Book Review on Antigone - Sophocles
‘Antigone’ is a play written by the famous Greek
tragedian Sophocles. The play was written around 441 BC. It is a Greek tragedy
written in three acts. The play revolves around a female protagonist Antigone.
The play talks about the absolute rule and the negative aspects of it. The play
escalates when the king Creon comes to know that Antigone has secretly given
burial to her brother Polynice despite having sent the orders that no burial
shall be given to him. What punishment Creon gives to Antigone for her deed and
the events which follow are the crux of the play which depict the downside of
absolute monarchy.
The play is set in 441 BC
in Greece where the decision of the monarch was considered absolute. Even
though the people knew that the king’s decision was wrong, they couldn’t raise
their voice at a result of the fear of punishment. At such a time, Antigone
shows courage to do her deed without fearing for her life. Later in the play,
we also see that Antigone is engaged to the king’s son Haemon. Haemon tries his
best to convince his father against the punishment that is being to Antigone,
but the king Creon is too reluctant. As a result of his one decision, tragedy engulfs
the king’s entire family.
The tragic tone of the play can be sensed through the
very beginning itself. The setting of the play creates a gloomy environment and
puts the reader in a melancholic state of mind preparing him/her for the
tragedy. The chorus plays an important role in the play giving their opinion at
every scene. The way their dialogues are constructed makes it evident that the
chorus also knows what is going to happen but they cannot do anything against
the king. The entrance of Haemon and his initial dialogues make it seem that he
is lusty for power and not other relations. But as the play unfolds, we get to
see the righteous nature of Haemon which is very much suitable for the position
of a monarch. Creon is too engulfed by his pride to give a thought to anyone
else’s opinion other than that of Tiresias who was considered a wise man.
Tiresias was respected because his visions would come true. Tiresias does come
to warn Creon against his decision, but now it is too late to reverse his decision.
Sophocles tries to portray how monarchy had instilled so much pride and want for power in the king that the king was unable to weigh his decisions properly. However, he is left with only regret at the end. His deeds cannot be undone. The tone and the setting of the play create a gloomy environment ready for tragedy. Every character used by Sophocles is important for the play and they play a major role in the buildup of the play. From the servant to the Queen, everyone has a significant role which portrays the mindset of everyone in a land of absolute monarchy.
Review by: 06, Lisa Correia.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sophocles. Antigone, Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2003. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/inflibnet-ebooks/detail.action?docID=279503.
Sophocles. Antigone. The Aspen Institute,
https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wpcontent/uploads/files/content/docs/SOPHOCLES_ANTIGOE_(AS08).PDF.
Sophocles. (n.d.). Antigone. Google Books. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from
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