ANTIGONE By Sophocles

 What is Tragedy

Aristotle’s considered tragedy as, “...an imitation of an action that is serious and also as having magnitude complete in

itself. In language, with pleasurable accessories, each kind brought in separately in the parts of the work, in a dramatic not in a narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions......... some portions are worked out with verse only, and others in turn with song” 

According to Aristotle, Tragedy is elevated and grand involving emotions of pity and fear. It looks upon the world as a place where, despite an element of chance or fate, there is moral order and not chaos.

 The Origin of the Greek Tragedy

The Greek tragedy originated in the cult of Dionysus. In the theatre, a large stone seat in the front row was reserved for the priest of Dionysus. The ancient Greek Theatre was a religious institution under the direction of the state.The myth provided the main source of inspiration to the tragic poets. The most famous of the Greek tragic dramatists, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, wrote during the fifth century B.C. The tragedies written by them, are regarded as great plays of all time. These plays are not naturalistic but highly conventional and stylized. The presentation of the plays thus was a great religious and social event. The plays were selected for a dramatic contest and prizes were awarded in order of merit. The audience comprised of thousands in number. The performance took place in daylight. Members of the audience were aware of the dramatic story and had knowledge of the various dramatic conventions. 

Importance of Mask in Greek Drama

The Mask has been used in the Greek drama from the very beginning. The mask brought about the transformation necessary to dramatic roles. Masks were used from primitive times in the cult of gods and goddesses such as Artemis, Demeter and Dionysus. 

Sophocles

✓One of the greatest tragic dramatists

✓Sophocles was born at Colonus near Athens. 

✓The exact year of his birth is not certain. Probably it was 496 B.C. or 497 B.C

✓He belonged to a well-to-do family and received good  education

✓He won his first victory in the theatre in 468 B.C. 

✓After his death in the autumn of 406 B.C., he was honoured as a hero and was made a part of the religious life of Athens

About the Play- ANTIGONE

Antigone is the first of the Theban plays written by Sophocles, over a wide interval of years. The three plays written within the broad framework of the legend concerning the Royal House of Thebes are, Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus, in that order. So they do not form a ‘trilogy’ and have no unity to them. Antigone was produced in 441 B.C. 

 In Antigone, though there is no contemporary allusion or political propaganda. Sophocles, showed his awareness of the pitfalls of success and brought into focus the dangers besetting man through pride and arrogance. The play is a rich work of art. 

Oedipus Rex

King of Thebes, Laius, who was warned by the Delphic oracle that his infant son, would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. Terrible predictions– to avoid which Laius ordered the child’s feet to be pierced and bound together, the helpless child was then given to a palace servant to be killed. A shepherd took him to the king of Corinth, Polybus, to be brought up as his son. He heard a prediction that he would kill his father , to avoid this he left Kingdom. In his wanderings, he met an old man with some attendants on a narrow road. They got into fight and the Old man was killed who was Laius the King and Oedipus ended up marrying his mother. At end he blinded himself and left Thebes. 

THE TITLE AND THEME

The play is named after Antigone, but whether rightly is a point of controversy. Antigone drops out well before the play is over. We hear nothing about her after. Creon occupies the scene almost from the beginning till the end. But Antigone is an important character coz vulnerable and alone, she opposes the unjust decree of Creon. 

The main theme of the tragedy is the conflict between the claims of the blood and the claims of the State, between religious and secular law. 

Another pervasive theme in the play is the need to learn. Learning through experience is the vital requirement for an individual, to reconcile himself with the world of gods and men. This is what Creon fails to do. His lack of flexibility, assertion of self-will, neglect of the sacred obligations of the rituals of burial and obedience to divine laws, violate the basic duties of man. 

THE CHORUS

The chorus should be regarded as one of the actors, it should be an integral part of the whole and take a share in the action.The chorus was normally a group of like minded and similarly placed persons (like citizens, captives or senators) representing some strongly felt idea. Greek Tragedy developed out of the dithyrambic chorus of 50 members. 

In a Sophoclean tragedy the chorus is limited to the present action and is always dramatic. The chorus in Antigone is composed of Theban elders. The theme of conflict between the claims of blood and the claims of the state–a public theme–concerns the chorus as members of the public. The chorus announces newcomers, receives messengers and fills up time-space. Its sometimes common-place comments allow for time to begin another speech. Sometimes instead of addressing the other actors, the characters speak to the chorus. 

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

1) ANTIGONE: The heroine in the tragedy has a character, alive with real feelings and passions. She dominates the play from the outset and remains the most interesting character. It is her love for her brother that makes her take on the might of the State. Rather than continue to exist like a coward, Antigone will face death courageously in carrying out her noble mission, Antigone shows unique strength of purpose in doing what she thinks is right and holy, without caring for personal consequences. The chorus describes her as fierce and defiant, showing her father’s temper “she will not yield to any storm”She does not expect any mercy from Creon and refuses to acknowledge the sisterly concern of Ismene. She finally disappears forever, cursing her tormentor to suffer like her for the death so undeservedly thrust upon her.

2) CREON: Creon is one of the two central characters in the tragedy, the other one being Antigone. Creon stands for the rights of the State, of the temporal authority, as against the stand taken by Antigone for the claims of blood, of divine sanction and eternal laws. Creon is a very sympathetic character in Oedipus the King and a very different one in Antigone.  He is utterly materialistic, and he thinks that it is only motives of profit that can induce a person to defy the king’s orders. He disregards the divine laws, and shows arrogance and pride. He considers women to be inferior beings and refers to them contemptuously. He refuses to yield when Haemon reasons with him, telling him of the subdued voice of the people who supported the pious-action of Antigone. Creon’s life is robbed of meaning with the loss of his wife and child. Only after losing them he learns and confesses that “the guilt falls on me alone” 

3) TEIRESIAS: Teiresias, a blind man, who can see beyond the reaches of normal human vision, categorically states that Creon is guilty of polluting himself and the city. Teiresias comes after Antigone has been dispatched to her death. He warns Creon, to correct his folly and see the right path, the right for which Antigone stood and died. There were visible portents which only the prophetic knowledge of Teiresias could interpret. The second part of the speech by Teiresias is unambiguous and terrible. He leaves the scene, spelling out the part that destiny would now play in destroying Creon. He brings destruction upon himself through arrogance and folly. The blind seer sees it all, but his warning comes too late. 

4) SENTRY: The role of the Sentry in the play Antigone is important in quite a few respects. In the portrayal of a talkative sly man, we get an idea of the common man “on the outskirts of the tragedy who has escaped”. He is honest, though vulgar. He feels sorry for the girl, knowing what she has to face. The Sentry represents the common man in every respect. The average Thebean is against the unjust decree of Creon, and has no grudge against Antigone. He is the dramatic agent to convey the vivid version of the burial of Polyneices’ body by Antigone, which is done off stage. 

5) HAEMON: Haemon and Antigone are never together on the stage and she speaks about him only once, answering the taunt of Creon. Haemon is to marry Antigone, and love for her motivates him to intercede on her behalf. But he does not mention his love. He politely reminds his father of the need to change and of the advantages of flexibility. He confirms himself as an obedient son and then proceeds to tell him that it is the well being of his father that he has in mind, when he is asking him to see reason. Haemon’s role11 is to assert the power to love that Creon denies. 

6) ISMENE: Ismene is Antigone’s sister, but it seems Sophocles was out to create an effective contrast. Ismene is timid and weak, conceding that she will not be doing her duty by the dead,she pleads inability to rise against the might of the state. It is significant that at the end of the play only Ismene and Creon survive. The tyrant and his pliant victim. The two live on without love. They had denied the claims of love. Ismene had refused to join her sister in her task of love as she wanted to cling to life.