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Title: Sophocles: Antigone by Sophocles, Mark Griffith ISBN: 0-521-33701-1 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 09 September, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.61 (36 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Ancient Greek family values
Comment: "Antigone," the drama by Sophocles, has been published as part of the Dover Thrift Edition series. The Dover version is translated into English by George Young. An introductory note states that the play was first performed in the 440s BCE.
The introductory note also includes a brief summary of events leading up to the events of this play. "Antigone" concerns the family of Oedipus, former ruler of the city-state of Thebes. As "Antigone" opens, Thebes is ruled by Creon, the brother-in-law of Oedipus. Creon is at odds with his niece, Antigone, because he denies a proper burial to Antigone's brother Polynices. Antigone's intention to defy her uncle sets this tragedy in motion.
This is a powerful story about familial duty, social customs, gender roles, and the relationship between the individual and governmental authority. The issues in this play remain relevant today, and are powerfully argued by Sophocles' characters. At the heart of the play is this question: Is it right to disobey a law or edict that one feels is unjust?
But "Antigone" is not just a philosophical meditation; it's also the story of a very personal clash between two strong-willed members of a very troubled extended family. A bonus in the play is the appearance of the seer Tiresias: it is a small but potent role. Overall, this play is a solid example of why ancient Greek drama has stood the test of time.
Rating: 5
Summary: How far should loyalty to the state go?
Comment: The moral of this play is simple. The question: is man (or in this case, woman) justified in breaking the laws of the state, supposing those laws are contrary to the higher system of laws the man (or woman) obeys? For example, should a man break a temporal law if it compromises his religious or moral beliefs? In this play, Sophocles addresses this issue, though he doesn't necessarily resolve it.
The dilemma is posed in the form of Antigone, the daughter of the late Oedipus. Her brother, Polyneices, rebelled against the state, and was killed while attacking his homeland. Because of this treachery, Creon, the new king, declares that Polyneices will not have a proper burial, but will instead be left exposed to rot. Antigone decides that her first loyalty is familial, and provides her brother with a crude burial. As a result, she is condemned to death.
This is a very difficult question, one which has been debated even until today. For example, Thomas Paine touched on it in Common Sense, and Thoreau focused on it in his famous essay "Civil Disobedience," which in turn influenced Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and others. Clearly this is a question which has perplexed the ages, and this is one reason why this play is still so important today.
This issue will continue to exist, and so will this remarkable play produced by one of the greatest playwrights in history.
Rating: 4
Summary: Great
Comment: Sophocles' Antigone is a wonderful work - a dramatic and riveting play with a superb cast of characters. It is easy to understand, intersting, and fun to read. I highly recommend it.
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Title: Oedipus Rex by Sophocles ISBN: 0486268772 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 01 June, 1991 List Price(USD): $1.50 |
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Title: Medea by Euripides ISBN: 0486275485 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 19 April, 1993 List Price(USD): $1.50 |
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Title: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone (Cliffs Notes) by Robert J. Milch ISBN: 0822007088 Publisher: Cliffs Notes Pub. Date: 01 October, 1965 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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Title: Lysistrata by Aristophanes ISBN: 0486282252 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 20 October, 1994 List Price(USD): $1.50 |
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Title: Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare ISBN: 0671722719 Publisher: Washington Square Press Pub. Date: 01 August, 1992 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
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