Background Notes on Antigone

(Pronounced “An-tih-go-knee”)

The History of Greek Theater• Drama grew out of ancient celebrations

(bacchanalians) honoring Dionysus (Bacchus), god of wine and fertility.

• Athens, 6th century B.C.: The celebrations became an annual festival, and a “hero” would wear masks and sing hymns about his character.

• Drama was born when Aeschylus added a second character at the performance, creating the possibility of conflict.

The Theater of Dionysus

Greek Masks

• Exaggerated mouthpieces (like megaphones) to be heard from far away

• Familiar Character-types (happy, sad) to be seen from far away

• By switching masks, each actor could play several roles.

Who Was Sophocles? (496?-406 B.C.)

• Considered greatest of Greek playwrights

• Of 123 plays, only 7 survive.

INNOVATIVE:• He introduced elaborate scene-painting• Added the 3rd actor to the cast, allowing

for more complicated staging and conflict.

Antigone, 442 B.C.

• Antigone is the second sequel to Oedipus Rex, which was actually written after in 429 B.C.

• Sophocles also wrote a third play, Oedipus at Colonus, just before he died in 406 B.C.

• The order in which the plays were written: 1) Antigone, 2) Oedipus Rex, 3) Oedipus at Colonus

• Order of the Trilogy: 1) Oedipus Rex, 2) Oedipus at Colonus, 3) Antigone

Background Plot to Antigone

• Oedipus Rex marries his mother Jocasta and kills his father Laius

• After his tragedy, Oedipus (the King of Thebes) exiles himself.

• His two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, become the rulers.

• They agree to reign in alternate years, but after the first year, Eteocles refuses to surrender the throne.

Antigone continued… To get revenge, Polynices attacks

Thebes. In a duel, the two brothers kill each

other, and Creon, their uncle, takes the throne.

Creon allows Eteocles to be given a heroic funeral, but he orders the body of Polynices be exposed in the fields for attacking his hometown.

Antigone continued…

• The play Antigone is about how Antigone, the sister, goes against Creon in this decision, believing that her brother deserves a proper burial.

• A key element of conflict: Antigone is engaged to Creon’s son, Haemon.