Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles and is the third play in the Oedipus Cycle. In the play, Antigone goes against the orders of her uncle Creon, King of Thebes, by burying her brother Polynices. The character Antigone is interpreted differently depending on the adaptation. She is often a political figure, standing up to the government. She can be a philosophical figure, inciting debates such as conscience versus law. Antigone often embodies familial ties. She is a feminist as she does not conform to the gender norms of the time. She can be seen as strong-willed and selfish. There is no single correct interpretation of Antigone. She is all of these things, or none of them.
In ancient Greece, women were expected to be subservient to men; hence, the ancient Greek audience would have viewed Antigone’s violation of gender roles as a clear transgression. The 1956 theatrical rendition casts Antigone far more favourably as a brave heroine who, like Joan of Arc and Boudicca, stands up against an authoritarian regime. Antigone came to symbolize democracy and resonated with Greece’s war of independence against the Ottoman Empire, as well as America’s struggle against communist Soviet Russia during the Cold War.
Antigone is a traditional Greek tragedy. The original audience would've have come to see Antigone already knowing the narrative. Sophocles, however, significantly altered the story and introduced new emphases. An original dispute between Athens (or Argos) and Thebes over the corpses of the Seven is turned into an internal family dispute between Creon and Antigone. The characters of Haemon and Ismene are both introduced in a new and significant way, as foils to Creon and Antigone respectively. The role of the gods and the introduction of divine disapproval of Creon for failing in his familial duties seems also to be a Sophoclean innovation. The prologues, set out the topic of the tragedy. Gender is, highely important to the play: issues of limits of male authority, the power of masculine speech, and the possibility of female autonomy simmer throughout the tragedy.
Sophocles’ language is ‘the most flexible and richly varied’. The variations and his style shifts to convey character. The reserved and cautious Ismene speaks in measured sentences with embellished language; Antigone, in her passion, speaks more impetuously, with short sentences and bold claims in imperatives or the future tense. Later, Creon’s imperious nature is shown with how he addresses the sisters in the third person even when they are present.
Antigone is a traditional Greek tragedy. The original audience would've have come to see Antigone already knowing the narrative. Sophocles, however, significantly altered the story and introduced new emphases. An original dispute between Athens (or Argos) and Thebes over the corpses of the Seven is turned into an internal family dispute between Creon and Antigone. The characters of Haemon and Ismene are both introduced in a new and significant way, as foils to Creon and Antigone respectively. The role of the gods and the introduction of divine disapproval of Creon for failing in his familial duties seems also to be a Sophoclean innovation. The prologues, set out the topic of the tragedy. Gender is, highely important to the play: issues of limits of male authority, the power of masculine speech, and the possibility of female autonomy simmer throughout the tragedy.
Sophocles’ language is ‘the most flexible and richly varied’. The variations and his style shifts to convey character. The reserved and cautious Ismene speaks in measured sentences with embellished language; Antigone, in her passion, speaks more impetuously, with short sentences and bold claims in imperatives or the future tense. Later, Creon’s imperious nature is shown with how he addresses the sisters in the third person even when they are present.
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