Resource packet Antigone by Sophocles.
The Play
"Antigone." Drama for Students. Ed. David M. Galens and Lynn M. Spampinato. Vol. 1. Detroit:
Gale, 1998. 1-19. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. Available through the RHS
Library catalog. One of the titles in the eReference search under “Copy Categories.”
"Antigone." UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology. Vol. 1. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 79-83. Gale Virtual
Reference Library. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. Available through the RHS Library catalog. One of the
titles in the eReference search under “Copy Categories.”
"Antigone." Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical
Events that Influenced Them. Joyce Moss and George Wilson. Vol. 1: Ancient Times to the American
and French Revolutions (Prehistory-1790s). Detroit: Gale, 1997. 14-21. Gale Virtual Reference
Library. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. Available through the RHS Library catalog. One of the titles in the
eReference search under “Copy Categories.”
McManus, Barbara F. Background for Antigone. 04 Apr. 2014
<http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/antigonebg.html>. Available through the RHS Library
catalog. Use WebPath search in menu on left-hand side of the page.
The first of the Theban plays written by Sophocles, Antigone told the story of Oedipus' daughter. In
an attempt to escape the fate revealed by an oracle, Oedipus ran from his adopted parents and
unknowingly killed his own father. After defeating the Sphinx, he married the dead king's wife and
had four children. When his sons grew up, they battled each other and died. Antigone defied the king's
order not to bury her brother and was entombed alive. A seer warned the king that he had disturbed
the cosmic order by not burying the dead and burying Antigone alive.
http://www.shmoop.com/antigone-sophocles/
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Antigone." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. 04 Apr.
2014.
Written by one of the greatest of the ancient Greek tragedians, Antigone was written by Sophocles
before the two plays about Oedipus. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus. Her two brothers are
battling for the throne, but Creon seizes the throne. She tackles the authority of the new regime by
insisting on burying her brother's body instead of just marrying the king's son and living happily ever
after. A story about civil disobedience, she chooses a moral imperative over the law of the land. She
knows her decision may mean death.
The Author
"Sophocles." Ancient Greece and Rome: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. Carroll Moulton. Vol. 4.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. 62-64. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
Available through the RHS Library catalog. One of the titles in the eReference search under
“Copy Categories.”
Struck, Peter T. Greek & Roman Mythology - Greek Tragedy. 04 Apr. 2014
<http://www.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/tragedy/index.php?page=sophocles>. Available through
the RHS Library catalog. Use WebPath search in menu on left-hand side of the page.
His father was an arms manufacturer, and Sophocles was born near Athens about 2,500 years ago. He
was unrivaled in victories in dramatic competitions. As a young teen, he took part in a chorus. He also
acted for a time. Besides being a playwright, Sophocles had a gift for languages and took part in
negotiations. A general during the Peloponnesian War, Sophocles managed the treasury and served on
a committee investigating an oligarchical constitution. Several legends surround his death.
Last Updated: 4/22/2016
Sophocles (ca. 495-406 BCE) | Classical Drama and Society. 04 Apr. 2014
<http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/ClasDram/chapters/072gktragsoph.htm>. Available through the
RHS Library catalog. Use WebPath search in menu on left-hand side of the page.
Growing up in Athens in the 5th century B.C., Sophocles became a golden boy and playwright. He
was from a wealthy family and his handsome appearance got him the honor of leading the victory
singing and dancing when the Persians were defeated. He was still young when he first defeated the
veteran playwright in competition, but he retired early from acting due to a weak voice. Sophocles
was a general, priest, imperial treasurer, and counselor. He lived to an old age and was considered a
hero. Scholars believe his plays were constructed in trilogies, although no complete trilogies survived.
Sophocles, Socrates, and the Greek Polis | EDSITEment. 04 Apr. 2014
<http://edsitement.neh.gov/feature/sophocles-socrates-and-greek-polis>. Available through the RHS
Library catalog. Use WebPath search in menu on left-hand side of the page.
A city smaller than Wichita, Kansas produced some of the world's greatest ancient dramatists,
statesmen, philosophers, orators, and artists. Athens was a city-state, or polis in the 4th and 5th
century B.C. Sophocles explored the philosophy of the polis and the relationship between citizens and
the state in Athens. Antigone in particular puts the central characters at odds with the state. Find out
whether there is a difference between who an American audience and an Athenian audience would
agree with and what aspects of the play they might find troubling.
Historical Background
http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/Theater.html
Englert, Walter. "Ancient Greek Theater." Greek Theater. 04 Apr. 2014
The earliest Greek dramas were likely dithyrambic or tragic choruses. The festival of the Greater
Dionysia was established in the 6th century B.C. and became a place for performing tragedies. Most
plays were performed only once in an outdoor theatre, with three actors in masks and a chorus. Satyr
plays were also performed in Ancient Athens. The Ancient Greeks had dramatic competitions. Plato
and Aristotle critiqued Greek drama. The Dorians claimed to invent tragedy, while the Megarians said
that they created comedies. Drama emerged from poetry, which also split into noble tragedies and
frivolous comedies.
"Greek Tragedy." Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. Ed. Edward I. Bleiberg, et al. Vol. 2:
Ancient Greece and Rome 1200 B.C.E.-476 C.E. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 144-154. Gale Virtual
Reference Library. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. Available through the RHS Library catalog. One of the
titles in the eReference search under “Copy Categories.”
Korovessis, Despina. "The Theban Plays." World Literature and Its Times: Profiles of Notable
Literary Works and the Historical Events That Influenced Them. Joyce Moss. Vol. 8: Classical
Literature and Its Times. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 415-427. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 Apr.
2014. Available through the RHS Library catalog. One of the titles in the eReference search
under “Copy Categories.”
"The Family and Social Trends: Overview." World Eras. Ed. John T. Kirby. Vol. 6: Classical Greek
Civilization, 800-323 B.C.E. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. 244-247. Gale Virtual Reference Library.
Web. 4 Apr. 2014. Available through the RHS Library catalog. One of the titles in the
eReference search under “Copy Categories.”
"Greece." Daily Life through World History in Primary Documents. Ed. Lawrence Morris. Vol. 1: The
Ancient World. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2009. 187-190. Gale Virtual Reference Library.
Web. 4 Apr. 2014. Available through the RHS Library catalog. One of the titles in the
eReference search under “Copy Categories.”
Last Updated: 4/22/2016
The RHS Library Catalog was the source of all websites. Summaries are taken directly from the
catalog
Patricia Pawelak-Kort
RHS Teacher-Librarian
April 4, 2014
Last Updated: 4/22/2016