Antigone

Antigone is a good choice for your IO. It matches a wide range of global issues with Nike advertisements or military recruiting materials, and there are clear "authorial choices" to discuss and analyze.

If you do not choose it for your IO, you can use it for a Paper 2 text.

Antigone Full Text.pdf

Full Text .Pdf of Antigone

Note: Antigone was written in about 441 bc, making it around 2460 years old. The ages have produced many translations and editions of Antigone. For the purpose of our class, please use this edition. I have chosen it because it is elevated language but contemporary, it follows the origional plot line, and it written in verse which makes good food for linguistic and structural analysis.

Antigone Notes and Quotes Lang Lit 2021-2023

Can't remeber? Looking for a particular part? Check your...

Antigone Notes & Quotes

Outline:

Prologue (background exposition), Parados (entrance of the chorus) Episode (scene-like events), Stasimon (choral odes and reactions between the Episodes), Exedus (conclusion, lesson learned).

Line 1-99, PROLOGUE Antigone and Ismene discuss Antigone’s plan
100-162, PARADOS Chorus gives exposition of the battle and Creon;
163-223, EPISODE (PROLOGUE) Creon’s decree
224-330 EPISODE Sentry brings Antigone before Creon,
332-384 STASIMON: Man is a wonder, but he must follow the gods.
384-581 EPISODE Antigone and later Ismene are brought before Creon
582-630 STASIMON: Chorous contemplates law of man, and law of God
625-780 EPISODE Creon and his son, Haemon (fiancé of Ismene), argue
781-806 STASIMONChorus on love, and the fate of Antigone
806-944 EPISODE (Statismon?) Antigone and Chorus debate civic duty, religious duty; Creon joins the argument
945-987 STASIMONChorus compares the fate of Antigone to that of Danae
988-1014 Creon consults the blind prophet, Teiresias; Chorus gives its opinion and Creon changes his mind
1015-1151 STASIMON Chorus praises Creon for his decision
1152-1322, EPISODE Messengers arrive with news of death
1322-1352 EXEDUS Creon learns his lesson through tragic failure - “wisdom is far the chief element in happiness/no irreverence towards the gods.”

Sophocles's Theban Plays

Sophocles wrote three plays about the family of Oedipus called the Theban Plays (he was king of Thebes). They are sort of a trilogy, but they have some inconsistencies, and he wrote them out of order, and many years apart. ANTIGONE, who is Oedipus's daughter, was the first one written, but comes last in the story. Therefore, it helps to know the other two. Here are three videos which will help you know the whole backstory in just under 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Oedipus Rex

Funny summary of Oedipus Rex, Antigone's father and the first of the Theban plays. It helps to know his play if you want to know his daughter.

Oedipus at Colonus

The middle chapter, and everyone's least favourite Theban Play - but the events are important to us, so here is a short summary with cool music.

Antigone

Antigone is the third play in the Theban Trilogy. Like Shakespeare, it is ok to know the plots of Sophocles before you read him - the audiences did!

Note: Are you thinking, "Should it be Oedipus's or Oedipus' daughter? Sophocles's or Sophocles' plays? Has Hendry made an error?" The answer is that both are acceptable, although there is a raging grammar war among English teachers like me over topics like this. I am solidly on the "Oedipus's" side. If you feel otherwise, I will not mark you wrong. But you are wrong. And this is war. Grammar war.

National Theatre and Antigone

The National Theatre has some great videos on Greek Theatre, and their production of Antigone. Here are a few of my favourites and a link to the full playlist.