pietà m’ha fruttato una macchia d’empietà.

Arricchisciti pure a piene mani, se credi, e vivi con pompa regale: ove manchi la gioia, per il resto, in confronto al piacere, io non darei neppure il prezzo di un’ombra di fumo.

Decisamente, una sorpresa. Così breve eppure così pieno di spunti di riflessione. È proprio vero che i classici non invecchiano mai.

NEWTS 2019: A in Care of Magical Creatures

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 following about Sophocles' Antigone through this adaptation, which is a model for young people and old about doing the right thing, about resistance, and activism for justice. I have since read a few books about The White Rose, Sophie Scholl, and German resistance within Germany to Nazi fascism.

Original review, 5/29/19: Seeing a Middle School Production of Antigone in Munich: The Sophie Scholl Story and Reflecting on How to Foster Youth Resistance in Meaningful Ways: A Meditation

“I am not afraid of the danger. If it means death, it will not be the worst of deaths--death without honor”--Antigone

Antigone: We begin in the dark and birth is the death of us.
Ismene: Who said that?
Antigone: Hegel.
Ismene: Sounds more like Beckett.
Antigone: He was paraphrasing Hegel--The chorus in Anne Carson's translation of
Sophocles’ Antigone, to make the point that many writers and thinkers across time were and still are paraphrasing Sophocles

I just saw a middle school production of a play of which I had never heard, Antigone in Munich: The Sophie Scholl Story, by Claudia Haas, about a high school girl, Sophie, who follows her college philosophy student brother Hans in getting involved in a German student resistance organization, The White Rose Society, that courageously opposed Hitler. My daughter was in the crew for the production (stage left props), as I once was for a production of Antigone when I was in college decades ago. Like Antigone, Sophie was a teenager who defended her brother honorably, following in their activist footsteps, doing the right thing in the face of a patriarchal authority who, like King Lear, raged with demands of loyalty.

“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”--Antigone

I thought the play was ambitious for a middle school, as it circled back from Nazi resistance to Sophocles’ play about the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta who insisted on defying King Creon’s order to bury her brother Polynices. Creon’s law forbidding the public mourning and burial of a member of one’s own family, maybe especially one seen as resistant to the state, punishable by death, is inhuman, it’s immoral. I listened to a translation of the original play and also read some of Anne Carson’s adaptation of the play, and of course saw (and read) Claudia Haas’ play.

Philosophy professor Hans Huber, who guided The White Rose Society, was executed for resistance to the Nazi state:

"And thou shalt act as if
On thee and on thy deed
Depended the fate of all Germany,
And thou alone must answer for it."

The Nazi regime also executed Huber’s student Hans and his younger sister Sophie Scholl on February 22, 1943.

I admired my daughter’s drama department’s ambition to stoke student activism through the production. The student body of my daughter’s school had staged a walkout this year protesting political inaction on school shootings. They made signs, wrote and signed petitions, and some of them were interviewed by the media. When I was in high school we shut down the school on a couple occasions, insisting that the curriculum reflect growing concerns with the Vietnam War, racism, the environment. We made signs, we wrote pamphlets, we created sit-down strikes, and we got some concessions and curricular changes. I lived to tell my tale, but four students were killed for protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State (and more students across the country were also killed for protesting that war) during my time in school:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRE9v...

Here’s some recent Chicago student climate change protesters:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...

“Do not fear for me. Make straight your own path to destiny”―Antigone

"εγώ δε γεννήθηκα να μοιράζομαι το μίσος ,αλλά την αγάπη "
Με την "Αντιγόνη ", το ισως πιο γνωστό έργο απο τα τρία ,ολοκληρώνεται ο θηβαϊκος κύκλος . Η υπόθεση φυσικά είναι γνωστή . Τα δύο αγόρια του Οιδίποδα ,τυπωμένα από την δόξα της εξουσίας ,σκοτώνονται μεταξύ τους και ο ένας τιμάται από τους κατοίκους της Θήβας ως ήρωας που έπεσε στη μάχη ,ενώ ο άλλος μένει άταφος και ντροπιασμένος να περιμένει να τον κατασπαράξουν τα ζώα ,ύστερα από εντολές του νέου άρχοντα ,Κρέοντα .η Αντιγόνη ,που ήδη από τα προηγούμενα έργα έχει δείξει τη γενναιότητα και την αγάπη της για την οικογένεια και την υπακοή της μόνο στους ανώτερους νόμους των θεών ,αποφασίζει να πάει κόντρα στον Κρέοντα και να θάψει τον Πολυνείκη ,κάτι που φέρνει ένα ντόμινο καταστροφικών συνεπειών για όλους όσοι εμπλέκονται στην τυραννισμενη κ πολύπα��η γενιά του Λάιου ...
Τα λόγια περιττά ,είναι ένα έργο απίστευτης σύλληψης ,μαθημάτων ζωής και γνωμικων που μένουν αθάνατα .
5/5 αστέρια
""Και θα ξαπλώσουμε πλάι πλάι ,δύο άνθρωποι που αγαπήθηκαν νόμιμα παραβαίνοντας τον νόμο ."

virginia woolf, üç gine’de ataerkil düzene/mantığa başkaldırısını övmeye doyamayınca ben de antigone’yle artık tanışayım dedim. sayın woolf'un çok sevdiği kadar varmış.

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 respectable burial for her brother Polynices, Antigone defies the law and order, becoming a rebel in the face of the king. The King Creon won't have any of that and demands Antigone be brought before him. Antigone goes on to insist that the law of the gods must come before law of the king.

If I remember correctly this play was mandatory reading in the last year of elementary school and then again in High school, so I read it three times, once as a kid, once as an adolescent and then again as an adult. This is one of the works that impressed me as a kid. If I remember well, I wasn't the only one who payed attention during class when we studied this play. There is something in rebellious spirits of Antigone that appeals to young readers as well. Indeed if I recall well, we all (as students) could relate to this play and enjoy it. Do you know what? This play still feels very relevant to me, after all this time. That is the mark of best works of literature.

Naturally, when you're mature, this tragedy speaks to you in more then one way and direction. Still, I think I prefer to take simple over fancy interpretation (I'm not saying that the fancy ones are not correct) and see Antigone's actions as acts of love (or respect) towards her brother. There is probably more to it, yet I like that very human emotion in such a prideful character. Antigone is one strong women. The tragedy is not only about her, but how she shines in her part! There are many good reviews about this play, so I I'll keep this one short. I'll just say that this is a tragedy I would enjoy to see and read any day of the week. It is a timeless and beautiful work of art.

I studied this in college and now have read it again as part of my Open Uni studies. Read it in the park on a beautiful summer afternoon and enjoyed losing myself briefly in Antigone and Creon’s tragic tale.

n  n

I know all too well I’m going to die—
how could I not?—it makes no difference
what you decree. And if I have to die
before my time, well, I count that a gain.
When someone has to live the way I do,
surrounded by so many evil things,
how can she fail to find a benefit
in death?

*Strong female characters did not exist before modern times*

*Old books are boring and outdated*

Antigone premiered in 441 B.C.E. She's still as relevant today as she was centuries ago.

Each time I re-read this masterpiece, I am in awe of its brilliance. I can say with absolute certainty that Antigone is my favorite classic. I first read it in high school. I read the classics because I had to, not because I enjoyed them. Does any teenager enjoy reading? I suppose some of them do. I was more concerned with friends, cool accessories, and rock bands. If you had asked me then what the best book ever written was, I would have said Twilight. (I'm sure some of you are wondering why you even added me as a friend on Goodreads). But even then, at the peak of my teenage angst, I knew Antigone was special. I've read it several times, and it still holds up.

You know how each time you re-watch Titanic, you hope it won't hit the iceberg? Well, each time I re-read Antigone, I hope she gets a happy ending. I know what happens in the end, but I'm saddened regardless. I expect two things from Greek mythology: incest and tragedy. I don't like the first one, but I'm kind of into angst.


*spoilers*

Medea is fascinating, but she's also batshit crazy. Electra is dumb as a post, and I can't stand her. Prometheus deserved better. Iphigenia also deserved better. Antigone's daddy, Oedipus, is the epitome of tragedy. The dude married (unknowingly) his mother. And that's not even the craziest thing in the book. Antigone's book shouldn't have been able to top all that drama, but it did.

I have been a stranger here in my own land: All my life.

I'm sure most of you have heard the story of Oedipus. The man is so legendary Freud named his complex after him. To say Antigone had a lot of family issues would be an understatement. She finds out her father is also her brother, her mother is also her grandmother, her father/brother killed her grandfather, her two brothers died fighting on opposite sides of the civil war, and her uncle refuses to give one of her fallen brothers a proper burial, and her sister is useless.

Antigone's father is in self-imposed exile, and her mother and brothers are gone. Honor is the only thing that she has left. She decides to bury her brother despite her uncle's threats, knowing that the outcome of such an act is certain death. Her uncle warns her, and her sister begs her to obey his command, but Antigone is too brave and honorable to give in. She doesn't fear death. She embraces it.

n  n

Haemon, Creon's son and Antigone's betrothed, takes her side over his father's. He pleads with his father to spare Antigone's life, but Creon remains unmoved. Antigone is punished by being locked inside a tomb while still alive. To spare herself the agony, Antigone takes her own life. When Haemon arrives, he discovers her lifeless body and takes his life as well. Creon regrets his decision, but his realization comes too late.

And so ends the tale of brave Antigone. She stood alone against Creon and his cronies and kept her honor. She proved to be everything a sister should be and more.

Then when I'm out of strength —but only then —I will be stopped.

En az "Kral Oidipus" kadar korkunç bir trajediyi konu alan "Antigone", Kral Oidipus'un ölümünden sonraki zaman diliminde geçiyor. Oidipus'un kızı Antigone üzerinden anlatılan tragedyanın ilginç tarafı ise okuyucuyu, kardeşlerinin ölümünün ardından tahta geçen dayısı Kreon'un korkunç kaderiyle tanıştırması. Etkileyici finaliyle tüyleri diken diken yapmasını bilen trajedinin 3. bölümü, yani Kreon ile oğlu Haimon arasında geçen diyaloglar ise tek kelimeyle mükemmel. Para ve gücün insanları nasıl değiştirdiğini anlatan Sophokles'in Oidipus üçlemesinde yazılmış ilk, kronolojik olarak sonuncu bölüm olan oyun, Yunan mitolojisinin sınırlarını daha da genişletiyor.

06.08.2014
İstanbul, Türkiye

Alp Turgut

http://www.filmdoktoru.com/kitap-labo...

I didn’t know I had a translation by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald, I found this in a book of anthology sitting on my bookshelf. Later, a Google search told me this was first published in 1939.

Before reading this, I read a translation by Francis Storr, written a quarter of a century earlier and in the public domain.

Francis Storr’s translation was plainer compared to the sharp imagery in Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald’s translation. Both translations are easy to follow, and left me with a clear sense of the conflict.

Reading this back in 2019 my sympathies were with Antigone. This time round, this hasn’t changed but I no longer see Creon being a callous tyrant, instead I see him trying to get some order back into Thebes after a war. The first thing he says is:

“Elders, the gods have righted one again
Our storm-tossed ship of state, now safe in port.”*

‘storm-tossed ship’ is the war caused by Oedipus’s sons who fell out over ruling Thebes. In trying to manage the after effects of this war, I think, Creon lost some of his good sense. When he regains this it’s with a harsh lesson: “[t]here is no happiness where there is no wisdom”. **

Reading Antigone by Sophocles again, I now see there are many layers in this story.


* from Francis Storr translation
** from Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald translation

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’ too.

I’m really glad I picked this up. I might even delve into more Greek tragedies in the future if they’re like this. It’s not as dry as it seems.

'I was born to join in love, not hate -
that is my nature.'

In this Greek tragedy we follow Antigone's attempts to bury her brother Polynices. She faces ethical dilemma in going against King Creon's decree, facing punishment while placing the burial above human law, an act of civil disobedience. For Creon, obedience is above all else (state comes before family). She acts out of a desire to honor her family, her right of individual freedom, even when facing death. The events portrayed in Antigone occur as a result of human error, not by intervention through the gods. The play addresses themes of morality, loyalty, authority and gender - important then and now. Antigone is the tragic heroine of this masterpiece, a strong, fearless and brave character. She's the epitome of compassion.
Highly recommended, beautifully written immortal classic.

انتیگونه منو خیلی یاد آثار شکسپیر می‌اندازد! با این تفاوت که در این نمایش‌نامه عشق در یک لایه پنهان پشت عدالت و منطق قرارگرفته است، داستان پر از تضادهای شخصیتی و باورها است و تفسیر هر یک از آنها از عدالت و قانون، و پادشاهی که خود را پشتیبان قانون می‌داند اما غرور و لجبازی‌اش باعث می‌شود حتی در طول یک روز هم نتواند پادشاهی کند، انتیگونه خود بنا به عشق و عقیده سعی در انجام کاری خلاف قانون (به باور او غیرمنطقی) پادشاه می‌کند بااینکه می‌داند عاقبتان مرگ است، و هایمن که سعی در دفاع از عشقش (بنا بر منطق و نه عشق) می‌کند. شخصیت‌های داستان هرکدام ترکیبی از باورها و کشمکش‌های درونی‌ای است که این تراژدی را به‌یادماندنی کرده