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Antigone
(The Theban Plays #3)
by
The curse placed on Oedipus lingers and haunts a younger generation in this new and brilliant translation of Sophocles' classic drama. The daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Antigone is an unconventional heroine who pits her beliefs against the King of Thebes in a bloody test of wills that leaves few unharmed. Emotions fly as she challenges the king for the right to bury her
...more
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Paperback, 80 pages
Published
December 1st 2005
by Ingram
(first published -441)
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Start your review of Antigone (The Theban Plays, #3)

Ἀντιγόνη = Antigone, Sophocles
Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. It is the third of the three Theban plays chronologically, but was the first written.
The play expands on the Theban legend that predated it and picks up where Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes ends. In the beginning of the play, two brothers leading opposite sides in Thebes' civil war died fighting each other for the throne.
Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, has decided that Eteocles will be honored and Po ...more
Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 441 BC. It is the third of the three Theban plays chronologically, but was the first written.
The play expands on the Theban legend that predated it and picks up where Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes ends. In the beginning of the play, two brothers leading opposite sides in Thebes' civil war died fighting each other for the throne.
Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, has decided that Eteocles will be honored and Po ...more

Antigone is a real heroine; she stands up for what she believes in. She was faced with a strong dilemma. The law of man, the word of her uncle the king, demands that her brother's body remains unburied in the open with no funeral rights, to be savaged by animals. For King Creon, this is a symbolic justice for a traitor and a rebel, but the laws of the God’s, and the ruling of Antigone’s own mind, demands that she gives him libations (death rights) that all men deserve. She buries the body and fa
...more

This was a reread for me.
The first time I read this play was in my sophomore year or high school and I remember liking it but I LOVED it this time around.
It's fabulous and now I want to read the rest of the Theban plays. ...more
The first time I read this play was in my sophomore year or high school and I remember liking it but I LOVED it this time around.
It's fabulous and now I want to read the rest of the Theban plays. ...more

Of all the Greek theatre, few works remain. Antigone is one of the most famous short pieces we still have. It is deserving: this tragedy is a powerful, deep, immense, great work: you had to be Sophocles to do this to us. It's enormous; it's beautiful, it's intense!
...more

"Your soul is blowing apart."
The chorus in Anne Carson's translation of
Sophocles ANTIGONE

I love Antigone. I think it is one of the very best of the Greek tragedies ~~ no one of the very best of all tragedies ever written.
Random thought ~~ I suspect there is a play that is part of this cycle that is missing ~~ a play that focuses on the brothers.
This review will not focus on the play itself, but on the wonderful translation by Anne Carson.

Anne Carson is a poet. She is a wordsmith in the highest ...more
The chorus in Anne Carson's translation of
Sophocles ANTIGONE

I love Antigone. I think it is one of the very best of the Greek tragedies ~~ no one of the very best of all tragedies ever written.
Random thought ~~ I suspect there is a play that is part of this cycle that is missing ~~ a play that focuses on the brothers.
This review will not focus on the play itself, but on the wonderful translation by Anne Carson.

Anne Carson is a poet. She is a wordsmith in the highest ...more

11/21/21: I recently saw a production of Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus who defied King Creon to bury her brother, knowing that to obey divine law in this moment was the right and just thing to do. It's a little complicated from her on in, but what follows is a review of a kind of adaptation of the Antigone story set in Nazi Germany. Antigone is about family, pride and its difference from arrogance, about the assumption of political (and male) dominance, and about love. I reflect in the follo
...more

Book Review
4 out of 5 stars to Antigone, the third in a trilogy of Theban plays written around 441 BC (yes, almost 2500 years ago) by Sophocles. In my junior year of high school, our Advanced Placement English teacher assigned all three Theban plays. This is a mini-review on the final one, Antigone, which was my second favorite -- Oedipus Rex was of course, my favorite. In this Greek tragedy, Antigone, Oedipus Rex's daughter, fights to have a proper burial for her brother. She is str ...more
4 out of 5 stars to Antigone, the third in a trilogy of Theban plays written around 441 BC (yes, almost 2500 years ago) by Sophocles. In my junior year of high school, our Advanced Placement English teacher assigned all three Theban plays. This is a mini-review on the final one, Antigone, which was my second favorite -- Oedipus Rex was of course, my favorite. In this Greek tragedy, Antigone, Oedipus Rex's daughter, fights to have a proper burial for her brother. She is str ...more

Antigone is a strong contender in the Plays That Keep You Awake at Night competition. The background of the story reads, no surprise, like a Greek tragedy: Antigone is the orphaned daughter of Jocasta and Oedipus (the mother and father/brother team from Oedipus Rex) who has now lost both her brothers as well — they killed each other fighting over who got to rule Thebes. Uncle Creon, the new king, decreed that the “traitor” brother is to go unburied. The conflict is that Antigone plans to ignore
...more

I first read Antigone when I took a course in college dedicated to the early Greek plays. I find it weathers well, but then that should be no surprise since it has already weathered more than 2000 years.
Twice I was taken by the presence of phrases we still use commonly today. Is this the possible first use of “bit the dust”?
Here, there, great Ares like a war horse wheeled;
Beneath his car down thrust
Our foemen bit the dust
And this of “stand your ground”?
Such a man would in the storm of battle st ...more
Twice I was taken by the presence of phrases we still use commonly today. Is this the possible first use of “bit the dust”?
Here, there, great Ares like a war horse wheeled;
Beneath his car down thrust
Our foemen bit the dust
And this of “stand your ground”?
Such a man would in the storm of battle st ...more

May 06, 2012
David Sarkies
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Lovers of Greek Tragedy
Recommended to David by:
David Hester
Shelves:
tragedy
The family or the state
6 May 2012
This is probably the closest of all of the Greek tragedies to a Shakespearian tragedy. This is due to the end of the play having a huge bodycount and the action of the play is driven by one person's fatal flaw (not that I actually believe in the fatal flaw argument, but that is beside the point). However it is not Antigone who has the fatal flaw in this play but rather Creon, the king of Thebes. Unfortunately we cannot really look to Oedipus at Colonus to see th ...more
6 May 2012
This is probably the closest of all of the Greek tragedies to a Shakespearian tragedy. This is due to the end of the play having a huge bodycount and the action of the play is driven by one person's fatal flaw (not that I actually believe in the fatal flaw argument, but that is beside the point). However it is not Antigone who has the fatal flaw in this play but rather Creon, the king of Thebes. Unfortunately we cannot really look to Oedipus at Colonus to see th ...more

I really enjoyed this. It’s easy to read (minus a few of the long chorus paragraphs), and Antigone is the heroine of Greek tragedies I never knew I needed. She’s got a backbone, a level of principles high above those around her, and she’s not afraid of anyone. Least of all King Creon. Honestly, she’s so ahead of her time, I did not expect the high levels of sass I got while reading this, and it’s surprisingly funny in places too. The overall short length stopped this getting too ‘bogged down’ to
...more

Jul 05, 2014
Jennifer (Insert Lit Pun)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
western-canon-starter-kit
Wait, no, THIS is my favorite of the Oedipus cycle. My love is fickle. How did I not remember how good this was? The extended speeches are just as incredible as those in the other two plays, but what Antigone has over them is lightning-quick back-and-forth arguments that made my heart pound just from how good they were. I’d also forgotten how interesting the character of Antigone is (she milks that walk to her death for everything it’s worth), and how much Sophocles plays with gender stereotypes
...more

**4.5 stars**
“A man, though wise, should never be ashamed of learning more, and must unbend his mind.”
The conclusive note to the three plays, it kind of makes you feel a bit desolate, deep down. If you think about it, you can find the impression of this play in particular on several of Shakespeare’s plays. To voice back pessimism, Tiresias is also back from Oedipus Rex, and this time we can’t suspect him of antagonism. However, what may strike as a bit odd is the almost null involvement of E ...more
“A man, though wise, should never be ashamed of learning more, and must unbend his mind.”
The conclusive note to the three plays, it kind of makes you feel a bit desolate, deep down. If you think about it, you can find the impression of this play in particular on several of Shakespeare’s plays. To voice back pessimism, Tiresias is also back from Oedipus Rex, and this time we can’t suspect him of antagonism. However, what may strike as a bit odd is the almost null involvement of E ...more

Sep 16, 2017
Trish
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
family,
fiction,
literature,
mythology,
parenting,
one-for-the-ages,
translated,
series,
classics,
greece
I am not well-schooled in tragedies--the Greek tragedies, that is--but when I learned that one of the books I intended to read for the Man Booker award this year was based on the story of Antigone, I thought now was a good time to have a look.
This is the first I have encountered of the play, I loved it. It is filled with terrific emotion and common responses to tragedy, as well as wisdom unbound. The personalities are strong and salty...and act on their promises.
Those of you who know the story w ...more
This is the first I have encountered of the play, I loved it. It is filled with terrific emotion and common responses to tragedy, as well as wisdom unbound. The personalities are strong and salty...and act on their promises.
Those of you who know the story w ...more

Sep 10, 2014
Jonfaith
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
the_plays_the_thing
Owen Bennett Jones recently wrote on the Islamic State in the LRB. "Every time a Jihadi movement has won power it has lost popularity by failing to give the people what they want: peace, security and jobs." When I read that I thought about poor King Creon. I have always felt disturbed by the vice of fate in this play which steadily traps and crushes. It was Creon's hubris which caught my attention this time. Doesn't he have a mandate? I imagine him simply incredulous. Why this dissent? Subsequen
...more

“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.”
I have always found this play, and any of Sophocles’ tragedies, as comedies. Apparently I have a very bad sense of humour. But there is nothing more hilarious in literature than poetic justice. It is not as funny as Oedipus Rex, but it is quite funny still, since Antigone sticks it up to Creon. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, and she has also now lost h ...more
I have always found this play, and any of Sophocles’ tragedies, as comedies. Apparently I have a very bad sense of humour. But there is nothing more hilarious in literature than poetic justice. It is not as funny as Oedipus Rex, but it is quite funny still, since Antigone sticks it up to Creon. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, and she has also now lost h ...more

I read this in preparation for reading Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie from this year's Man Booker longlist.
And I read in a different translation to the edition shown here, one sticking more literally to the original Greek, including not translating terms where it felt there was no satisfactory equivalent. This was important in clarifying some of the key themes, but rather puts the onus of interpretation back on the reader (and this reader is no expert in ancient Greek philosophy).
A number of things ...more
And I read in a different translation to the edition shown here, one sticking more literally to the original Greek, including not translating terms where it felt there was no satisfactory equivalent. This was important in clarifying some of the key themes, but rather puts the onus of interpretation back on the reader (and this reader is no expert in ancient Greek philosophy).
A number of things ...more

This was of course some of the most fluid and beautiful writing I have come across in a long time. I have wanted to read this play for years and finally ran across a copy of it. The words were an absolute song and the bits by the choir thrown in were terribly fun to act out in your mind. I would love to see this on stage. I am not sure if the plot was exactly my favorite but the words alone were enough to rock me into a happy lull of entertainment and contentment.

This is Greek mythology at its best – powerful, heroic and dramatic. It's a beautiful story full of strong characters and inspiring actions.

Antigone is the headstrong daughter of Oedipus, who breaks the law and defies her uncle, King Creon, by burying and honouring her slain brother. When the king finds out, he's less than pleased and questions of morality, honesty and justice arise.
Antigone is the perfect heroine. Not only is she strong willed, but a woman who is brave enough to question auth ...more

Antigone is the headstrong daughter of Oedipus, who breaks the law and defies her uncle, King Creon, by burying and honouring her slain brother. When the king finds out, he's less than pleased and questions of morality, honesty and justice arise.
Antigone is the perfect heroine. Not only is she strong willed, but a woman who is brave enough to question auth ...more

This is a complex drama, there is no single protagonist (despite the title and the attractiveness of Antigone for modern reinterpretations), but two antagonists, Antigone and Creon. Fagles' translation captures the nuances that lend themselves to accessible interpretation. The conflict is multi-faceted and as relevant today as in Sophocles' times: individual rights vs. the state, women's subservient status in the society (like Chrysothemis in Electra, Isomene serves as a foil to Antigone for the
...more

This review is of the translation by Diane J. Rayor.
Diane J. Rayor's translation is excellent, probably one of the best available. The appeal of this translation as opposed to others is its stage presence, so to speak; the introduction gives an excellent analysis of the play, the notes are (as promised) comprehensive, and director Karen Libman's essay elaborates on the topic of staging. Rayor adds stage directions not present in the original, a type of addition which usually bothers me, but it c ...more
Diane J. Rayor's translation is excellent, probably one of the best available. The appeal of this translation as opposed to others is its stage presence, so to speak; the introduction gives an excellent analysis of the play, the notes are (as promised) comprehensive, and director Karen Libman's essay elaborates on the topic of staging. Rayor adds stage directions not present in the original, a type of addition which usually bothers me, but it c ...more

There's barely anything in the world as hilarious and amusing as a Greek tragedy. Oedipus is, in many ways, the daddy, but daughter Antigone holds her own as well. So much to think on, so much to learn, so much to laugh at. Those silly incestuous Greeks.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Shop | Etsy ...more
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Shop | Etsy ...more

This review is of the translation by Anne Carson.
GET FUCKED, KREONI'm constantly fascinated by Dr. Carson's translation choices. Her writing is very readable, but I'd still call it less of a direct translation and more of an adaptation. Many years ago I read a version of Frogs that had swapped the Ancient Greek poets for William Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw, in order to be more appealing and relatable to a modern (Western!) audience. Dr. Carson does a similar thing:
ANTIGONE: We begin in the...more

Love that the Gods' work is like Karma. There's a whole lot of death and suicide in this one to bring the Oedipus Cycle to a finish.
...more

What a work it was.!! The copy I have is by Penguin Little Black Classics series,and I was delaying reading it since the print was tiny and set in a style I didn't like. But now I realize what a stupid I was to have delayed reading such a piece of beauty...
Moralizing isn't everyone's forte. Too many have written such a lot of works on the topic that the moment one starts reading something on it,the natural reaction is 'not again.!' This book is a bit different in that genre. It moralizes,it tal ...more
Moralizing isn't everyone's forte. Too many have written such a lot of works on the topic that the moment one starts reading something on it,the natural reaction is 'not again.!' This book is a bit different in that genre. It moralizes,it tal ...more

Well, this resonated deeply with me. Especially the relationship between Antigone and her flighty and untrustworthy sister Ismene. Man, that part when Ismene now suddenly wants to stand at her sister's side after the King Creon has sentenced Antigone to be immured, really pissed me off and brought up all kinds of feelings of injustice and indignation. As with Electra, Antigone is a woman alone facing the self-righteousness of an elder king unwilling to lose face or learn anything new he hasn't s
...more

This is one of my favourite among the ancient Greek plays. Sophocles' play captures the story of Antigone so beautifully. Her bold character really shines through in this play. The play itself continues after the story of Oedipus Rex (Antigone is the cursed daughter of the cursed king, you might say). King Creon demands that nobody should mourn the death of Polynices (one of Antigone's brothers- both brothers were killed in a battle) as Polynices is deemed a traitor. In trying to secure a respec
...more
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Catching up on Cl...: Antigone - Sep 2019 - No spoilers | 18 | 69 | Aug 28, 2019 06:08AM | |
Goodreads Librari...: Cover request for Sophocles I | 2 | 16 | Jan 28, 2018 07:26AM | |
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Goodreads Librari...: Combining Editions of Sophocles' Antigone | 2 | 17 | Aug 02, 2014 03:25AM | |
Antigone analysis, themes, trivia, audio, video | 3 | 124 | Feb 25, 2014 09:19PM |
Sophocles (born c. 496 bc, Colonus, near Athens [Greece]—died 406, Athens), (Greek:
Σοφοκλής
; German editions:
Sophokles
, Russian:
Софокл
, French editions:
Sophocle
) was an ancient Greek tragedy playwright. Not many things are known about his life other than that he was wealthy, well educated and wrote about one hundred and twenty three plays (of which few are extant). One of his b
...more
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“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.”
—
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“Go then if you must, but remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still.”
—
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