Following the banishment of oedipus, eteocles and polyneices kill each other over a dispute of succession to the thrown of thebes. Sophocles 497 bce 406 bce, translated by francis storr 1839 1919 this is the final installment in sophocless theban plays, following oedipus rex and oedipus at colonus. Antigones heroic resistance to creons petty, capricious, and unbending law has a neverending relevance even in the third millennium ce. Greek sophocles 249 downloads antigoni greek sophocles 117 downloads antigone finnish sophocles 117 downloads specimens of greek. Abhorred, dishonored, selfconvinced of sin, blinded, himself his executioner. If were missing any sophocles books or quotes, do email us. Antigone by sophocles is a major contribution to the earliest forms of drama, fiction, and stage play writing. Sophocles 497 406 sophoclesbysophocleswork814 sophocles 497 bc or 496 bc 406 bc was one of the three great ancient greek tragedians, together with aeschylus and euripides according to the suda he wrote 123 plays. Antigone plumptre translation by sophocles loyal books. The the three theban plays teacher guide which contains answers and assessments is also soldseparately. The play expands on the theban legend that predated it and picks up where aeschylus seven against thebes ends. Sophocles 495406 bc this is the final installment in sophocless theban plays, following oedipus rex and oedipus at colonus. Oedipuss daughter antigone deliberately breaks the laws of thebes when she buries her brothers body and is sentenced to death.
The enduring story of antigonethe greek princess who braved the wrath of a king and sacrificed her own life in order to honor her slain brotheris retold here for contemporary readers. Library home sophocles bio avalon bio more authors more texts. The curse placed on oedipus lingers and haunts a younger generation in this new and brilliant translation of sophocles classic drama. She clashes with creon, the king of thebes, over what constitutes justice and morality. The heroic greek dramas that have moved theatergoers and readers since the fifth century b. This is the final installment in sophocless theban plays, following oedipus rex and oedipus at colonus. A powerful artistic protest against tyranny, antigone has been translated and adapted dozens of times, applied over and over through the centuries to current forms of the oppression so common to human experience. It is the third of the three theban plays chronologically, but was the first written. Radio play with lucy gutteridge and patrick stewart, from cassette 19850217. Storr, ba formerly scholar of trinity college, cambridge from the loeb library edition originally published by harvard university press, cambridge, ma and william heinemann ltd, london first published in 1912 argument antigone, daughter of oedipus, the late king of thebes, in.
It is true that anubis weighing the soul of the scribe ani, from the egyptian book of. Powerfully portraying the clash between civic and familial dutybetween morality and obedience. The seven plays in english verse sophocles 334 downloads. It is also, at many points, challenging and remote from us. Robert fagless authoritative and acclaimed translation. Antigone by sophocles translated by robert fagles 1985. Antigone by sophocles is an ancient greek drama which is an exploration of the divine human rights versus the temporal laws. The son of a wealthy merchant, he would enjoy all the comforts of a thriving greek empire. It is really the tragedy of creon and not antigone and it marks the end of the destruction of the house of oedipus. The most wellknown adaptation of the myth of antigone was by ancient greek playwright sophocles. Towering over the rest of greek tragedy, the three plays that tell the story of the fated theban royal familyantigone, oedipus the king and oedipus at colonusare among the most enduring and timeless dramas ever written. Description a masterpiece of greek tragedy, concerning the conflict between public and private morality.
The rebel brothers body will not be sanctified by holy rites, and will lie unburied on the battlefield, prey for carrion animals like worms and. Through the words of the blind prophet teiresias, we watch the inevitable tragedy unfold as antigone discovers that her brother, a rebel against the rule of. Books by sophocles sorted by popularity project gutenberg. Strengthen your students thinking skills as they learn to read with purpose and insight.
Antigone, oedipus the king, electra oxford worlds classics by sophocles and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Listen to antigone plumptre translation by sophocles at. Creon, antigones uncle, succeeds to the thrown and declares that no one may bury polyneices under penalty of death. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or. This memoria press literature study guide is designed to be used with the book the three theban plays. A man of wealth, charm, and genius, sophocles was given posts of responsibility in peace and in war by the athenians. Sophocles has 684 books on goodreads with 601234 ratings. The choral odes, so vital to sophocles purpose, have never been rendered with finer energy and insight. And last, our hapless brethren in one day, both in a mutual destiny involved, selfslaughtered, both the slayer and the slain. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read antigone. Antigone, sophocles antigone is a tragedy by sophocles written in or before 441 bc. Nick hern books antigone, by sophoclesadapted by owen.
In the beginning of the play, two brothers leading opposite sides in thebes civil war died fighting each other for the throne. Antigone, oedipus the king, oedipus at colonus the complete greek tragedies book 1 apr 19, 20. But archaic translations of his ancient work make it almost impossible to see any of the melrose placelike plots. She wants to bury her brother, but creon, her uncle, forbids it. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Oedipus rex, oedipus at colonus and antigone dover thrift editions. In 441 bc, shortly after the play was released, sophocles was appointed as one of the ten generals to lead a military expedition against samos. Antigone is a female heroine in greek mythology and tragedy, the daughter of the unwittingly incestuous relationship between oedipus and his mother jocasta. It remains an invaluable source material for the development of tragedy through the years. Oedipus the king, oedipus at colonus, antigone, university of chicago. Among the most celebrated plays of ancient athens, antigone is one of the seven surviving dramas by the great greek playwright, sophocles, now available from harper perennial in a vivid and dynamic new translation by awardwinning poet robert bagg. Antigones brother polyneices lies on the battlefield where he fell, his burial outlawed by creon, the new king of thebes. Creon, the new ruler of thebes, has decided that eteocles will be honored and polyneices will be in public shame.
Now, when his young daughter antigone defies her uncle, kreon, the new ruler, because he has prohibited the burial of her dead brother, she and he enact a primal conflict between young and old, woman and man, individual and ruler, family and state, courageous and selfsacrificing reverence for the gods of the earth. To make this quintessential greek drama more accessible to the modern reader, this prestwick house literary touchstone edition. Antigone in plain and simple english by sophocles nook. Antigone by sophocles read the complete text for free at. Antigone by sophocles, 9781853996474, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Think of his motherwife ill sorted names done by a noose herself had twined to death. Online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article sophocles. I probably enjoyed this play the least of the three theban plays. Antigone 9781580493888 by sophocles and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. This rendition is created to support universal new thought studies around the globe. A muscular version of sophocles timeless masterpiece, offering a profound reflection on the nature of power, democracy and human rights. The gibbonssegal translation, with its rich annotations, conveys both the difficulties and the formidable immediacy. One of the reasons for the continuing success of the play is because it portrays the human problems of dissent and compromise in every age. By providing these, it is our intention that readers will more fully enjoy the beauty, wisdom, and intent of the play.