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Student Name
Dr. LaCroix
English 1302
April 2, 2012
Annotated Bibliography: Antigone Project
Ahrensdorf, Peter. “The Pious Heroism of Antigone.” Greek Tragedy and Political Philosophy.
New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. 90-150. Print. This source portrays
Antigone’s viewpoints and purpose for her actions in the play. Ahrensdorf uses and lists
sources that were useful. The excerpt in the book brings a whole new understanding to
Antigone’s defiance and reasons to bury her brother. It describes her background and
family and her values that make the reader really see another view. Her role she takes on
in society is different from other women like her sister, Ismene. The actions of Ismene
are also brought up, as well as Creon’s conflict. This source is excellent and extremely
useful for understanding the real motives for each character’s ideas of “the right thing to
do.”
Allbaugh, Thomas. “An overview of Antigone.” Drama for Students. Detroit: Gale. Literature
Resource Center. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. In Allbaugh’s An Overview of Antigone, Allbaug
focuses on confliction and confusion over a key passage in Sophocles' Antigone which is
stated just before Antigone is led away to be buried alive and is in reference to the
individual vs. the state. Allbaugh argues that in this scene Antigone makes a statement
which many critics deem as being a contradiction to her character makes her appear less
noble than she appears in the opening scene. Allbaugh stresses the fact that the end result
of Antigone’s statement has both bothered readers, and has raised numerous questions
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since the seventeenth century about her motives for wanting to bury her brother and how
they are greater than mere family loyalty. Antigone is either a noble, heroic victim, or a
fanatical, willfully stubborn character that causes the deaths of two other innocent people.
This scholarly interpretation has been considered a late addition to the play, although,
Aristotle, a contemporary of Sophocles, attests to its genuineness. Allbaugh also focuses
on this particular passage where Antigone states,” Never,” she cries, “had I been a mother
of children or if a husband had been moldering in death, would I have taken this task
upon me in the cities despite.” Allbaugh employs this passage to show that the conflict in
Antigone is one which Antigone’s duties are not in reference to individuality, selfhood, or
to private affairs of the heart, but to her father’s family, and to kinship and their rights to
a proper burial. Allbaugh wants for his audience to take in to consideration is how far
should one’s family take precedence over the laws of the state and the people and should
a blood tie be more important than the ties of one’s spouse? Allbaugh has cleverly proved
his argument by his employment of logos and pathos succeeding in persuading me that
Antigone’s reasons for burying Polyneices were genuinely for her father’s family, and to
kinship and their rights to a proper burial. The information within this article will provide
a clear and accurate text for our presentation of Sophocles' Antigone.
“Antigone.” Ancient Greece. University Press Inc., 2008. Web. 13 Feb. 2012.
<httpo://www.ancientgreece.com/s/GreekMyths/Antigone/>. The source is relevant as it
provides a background to the play Antigone, a brief summary, and some information
pertaining to Sophocles. The main claim of the text is that in Greek literature there were
alternate accounts to the ending of Antigone’s life. The article claims that there were
several different versions of the character Antigone and that each one had a different way
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of dying. However, the text does not lend adequate support to these claims. Additionally,
the references used in the text are not credible in themselves either. Therefore, as the
source may be relevant to the project it will not serve as value do to the lack of credible
support of the article’s claim.
Aristotle. “Poetics.” Tr. S. H. Butcher. The Internet Classics Archive. MIT, n.d. Web. 13 Feb.
2012. http://classics.mit.edu/. Poetics is a primary text written by Aristotle, thus the
relevance and credibility is firmly established. The text focuses on the aspects of tragedy.
Aristotle claims that tragedy is used to arouse certain emotions through catharsis. He then
divides a tragedy into six different parts: plot, character, thought, diction, melody and
spectacle. Aristotle claims that the plot is the most important aspect of the tragedy and is
enhanced by the use of anagnorisis or recognition. In a tragedy a character portrayed as
the hero will go from place of happiness where he is thought of positively by the
audience to a place of misery on his own account such as an error or fatal mistake. This
source is valuable to our project because Antigone is an ancient Greek tragedy which
incorporates many if not all of Aristotle’s concepts and ideas presented in On Poetics.
Arrowsmith, William. Notes on Text. Sophocles: Antigone. New York: Oxford University Press,
1973. 75-94. Print. This literature by Arrowsmith highlights different quotes from the
book and describes in detail the conflict between Creon, Antigone, Ismene and many
other characters. Arrowsmith depicts each piece of the play that he deems important and
elaborates on each line. Creon’s views on political gain first are expressed in here and
develop his evil sense compared to Antigone’s “family comes first.” This version shows
each conflict as the story progresses and is basically written in note form. Arrowsmith
uses other writer’s thoughts about certain topics mentioned in the notes. He depicts the
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tragedy that was bound to happen between Creon and his family as well as Antigone and
her relatives. The conflicts and pertinent points that Arrowsmith mentions are very
useful. They will be used in our research paper to narrate the extent of conflict, in its
depth and entirety, line per line, throughout the play.
Bain, David M. Antigone: Overview. Reference Guide to World Literature. Ed. Lesley
Henderson. 2nd ed. New York: St. James Press, 1995. Literature Resource Center. Web.
29 Mar. 2012. David Bain begins this critical essay by informing his audience that both
Antigone and Oedipus the King are two of the most famous and influential of Sophocles’
plays. Bain has written this modern translation of Antigone in means of enlightened selfinterest and to present his claim to the audience. Bain employs diction, figurative speech,
and modern language to articulate his claim. Brain highlights the fact that Sophocles’
Antigone dramatizes the last stages of the confusion, confliction and chaos of the Oedipus
family. Bain claims that Sophocles’ Antigone has frequently been regarded as a play of
philosophical conflict where one kind of right is opposed to another, where divine and
human law come into conflict, and the rights of the individual are opposed to the rights of
the state. Bain argues that it would be mistaken to insinuate that Sophocles intended to set
two morally equipollent ideas in conflict. For instance, the conflict Antigone (from the
grave) wins and the conflict Creon loses calamitously. Bain stresses that Antigone is on a
level with other proud isolated Sophoclean heroes, on a different plane from other
characters in the play, such as the timid, human Ismene and the authoritarian, but nonheroic and weak Creon. Although Bain employs logos his claim is merely opinionated.
Therefore, I would not consider this source as being a clear an accurate text for our
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presentation. However, it could prove to be a beneficial source in reference to our
research paper.
Beer, Josh. “Chapter 5 Antigone.” Sophocles and the Tragedy of Athenian Democracy. Westport:
Praeger, 2004. 67-80. Print. In this source Beer takes on the conflict between Polis,
political view, and Oikos, which is family view. Beer signifies the conflicts between most
of the characters and their motives behind their actions. He indicates how Antigone will
not turn her back on her brother and refuses to obey Creon’s order to not bury Polyneices.
Beer also signifies Ismene’s “politically correct behavior” and how she later tries to side
with Antigone to no avail. Beer also describes how the scene takes on symbolism in the
play and where the characters exit or enter describes a side they take. Creon, who focuses
on polis, enters from center stage, which represents the city-state. His loyalty to the citystate is larger than his loyalty for the gods. This is what upsets the gods, who bring on
this horrible wrath and kills his family, just like Antigone’s family cease to exist.
Antigone is different and enters the stage from where her dead brother lies. This source is
very useful and detailed, and will come in handy for highlighting more points in
reference to the conflicts in the play.
Bennet, Larry J., and Wm. Blake Tyrrel. “Sophocles' Antigone and Funeral Oratory.” The
American Journal of Philology, 111.4 (Winter, 1990): 441-456. Jstor Web. 18 Feb. 2012.
Tyrrel and Bennet work well together to create a paper emphasizing two main points. The
first point is the counterpoint existing between Theban and Athenian culture and the
second is the importance of funeral rights in each and the link this causes. They leave out
certain words not only in the Greek dialect but use actual Greek characters making them
at times unable to comprehend (if the reader cannot read Greek), but overall it doesn’t
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affect the reading entirely. Tyrrel and Bennet seek to demonstrate how Athenians viewed
their democracy and culture as enlightened and superior to Thebes and its “tyranny.”
Throughout their claim they support it with a certain degree of information in reference to
how the government functions, but mainly specifying how important the funeral rights
were to these two different, yet linked cultures. The information on funeral rights will be
beneficial to our presentation and research paper in means of providing vital information
in reference to different points of view in the article.
Bloom, Harold. Critical Views on Antigone. Sophocles. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers,
2003. 79-95. Print. This book compiles several different sources and thoughts into one
detailed excerpt about the numerous arrays of opinions and conflicts throughout the play.
Such as, the literary origins, recurring imagery, contrasts between Antigone and Creon,
and the two burials seen in the play’s beginning. Bloom lists all the sources he
employed, and gives the reader several different views to think about during the play.
This is an amazing source and was very helpful. It gave a quick background on the
characters and an in depth understanding on the many points. A large portion of this
source will be quoted and employed in the research paper; it will also be employed as a
general comprehension of the play itself.
Fletcher, Judith. “Citing the Law in Sophocles’ Antigone.” Mosaic (Winnipeg) 41.3 (Sept. 2008):
79. Academic One. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. This article focuses on how Greek law, of both
Thebes and Athens in its interpretation,
execution and the audience’s, both ancient
and modern, comprehension of ancient Greek law affect the plays overall impact and
message. Fletcher seeks to prove through this discourse that with proper understanding of
politics that Sophocles is trying to promote a democratic Athenian lifestyle of that of the
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Theban dictatorship. Fletcher indulges in a bit of logos throughout the article but really
attempts to grab the reader’s attention with it the introduction. For the first five
paragraphs fletch mentions Antigone only once, instead giving us precedent from other
plays and background information needed for the following argument. Fletcher sites
several translations from the Greek giving use useful insight into the word choice used as
when Antigone calls Creon “strategos” meaning general not king or calling his law a
“kerugma,” an announcement. Although this article argues a point that does not align
exactly with our paper and presentation the overall factual information and research
contained within should prove to be beneficial to our research paper.
Haigh, A. E. “Antigone: An Analysis of the Play by Sophocles.” The Tragic Drama of the
http://www.theatredatabase.com/ancient/sophocles_002.html. This source is relevant and
credible as it is an analysis of the play. This source is also credible, originating as a
scholarly essay. The main theme of the text is that the conflict of Antigone, that of
obeying the natural laws or those which keep order, is rooted in the historical context in
which the play was written. The text also claims that the author’s intention was to convey
to the audience the importance of obeying the laws of the divine. Finally, the essay points
out a noticeable flaw in Antigone’s character as one who would only sacrifice herself for
a brother, but would not produce the same sacrifice for say a child or a husband. Overall,
the source will be of strong value to the project as it will provide some analysis of the
play against the historical backdrop in which it was written.
Hartley, Lodwick. “Antigone. The Sewanee Review.” 42.1 (Jan.-Mar., 1934): 100-101 Jstor
Web. 19 Feb. 2012. Hartley gives a modern poem adaptation of one of the burial scenes
from Antigone. Hartley’s need for personal artistic expression causes the overall
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interpretation to be difficult to comprehend. The reader must also take into consideration
that this is now an interpretation of a translation and subject to further mutation from its
original context and meaning weather by intent or mishap. As the reader approaches the
conclusion of the poem Hartley describes Antigone by claiming, this maid was not of
mortals. It is Hartley’s opinion that Antigone is without fault and dies a martyr’s death,
deserving a place as a goddess for her actions. This poem does not offer much for my
group to work with as it lacks content and relevance to the topic of our paper.
Johnston, Sarah Iles. "Antigone's Other Choice." Helios 33. (2006): 179-186. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. Sarah Isles Johnston employ modern language current to
the 20th Century, descriptive details, and allegory in her article that are clear and
comprehensible as she explores and discusses certain topics that are relevant and
applicable to the primary text Antigone, written by Sophocles’ in the early 1800s.
Antigone’s Choice, typically means the choice that Antigone makes in undertaking to
bury Polyneices against her uncle’s wishes. The scholarly interpretation of this choice has
a long history and it is usually centered on the conflict between several interests that are
understood to oppose one another. Such as, male authority and female
autonomy,
individual conscience and civic allegiance to the city-state, the duty to one’s family and
duty to one’s city-state, and the obedience to the laws of the gods in reference to the
requirement to bury the dead, and the obedience to the laws of morals. The main theme of
“Antigone’s Other Choice” is in reference to the choice that Antigone made by hanging
herself rather than starving to death in her tomb. The passage states, “In hanging herself,
Antigone now defies Creon- even in death, he will not control her insofar as she will
choose her own route to Hades but also defies, one last time, what he represents: the right
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for a man to control a woman to his own benefit or that of his city-by demanding that she
leave her natal family and marry, by that she die a sacrificial virgin, “married to death,”
or by demanding that she contain her sexual potential, eternally waiting for her father
figure to release it when he chooses.” The main plot surrounding Antigone’s death
by hanging is for her to reclaim her independence from Creon and make clear the
consequences of his violation of the basic values of the family. Sarah Isles Johnston
employs ethos, logos, pathos, and the conflict between Antigone and Creon to
demonstrate the utmost importance of individuals being able to balance obligations to
their family and obligations to their state. I find Sarah Isle Johnston’s article to be
credible, reliable, relevant, and in accordance to her other literary works on this subject
and within the contents of Sophocles’ Antigone. This literary reading does not provide a
clear interpretation of the entire theme and lessons of the play Antigone because its
primary focus is in reference to the reasons why Antigone chose strangulation as her
means to commit suicide. Therefore, only a few selective excerpts within this article will
provide an accurate and a clear text for our presentation.
Lines, Patricia M. “Antigone’s Flaw.” HUMANITAS XII. I 91999). National Humanities
Institute, 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. http://www.nhinet.org/lines.htm. This source is a
journal entry about Antigone’s character flaw and is therefore relevant to the project. The
author has credibility as the entry was written for a scholarly journal. The main theme of
this text is the flaw in which Antigone’s character possesses is that of self-certainty which
ultimately leads to the tragic ending of the play. The article claims that Antigone has the
same self-certainty and stubbornness that Creon has and that this is what causes her tragic
fate. If Antigone were only to use hubris, or moderation, and discuss the full issue with
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all the relevant characters, her fate may have been different. This source is valuable to the
project as it provides an analysis of the character Antigone in the context of the typical
Sophoclean formula of tragedy.
Markell, Patchen. “Tragic Recognition: Action and Identity in Antigone and Aristotle.”
Northwestern University. 9 Mar. 2001. Web. 13 Feb. 2012.
http://www.northwestern.edu/clcst/. This source is relevant to the project; it discusses the
role of Aristotle’s idea of tragic recognition in Antigone. The author and the work are
credible as it has many references and was prepared as a scholarly article for a university.
This text claims that recognition or Aristotle’s concept of anagnorsis is the recognition of
an identity. Identity is determined by the action of the characters and the actions of the
characters determine identity. In the play both Creon and Antigone have certain identities
which help determine the course of their respective actions and fate. However, both
characters seem to deviate from their identities through their actions. Antigone in
attempting to represent the family and the woman deviates from this character through
her defiance of the political order thus thrusting her into a different identity which is
more masculine and less focused on family. Creon, in addition, in attempting to hold on
to his masculine role and representing the city only brings misfortune upon his own
family and turns him from a leader of civic order to a tyrant. This source will be of
significance to the project because it provides an analysis of the characters in respect to
Aristotle’s concepts presented in Poetics.
McManus, Barbra F. “Antigone.” Background for Antigone. The College of New Rochelle. Nov.
1999. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/antigonebg.html. This
source is relevant as it provides a background for Antigone. The text gives a brief
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description of Antigone’s family, mainly centering on her father Oedipus and his
mythological character. The article then summarizes the plot of Antigone while claiming
that bridal and funeral imagery was one of the main themes central to the conflict of the
play. This source holds credibility as it was used as a teaching resource for a college
classroom. However, this article does not give reference to any of its claims so the source
of the information presented is questionable. Overall, this source is of value to the project
as it helps create an all-encompassing picture of the character Antigone through
descriptions of her family background.
McNeill, David N. “Antigone’s Autonomy.” Inquiry 54.5 (2011): 411-441. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 15 March. 2012. In this literary work, David McNeill depicts certain
passages from Sophocles' Antigone by employing diction, figurative speech, and
descriptive details. David McNeill’s employment of modern language is successful in
painting a very clear and understandable narration of the play for his audience. McNeill
focuses mainly on whether Antigone’s actions in the play should be considered
autonomous (acting independently or having the freedom to do so) and then he suggests
that recognizing this difficulty is crucial to a proper understanding of the play. McNeill
refers to several passages in Aristotle’s Rhetoric as he attempts to explain the beliefs
Antigone has towards her family and towards the city-state. The article also focuses on
her rejection of life, her intimacy with death, and the way she seems defined by her
incestuous heritage. McNeill highlights Aristotle’s claims in the Eudemain Ethics that it
can be hard to distinguish someone who exemplifies the vice of self-will from someone
who displays the virtue of dignity even though they are of opposite ethical character.
McNeill strongly believes that the play Antigone suggests that a wholly autonomous
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moral agent is without a proper place in our world. It also suggests, however, that without
the aspiration toward the impossible end of moral autonomy, the world would be no
fitting place to live. There is a sufficient amount of evidence by Aristotle and Plato in this
literary work that supports McNeill’s arguments. On a continual basis throughout this
literary work, McNeill supports his claims by the employment of logos, ethos, and
pathos. The context within this literary work is credible and reliable considering the fact
that McNeill’s sources are in relation to two of the world’s most famous and credible
philosophers, Aristotle and Plato. This literary work will be beneficial to our group’s
presentation of Antigone as it will increase our comprehension of Antigone’s actions on
reference to suicide.
Milch, Robert. “Antigone.” Cliffnotes on King Oedipus, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone.
Lincoln:Cliff notes inc., 1965 49-58. Print. The Cliffnotes for the play Antigone give a
very nice synopsis of the play and describe the characters nicely. This source will not be
quoted in the research paper, but has helped with the understanding of different
translations and has helped me find resources in reference to myself being able to
recognize conflicts surrounding the play. This source was very useful for understanding
those confusing parts after reading the play. The Cliffnotes are separated into the
different scenes, and summarize each scene and point out a few of the conflicts that
Sophocles wrote on. In the excerpt there is a general commentary that explains how
Sophocles wanted to show the audience the difference between human and divine law. It
also points out the different views others have on Antigone’s character. This source helps
in some ways for having an understanding of the points, but not a deep understanding.
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Nardo, Don. Readings on Antigone. San Diego, Cali: Greenhaven Press, 1999, Print. “Readings
on Antigone” is a selected group of essays that are in reference to Sophocles’ play
Antigone and these literary works have been written by several authors and edited by Don
Nardo. This book contains certain excerpts from Sophocles’ play Antigone which allows
its readers to obtain a greater comprehension of the plays primary theme and the
characteristics of numerous characters involved in and surrounding the play. The authors
of these essays employ descriptive details to discuss and explain the actions of the
characters, and the significance of the roles that they played. They have thoroughly
examined the plot, theme, and theory of the play Antigone. The authors have successfully
won my approval and have proved their argument by employment of ethos and pathos.
This translation of Sophocles’ Antigone appears to be both timely and accurate as other
translations of the play confirm the plot and the dialogs basic format. The conclusion and
the lessons of the play are rarely discussed. There are several variations in choices of
translation when compared to other editions, but overall they do not negatively impact the
comprehension of the play’s thematic issues. The scholarly interpretation of this book
and the national range of the audience for which this book was intended is an excellent
guide to assist its readers to gain a greater level of comprehension of the plays overall
theme and lesson. Therefore, I would highly recommend this book that contains these
literary works. This source has proven to be accurate and will provide a clear text for our
presentation on Sophocles’ play Antigone.
O’Brien, Joan V. Guide to Sophocles’ Antigone: A Student Edition with Commentary,
Grammatical Notes, & Vocabulary. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1978.
Print. Joan V. O’Brien has written a Guide to Sophocles’ Antigone by employing modern
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language and descriptive detail which, has allowed this text to serve as a great tool for her
wide range of audiences, in means of gaining a better understanding of the play
Antigone’s setting, plot, theme, theory, and conclusion “lesson.” The lesson that Joan V.
O’Brien has depicted and discussed in this guide is that Antigone suffers because she is
wise, not in order to become wise. The information this book is relevant, accurate and
timely, as other translations of the play show confirmation of the plot and the dialogue’s
basic format to the play Antigone, written by Sophocles. Joan V. O’Brien has written two
books, several articles and journals in reference to Sophocles play Antigone that proves
her to be knowledgeable of this play. Joan V. O’Brian proves to be credible and has
supported her argument by allowing readers to comprehend Antigone’s motivations and
actions in reference to wanting to bury her brother Polyneices and how it was not an act
of selfishness but an act that was guided by wisdom and her prior knowledge of custom.
Joan V. O’Brien employed logos to persuade me that Antigone’s’ actions were in
reference to her moral responsibility concerning Polyneices rather than the expectations
of the city-state and certain family members. It is my opinion that the guide to Sophocles’
Antigone will be beneficial and serve as a clear and accurate text for both our annotated
bibliography and presentation. I would highly recommend this book to whoever shows
interest and is in need of a greater comprehension of the character Antigone and the
decisions she makes in Sophocles’ play Antigone.
Pedrick, Victoria and Stephen M. Oberhelman. “The Subject of Desire in Sophocles' Antigone.”
The Soul of Tragedy: Essays on Athenian Drama. Ed. Chicago: University of Chicago,
2005. 91-135. Print. This source talks about the case of Antigone. It discusses about how
Antigone favors her family in way that other books didn’t acknowledge. The writer talks
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about how Antigone is so in touch with her family and the desire she has for them in the
play. The language in which Antigone expresses herself is highly individual and
strangely contradictory, as well as feminine, dutiful and transgressed, visionary and
narrow-minded. Antigone’s fixation on her brother and father, her desire to please them,
and be with them at all costs, is recognized by everyone in the play as a forbidden
inward-turning on the part of this unique/typical family. The source also talks about the
discussion of her death and the dialogue that went on between two characters. This
source is reliable and shows all the sources the editors used. The claim the editors made
is the sexuality of Antigone during the play and the sexual motivation she has for her
family. It talks a lot about the lust Antigone has, and the close knit relationship she has
for her brother and father. This source will be beneficial to our presentations outline as it
will assist us in obtaining a greater the comprehension of Antigone’s character and
character flaws.
Pruyne, Terry. "Civil Disobedience in Antigone and the Modern World." Middle/High School @
Suite 101. Suite 101, 3 Oct. 2010. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. <http://terrypruyne.suite101.com/civil-disobedience-in-antigone-and-the-modern-world-a292167>.
The article is relevant to the project as it discusses the theme of civil disobedience in
Antigone. The author defines civil disobedience as a citizen defying the government and
resisting its laws. The article claims that one of the earliest examples of civil
disobedience occurs in Antigone. Antigone defies Creon’s mandate that Polyneices is to
remain unburied. Antigone’s act of burying her brother was an act of civil disobedience
towards the state. The author claims that throughout history and in the modern world, this
theme is played out in day to day life as citizens protest and act out against the laws and
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policies of their government. The source is valuable to the project yet the author’s
credibility is somewhat questionable due to the lack of references and the website’s
authenticity.
Rancher, Shoni. "Suffering tragedy: Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Butler on the tragedy of
Antigone." Mosaic [Winnipeg] 41.3 (2008): 63+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28
Mar. 2012. In this critical essay Shoni Rancher explores and discusses whether or not
there is still a place in modern consciousness for an interest in the central issues that
Sophocles’ Antigone signified for the ancient world. Also, what is the end result of our
continued interest in the ancient Greek tragedy at odds with our modern interest in the
individual, and does this betray our misunderstanding and/or interfere with our
comprehension of the play? Rancher’s primary focus is reference to the point of views of
the authors Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Butler. For instance, Hegel questions, how much of
our continuing interest in tragedy is derived primarily from nostalgia? Also, Hegel argues
that Antigone represents the clearly defined relationship of identity between the feminine
and masculine, family and state, which in the end subsumes the former under the ladder.
Kierkegaard and Butler both agree and argue that there is a fundamental ambiguity to
Antigone, which essentially disrupts the possibility of the clearly defined relationship.
However, Rancher, Hegel, Kierkegaard and Butler are in agreement that ancient tragedy
essentially combines the epic with the lyric. The points of views mentioned and discussed
within this article show signs of bias because they are based primarily on the above
mentioned author’s personal opinions. Therefore, the arguments made by the authors in
this article have not been proven. Although, I do consider the context within this critical
essay to be of value and beneficial to our presentation allowing us to reflect on the issue
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of what type of affects has Sophocles’ play Antigone made or is still making in the world
that we live in today.
Robert, William. “Antigone’s Nature.” Hypatia 25.2 (2010): 412-436. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 31 Mar. 2012. In this article Robert William has thoroughly investigated
the topic of tragedy in reference to Sophocles’ play Antigone. William defines tragedy as
being excessive and this excessiveness is what makes it tragic. William claims that tragic
excess can lead an individual across his or her moral limits, beyond the possible and into
the terrain of the impossible. William also claims that if tragedy is a matter of excess,
then Antigone stands as its representation figure, for Antigone is excessive. Robert
William has supported his claim by the employment of logos and thus has persuaded me
that tragedy and excessiveness are in correlation with one another. William has also
supported his claim by use of logos persuading me that tragic excess can lead an
individual to act in an immoral fashion. This article will be a beneficial source for our
group to use in the construction of our presentation. Also, it will allow us to obtain the
utmost knowledge of tragedy correlated with excess and the repercussions involved
thereafter.
Rorty, Amelie. “Aristotle on The Virtues of Rhetoric.” Review of Metaphysics 64.4 (2011): 715733. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 March. 2012. This article is an edition of the
primary text Aristotle’s Rhetoric, and the relevance of this source is both comprehensible
and applicable. Amelie Rorty elaborates extensively on Aristotle’s definition of rhetoric
which is the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion and
how it is essential to civil and civilized and social and political life. Rorty also depicts the
primary theme that focuses primarily of the service to a larger scholarly audience as a
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matter of self-interest, with the various audiences having to learn and practice the means
of persuasion which are in reference to ethos, pathos, and logos. Rorty defines and
discusses the three types of oratory’s which includes political oratory, forensic oratory,
and epideictic oratory. This article stresses the utmost importance of wisdom having to be
associated with rhetorical “speech” persuasion. Rorty’s article proves to be accurate and
shows no underlying signs of bias. This article proves to be both an accurate and timely
translation of Aristotle’s Rhetoric as it confirms the theme and the dialogue’s basic
format. There are numerous variations in choices of translation when compared to other
editions, but they do not negatively impact Aristotle’s Rhetoric thematic issues. Rorty
employs certain principles contained within Aristotle’s Rhetoric such as, ethos, pathos,
and logos as she convinces and persuades me of the argument that she narrates in this
literary work to be factual and of the utmost importance in regards to individuals
obtaining pertinent tools and be successful in reference to the art of persuasion. This
literary work will be the utmost important source we will employ as it will provide the
essential tools for us to properly present our presentation of Sophocles' Antigone.
Segal, Charles. "Lament and Closure in Antigone." Sophocles' Tragic World: Divinity, Nature,
Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1995. 119-37. Print. This source discusses the
similarities and differences between Antigone's and Eurydice's mourning for their losses.
Antigone's mourning for her brother Polyneices is taken to extremes and she intends to die
for his proper burial rights. Similarly, Eurydice is later introduced into the play and mourns
for her son Haemon's death. Eurydice's way of mourning reverses Creon's victory over
Antigone in the first half of the play. The female sorrow and grief is over the deaths of
masculine roles. The source also talks about Teiresias prophecy and how it shoots a direct
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warning towards Creon. Creon who has up until now ignored the family, which is not as
important to him until someone dies. The source is efficient in making certain points about
female lament and Closure and can be useful in some areas. The author shows the sources he
used and his claim is solid.
Sophocles, and Richard E. Braun. Antigone. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Print. In
this book Richard Braun has employed modern language and descriptive details in means
of successfully producing a comprehensible translation of Sophocles’ play Antigone for
his audience. The content within this book contains pertinent information for the reader to
gain a greater comprehension of the characters, setting, plot, overall theme, theory,
conclusion, and the lesson of the play. Braun’s translation of Antigone appears to be both
accurate and timely because it confirms the plot and the dialog’s basic format. This
translation does not negatively impact the comprehension of the plays thematic issues. In
this book Braun stresses that the difficulties relevant to Sophocles’ Antigone are in
reference to thematic complexity. This thematic complexity is due to variety of vision or
one’s perception, duplication of viewpoint, partly inherited in the subject, and then
intricately schematized in treatment. I deem Braun’s translation of Antigone to be both
accurate and credible because he has thoroughly explained by the employment of logos
the complexity and the overall theme of the play. This edition of Sophocles’ Antigone
will serve as a very useful and clear text for our presentation.
Sophocles. Antigone. Adapt. Feldshuh, David. Antigone book. pdf. Cornell University, 2004.
Web. 18 Feb. 2012. http://ifup.cit.cornell.edu/antigone/pdf/3174 . This is an English
adaption of the play Antigone. Feldshuh maintains a straightforward translation betraying
a slight religious overtone maintained throughout when he compares the plays rhythmic
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flow and to a biblical passage saying they are both, “poetic but simply spoken.” There is
nothing exceptionally out of the ordinary about Feldshuh’s adaptation itself, however in
its introduction he does briefly break down his interpretations of the choruses and explain
what each ones overall tone is try to accomplish. Having already read other versions of
the play this adaptation does not offer anything unique in its main body but it support
material may prove beneficial to better understanding other version of the play and
constructing the paper.
Sophocles, Reginald Gibbons, and Charles Segal. Antigone. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2003. Print. In this literary work Gibbons’ translation of Sophocles’ Antigone is
extremely faithful to the Greek, eminently playable and poetically powerful whereas,
Segal’s contributions offer an insightful introduction to the play as a product of its own
time. The combination of the two conveys both the difficulties and the formidable
immediacy of the play. Their translation also offers a modern language that is
comprehensible. Gibbons is the author of nine volumes of poems. Charles Segal was a
Professor of the Classics at Harvard University and has written many books which
include Sophocles’ Tragic World, Tragedy and Civilization: An Interpretation of
Sophocles, and Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge.
Therefore, I consider both Gibbons and Segal to be proficient, credible, and reliable in
their knowledge in reference to poetry, Greek mythology, and the information that they
have provided within this text in reference to Sophocles’ Antigone. This source will
provide both a clear and accurate text for our presentation and research paper because it
employs the best combination of contemporary, powerful language, along with superb
background and notes and meaning in reference to the overall theme, interpretation, and
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ancient beliefs, attitudes of the characters, and context that are relevant to Sophocles
’Antigone.
"The Subject of Desire in Sophocles' Antigone." The Soul of Tragedy: Essays on Athenian
Drama. Ed. Victoria Pedrick and Steven M. Oberhelman. Chicago: University of
Chicago, 2005. 91-135.Print. This source talks about the case of Antigone. It discusses
about how Antigone favors her family in way that other books didn’t pick up on. The
writer talks about how Antigone is so in touch with her family and the desire she has for
them in the play. The language in which Antigone expresses herself is highly individual
and strangely contradictory, as well as feminine, dutiful and transgressed, visionary and
narrow-minded. Antigone’s fixation on her brother and father, her desire to please them,
and be with them at all costs, is recognized by everyone in the play as a forbidden
inward-turning on the part of this unique/typical family. The source also talks about the
discussion of her death and the dialogue that went on between two characters. This
source is reliable and shows all the sources the editors used. The claim the editors made
is the sexuality of Antigone during the play and the sexual motivation she has for her
family. It talks a lot about the lust Antigone has, and the close knit relationship she has
for her brother and father.
Thompson, Harold, and Dale Grote. “Antigone.” Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore,
and Religion. Encyclopedia Mythica, 09 May 1997. Web. 2 Feb. 2012.
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/antigone.html. This article is relevant to the project as
it is a basic summary of the play, Antigone. The authors are credible due to the fact that
the Encyclopedia Mythica is an outline database of articles pertaining to Greek
mythology and folklore intended for researchers, students, and teachers. This article
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summarizes this play as well as gives a brie background to who Antigone was in context
to other Greek characters such as Oedipus and Jocasta. The authors pose that the main
conflict in the play is the one between the law of the city and the law of the gods.
Therefore, there is some bias as the article is opinionated as to which conflict is of the
utmost importance. Overall, this source will be of value to the project as it will serve as a
simple reference to the synopsis of the play.
Vickers, Michael. Antigone, Pericles and Alcibiades. Sophocles and Alcibiades. Ithaca: Cornell
University Press, 2008. 13-33. Print. Vickers’ opinion of the play Antigone is of the
situation that was happening during Sophocles’ time of writing. He believes that
Antigone portrays that of the “friendship” with Pericles. Vickers sites many sources that
he uses in the book to highlight specific points. He compares Pericles with Creon. He
writes that Sophocles was trying to get a point out to the audience about his view on
Pericles. Vickers also brings in other figures from that time era and compares them to
other characters in the play. The comparison is based on their personality and how
Sophocles viewed them. This excerpt from the book gives the reader a totally different
view on Antigone and how it was formed. Instead of trying to figure out the morals of the
play, Vickers describes how the play was formed and viewed from Sophocles point of
view. This literary work although very interesting, is very confusing for most readers and
requires more research to make sure that Vickers is trying to prove truths.
Weigel, John A. "Chapter 4: The Causes of Ruin: Antigone." Sophocles. Ruth Scodel. Boston:
Twayne Publishers, 1984. Twayne's World Authors Series 731. The Twayne Authors
Series. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. In this critical essay John Weigel narrates certain aspects
that he has depicted in Sophocles’ play Antigone. Weigel explores, discusses and
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analyses the background and plot, the characters actions and motives, the overall theme
and central conflict, and the gods and the two burials that are in reference to the play.
Weigel’s primary focus concerns the central conflict of the play which he argues is
Creon’s refusal of burial to Polyneices and Antigone’s refusal to obey his edict. Weigel
claims that our sympathy lies with Antigone from the start and by the end of the play the
gods have visibly proved her right too. Weigel also claims that the moral of the play is
not that the dead should be buried, but the dispute over the burial is the motive force and
the frame work. Weigel has employed logos, pathos and ethos successfully persuading
me that the complexity of the play does not reside in any fair balance of moral right and
wrong between opposing sides and also that my sympathy resides with Antigone. I have
concluded that this translation of Sophocles’ Antigone is an accurate and reliable source
based on the fact that it does not negatively impact the comprehension of the play’s
thematic issues. This source will provide a clear text and will be beneficial to the
construction of our presentation as it contains accurate and detailed facts in reference to
the setting, plot, theme, theory, conclusion and the lesson of the play.