Reviews - Antigone | The StoryGraph

2.39k reviews for:

Antigone

Sophocles

3.62 AVERAGE

jocamp100's review against another edition

4.0

dark reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

knightly's review against another edition

5.0

Plot in a nutshell: Girl gets killed for burying brother.

nearthebeach's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous emotional lighthearted sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

quitejessi's review against another edition

4.0

This is an enduring play, I think, because it appeals to individual moral law vs. social law. When these two are at odds with each other, what does it say? Antigone echoes the same moral laws as Prometheus does. She calls out to a higher moral law, which transcend’s Creon’s decree. “ I did not think anything which you proclaimed strong enough to let a mortal override the gods and their unwritten and unchanging laws. They’re not just for today or yesterday, but exist forever, and no one knows where they first appeared” (510-516).

The theme of fate is also strong in this play. The Chorus states to Antigone: “No. You were in charge of your own fate” (928). So, Antigone takes her fate into her own hands again by killing herself. Since this is a Greek tragedy, everyone else dies too.

Creon ends with a moral: “The most important part of true success is wisdom—not to act impiously towards the gods, for boasts of arrogant men bring on great blows of punishment— so in old age men can discover wisdom” (1491-1495).

(I also can always appreciate some strong female characters in classic lit, so bonus points for that.)