Background Information for Antigone

Background Information for Antigone

Political Climate in Athens! Intellectual Inquiry! radical ideas! democracy! philosophy! arts & sciences! Religious Tradition! dictated thinking! controlled behavior

Gender Roles Patriarchy! social system in which men are regarded as the authority within family and society; power & possessions are passed on father to son Women s Roles! limiting expectations! do not get involved in issues! do not meddle in politics! virtually no rights! domestic duties! bear children! manage household! direct household slaves

Importance of Burial Rights! provide guidance to afterlife! prevent suffering of deceased! prevent haunting of family members

Funeral Traditions! Visual Display! family wealth, pride, and bonding! mourners in black! Payment of Charon! ferries souls across Styx! coin in mouth! Hades Judgement! evil to Tartarus! average to Asphodel! heroic and blessed to Elysium

Three Part Procedure! I: Laying Out of the Body (2 days)! washed, anointed, dressed! flowers and crown! mouth and eyes shut (to prevent psyche soul from leaving the body)! II: Cart Procession to Tomb! men lead! women follow! III: Internment! men burry ashes or corpse with possessions! placement of grave marker! women return to prepare banquet

Stele: Grave Marker marker for a young girl circa 445 B.C.E. deceased with surviving father and son circa 340 B.C.E. family grave marker circa 360 B.C.E. marker for a devotee of Isis circa 165 C.E. (Rome) * 317 B.C.E. Athens: elaborate stelai forbidden

Tending the Dead! Post Funeral Visitation! day 3! day 9! day 30! Periodic Rituals! monthly! annually! holidays Farewell & the Last Touch circa 400 B.C.

Background Information for Antigone

Founders of Drama! Athens! 480 B.C.E.! greatest city/state after Persian Wars! Patronage of Wealthy Citizens! provided costuming! paid for actors training! considered a public and religious duty! theater contributions tax exempt

Dionysian Festivals! Spring Season! open-air! natural lighting! Theater of Dionysus! Athens! Competition! 4 to 5 days (i.e. Lollapolooza)! official judges! awards ceremony

Theater of Dionysus Reserved seating for patron gods & goddesses (empty seats)

Amphitheater Attendance! 1500 spectators! prisoners released on bail! public business suspended

The Stage! facility! amphitheater! tents! skenes! temples! palaces

The Actors! First Plays one actor only! Later 3 per playwrite! multiple roles! all male! elaborate masks! portray women! distinguish characters! 5th Century BCE as many as 3 actors on stage at a time

! Purpose! summarize! preview! community viewpoint Chorus & Choragos! Talented Amateurs! Choragos: spokesman! 15 member chorus: Athenians! singers & dancers! engage in dialogue (not narrators)

Literary Terms! paraodos chanted entrance song! paean hymns sung to Apollo! ode lyric poem marked by exaltation of feeling with varying line lengths

Background Information for Antigone

Sophocles 496 to 406 BCE! 123 plays! only 7 survive! Athenian Festival first prize 18 times! highly popular! well respected

! Oedipus Rex! written second! 429 B.C.E.! Antigone! written first! 441 B.C.E.! last chronologically The Trilogy! Oedipus at Colonus! written last before his own death! circa 409 B.C.E.

The Protagonist! Heroine! one of the earliest in world literature! young: 12 to 15! fights patriarchy! Αντιγονε! against the family! opposed to! close to! filial hyperbole! mention of pairs! Ismene responds

Greek Tragedy! Single Unified Action! complete & probably! of a certain magnitude! one character; two at most! language embellished! Human Error & Frailty! not vice or depravity! arouses reader s emotion! pity! terror! may lead to death

! High Position! conspicuous! wealth & power! good fortune! great potential Tragic Hero! Human! both good & bad! pitied & feared! doomed to fail! punishment outweighs misfortune

Tragic Flaw! Harmatia error of jugement! Hubris! a common flaw! excessive pride! arrogance

Fate vs. Responsibility! Fate! preordained by prophecy! hero is doomed, not evil! Responsibility! choice! wrong decision! Ultimate Outcome! realize mistake! accept punishment! feel remorse

Τηε Ενδ