Antigone: TheWorld of Sophocles

1. Antigone: TheWorld of Sophocles

2. Sophocles • Who was Sophocles? • Born 495/6 B.C. in Colonus • Father was a wealthy armorer named Sophillus • At 16, Sophocles was already showing talent as a playwright • Wrote 123 plays and won 24 dramatic victories for Athens

3. Political Atmosphere in Sophocles’ World • There was political unrest — rebellious factions. Resulting in ? • Cleisthenes instituted an isonomy - the prototype for democracy. Giving representation to the people. • The Council of 500 gave a political voice to 1/16th of the citizenry (not women or slaves or non-citizens though). The Councilors were replaced annually. • Women had no political voice. • There was an emphasis on openness from the Council of 500 as well as from the elders of the state. • Monarchs (the King) were a figure-head force. Not so much the governing body, but more of a catalyst.

4. More on political Atmosphere • A non-political man was seen as a useless citizen. One had to involve one’s self in the political arena. Including military service. • The middle class had a strong voice in politics, Vis-à-vis The Assembly. • The ideal citizen was this and only this: • A landowner, a warrior, a sound counselor, eloquent, of good appearance, a sportsman. There was no deviation in the eyes of the polis.

5. The Peloponnesian War and Sophocles • War began in 431 B.C. • Sophocles was 64. • The War ended 2 years after his death. • Athen’s growth in power after the Persian War made the war between them and Sparta inevitable. • Understanding the wartime climate is essential to the understanding of: • the character and choices of Antigone • the significance of Polyneices’ burial • the tyranny of Creon

6. The Life of Sophocles’ Women • “Life in the 5th century B.C. Athens offered the individual every opportunity to develop his full potential as a citizen -- but only for freeborn males.” • Women were extremely subordinate to men, having very little say in any aspect of their lives. • Female children were not desirable at the time due to the expense of a dowry.

7. Ancient Athenian Women (continued . . .) • Abortions were legal. • Undesirable babies were left outside, exposed to weather, and left to die. • While boys attended school, girls stayed at home, only upper class would receive education. • Marriages were arranged when girl was 14 or 15, they married in their 20’s. This arrangement was called a betrothel. • A woman had no social life without here husband. She was confined to the gynaikeion, or woman’s part of the house. Her duty was to take care of the household chores. • Upper class women would not have attended the theatre. • Women were usually barefoot.

8. Antigone vs. The Typical Greek Woman • Antigone is a stronger woman than those of her time. • Shown by comparison with Ismene • Ismene feels like a “helpless woman” • “We are only women, we cannot fight with men, Antigone!” • Antigone is defiant • “Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way.”

9. The Ancient Idea of Obligation as Sophocles’ expresses it in Antigone • Obligation to family • “His own brother, traitor or not, and equal in blood.” • Obligation to gods • “Your edict, King, was strong. But all your strength is weakness . . . Itself against the immortal laws of the gods. They are . . . Not merely now: they were, and shall be, operative forever . . . Beyond man utterly.” • Obligation to country • “An enemy is an enemy, even dead.” • “Polyneices broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city . . .”