Pathos (2 examples)
• Tragedy, its characteristics
• Tragedy
• Tragic hero, his/her characteristics
• Hamartia
• Hubris

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Reflect on the underlying themes of the drama

• the interlocking conflicts between men and women,
  
• age and youth,
• society and the individual,
• human justice and divine law,
• the obligations we owe to the living and the dead

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Setting

• The drama begins at dawn, after a night in which
  there has been a war in Thebes between armies led
  by the two sons of Oedipus. Keep in mind that the
  Greek theater was in the open air, and that the
  first performances of the day would begin at
  daybreak. Thus, imagine that the time of day of
  the setting would be identical to the performance
  time.

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1-116

• As you read the first scene, consider the gravity
  of the city's condition and how aware Antigone
  seems of it.
• Throughout the play, Antigone and Creon will talk
  much about friends and enemies. Think about what
  each means by these terms. In general, Antigone
  and Creon tend to use the same words but mean
  different things by them. For example, consider
  Antigone's reference to being a "traitor" (57).
  This is a political term does Antigone mean a
  traitor to the city, or to something else?
  Compare with Creon (580).
• Why does Antigone assume that Creon's order is
  directed against her and Ismene? When Creon
  appears later, consider whether his conduct and
  language in fact supports her assumption.
• Do you sympathize at all with Ismene's caution?
  Does Antigone treat her fairly?
• Why is Antigone so concerned with glory (113)?
  Should she be?
• How old do you think Antigone is?

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117-178

• After the initial dialogue the Chorus emerges for
  their first choral ode, which concerns the
  previous night's battle. Contrast the picture of
  Polynices drawn there with Antigone's earlier
  discussion of her brother does your opinion of
  him, and of Antigone's position, change at all?
• The chorus evokes Dionysus (171), the first of
  several times this god is mentioned. Why should
  the chorus call upon Dionysus? Look up the name
  if you need to.

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179-376

• Creon enters. It is very important that you do
  not project Creon's later conduct back into his
  first speech. Read this speech carefully,
  consider his values and beliefs, and ask yourself
  whether there is anything wrong with his
  principles, whether in Greek terms or your own.
  Later, compare Creon's subsequent actions with
  the principles he articulates here.
• Throughout this scene, pay close attention to the
  assumptions Creon makes about gender.
• When Creon talks about the gods and the law
  (317), is he talking about the same types of gods
  as Antigone does?

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377-416

• This is perhaps the most famous choral ode in
  Greek tragedy. What image of man does this ode
  present? In this vision, what is human greatness?
  What are the limits of human ability and action?
  When can a daring man get into trouble?
• Choral odes often generalize a given problem
  specific to the play's action into a statement
  about human life as a whole. Is that the case
  here? If so, then is the chorus alluding to
  Antigone, or to Creon, or to both?

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417-655

• Why is Creon so surprised when the Sentry brings
  in Antigone?
• Antigone is compared to a mother bird (471), not
  the last time she is referred to as maternal in
  this play. Is there anything strange or ironic
  about Antigone being represented as a mother?
• Antigone's defense to Creon (499-524) is very
  important, so read it carefully.
• Ismene defends Antigone and asks Creon how he
  could kill his own son's bride (641). Has there
  been any reference to this relationship before?

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656-700

• Contrast this stasimon with the previous one. Is
  this ode's thought and tone similar or different?
  What, if anything, has changed?

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701-878

• Compare the Creon in this scene with the one who
  first entered the play. Has he changed at all in
  language or conduct?
• To what does Haemon appeal in his attempt to save
  Antigone?
• Does Haemon threaten his father, as Creon thinks
  (842)?
• Why does Creon chose the particular method of
  execution that he does (870-8)? What does it say
  about him?

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879-94

• The ancient Greeks had two words for "love"
  philia, meaning something like "friendship", and
  eros, which has more to do with passion. When the
  chorus talks about "love" in the ode, which of
  the two do they mean? And why is the chorus
  generalizing about love here?

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895-1034

• Note the chorus' reference to Antigone's "bridal
  vault" (899). What do they mean by referring to a
  wedding chamber? This will be an important image
  in the last part of the play. Antigone becomes a
  "Bride of Death" (or "Bride of Hades Demeter and
  Hades).
• How would you characterize the chorus' exchange
  with Antigone here?
• Consider Antigone's speech which begins at line
  978. Is this speech consistent with what she has
  argued before?
• Is Antigone's faith in the gods wavering here?

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1035-1089

• Consider what these myths have in common with
  each other, and with the story of the play at
  this point.

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1090-1237

• What does the failure of Tiresias' sacrifice have
  to do with Polynices and Antigone?
• What, specifically, in Tiresias' warnings leads
  Creon to change his mind?

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1238-72

• Why does the chorus call on Dionysus in this ode?

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1273-End

• Why does Antigone chose to commit suicide? Does
  it suggest her mother's death, or is there an
  important difference?
• Creon's wife is only on stage momentarily, yet
  she plays a key role in Creon's disaster. What
  does her suicide mean to him?

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Is Creon a tragic figure?

• Is Creon a tragic figure? Do you feel sympathy
  for him at the end as someone who initially tried
  to do good yet was overwhelmed by circumstance,
  or do you believe that he is a bullying,
  misogynistic control-freak who gets what he
  deserves? Try to come up with arguments for both
  sides. Could the play have been called Creon,
  instead?

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Antigone

• Conversely, what, specifically, makes Antigone a
  tragic figure? Think about what, exactly, you
  mean by such words as "tragedy" and "tragic".

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What do you think?

• Debate Antigone's choice, whether it betrays a
  tragic pride and inflexibility or demonstrates an
  heroic dedication to virtue.

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Contemporary links

• Comment on the relevance of this ancient play to
  contemporary life. When in recent history have
  individuals been forced to choose between the law
  and human rights?

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Your life

• When in your own life have you faced a choice
  like Antigone's, a choice between obedience to
  authority and remaining true to your conscience?