Staff Pick
Some people say nothing new happens under the sun. With this in mind, I find comfort in reading ancient texts that compose a sort of road-map for life. Enter Antigone by Sophocles, a play that has resurfaced time and again for its character's bravery (some call it infidelity) in standing up to the state when faced with personal injustice. Whether we face the same age-old troubles humankind has always faced, or we face troubles specific to our time, I can't definitively say. But knowing of brave outsiders like Antigone, who go against the grain facing insurmountable scrutiny, gives me the courage I need to push forward. Recommended By Alex Y., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Sophocles' masterpiece
Antigone dramatizes the terrible series of events that results when patriotism clashes with familial duty—and hubris incites the wrath of the gods.
The sons of Oedipus have killed each other on the battlefield, but Thebes' new ruler, their uncle Kreon, decrees that only Eteokles will be granted a hero's burial; Polyneikes, who attacked his own city, is left to rot in dishonor. Their sister Antigone, enraged by the king's heartlessness, defies him by burying Polyneikes' body herself. That decision dooms her, and the consequences destroy Kreon's wife and son. A play that begins with a woman's defiance of a tyrant ends in the havoc caused by Eros, the god of love. A drama abounding with moral conundrums, Antigone is presented in an extraordinary new translation by Robert Bagg, modern in idiom while faithful to the original Greek. Ideally suited for reading, teaching, or performing, this is Sophocles for a new generation to discover and admire.
Synopsis
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 award-winning poet Robert Bagg. Powerfully portraying the clash between civic and familial duty—between morality and obedience—the play brings the Oedipus Cycle to a conclusion with the story of the tragic hero's eldest daughter Antigone, who courts her own death by defying the edict of Thebes's new ruler, her uncle Kreon, which forbids giving her dishonored brother a proper burial. This is Sophocles, vibrant and alive, for a new generation.
Synopsis
The most celebrated plays of ancient Athens--Sophocles's seven surviving works--in vivid and dynamic new translations. ANTIGONE, translated by award-winning poet Robert Bagg, is one of seven plays Harper Perennial has published as beautifully designed, stand-alone editions.
Powerfully portraying the clash between civic and familial duty--between morality and obedience--Antigone brings the Oedipus Cycle to a conclusion with the story of the tragic hero's eldest daughter Antigone, who courts her own death by defying the edict of Thebes's new ruler, her uncle Kreon, which forbids giving her dishonored brother a proper burial. This is Sophocles, vibrant and alive, for a new generation.