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challenging
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
had to read this for school, and while that automatically makes me have a certain amount of dislike towards it, this was actually pretty good :)
I liked this book more than Oedipus rex, which surprised me. Antigone's character has to go through hartships but in the end she was still a good person, which is rarely this case.
Read for my Political Thought in the West class. Although I'm having trouble understanding the professor through his thick Romanian accent, I believe that he finds value in this play for its tension: between the individual and the state, between familial obligations and duty to the polis, between divine command and positive law, betwen youthful self-sacrifice and adult dominiation. And, of course, between man and woman.
I haven't found the copy that I actually read. The year of this copy is correct ... I did type in the isbn but it came up with this. The translation that I read was said to be quite close to the ancient text according to the foreword of the book. This is so old (possibly written around 440 BCE) but still reflects the happenings of today. This is a second read for me and I needed a refresher having just read Kamila Shamsie's Home Fire which is an adaptation of Antigone; I needed to see how it all fitted in. Good to read it again .... lots of tension and such a tragedy.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wish there had been more build up to the ending but otherwise this was an excellent read. I love Greek tragedies.
Edit: July 2018. This is my favorite story of all time and I am ashamed that I rated it 4 stars. What even is that review??
This story is everything. Its so subtle, but impactful. Antigone is one of my favorite characters of all time. She's so strong and resilient in the face of everything. She refuses to be put down by her dick uncle and his shit orders. She stands up for what she believes in and she doesn't stop until she's martyred herself. It was fantastically told.
Edit: July 2018. This is my favorite story of all time and I am ashamed that I rated it 4 stars. What even is that review??
This story is everything. Its so subtle, but impactful. Antigone is one of my favorite characters of all time. She's so strong and resilient in the face of everything. She refuses to be put down by her dick uncle and his shit orders. She stands up for what she believes in and she doesn't stop until she's martyred herself. It was fantastically told.
I read Antigone, by Sophocles, with Oedipus Rex. Personally, I enjoyed Antigone more, but that’s just because I look strong women and girl power. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, and this story takes place when her father has died, and her two brothers are fighting over the throne. Before her father had died, he said that both of his sons could have the throne. One would be king for a year, and then the other brother would be king for a year.
It was a good plan, but when it came time for Eteocles to give up the throne to his brother, Polyneices, he had no plan on giving the throne up. So, the two brothers go to war against each other. They both die in battle. What the story is really about, is who gets to be buried and who doesn’t get to be buried.
Since both of the brothers have died, Oedipus’s brother-in-law, Creon, has taken the the throne. He decides that since Eteocles was just fighting for the throne and for his city, he can be given a proper burial. Since Polyneices was fighting against the throne, he can just be left out to be eaten by scavengers. Antigone doesn’t think that this is right. But, Creon has said that anyone who tries to bury Polyneices, will be punished.
Antigone doesn’t really care what Creon says, and that it what I like about her. This was written around 441 BC. Women weren’t allowed to not care about what men said. Antigone goes against time and culture, and decides to bury her brother. As soon as someone notices that Polyneices has been buried, Creon immediately suspects Antigone, and has her arrested.
Then the story took a real twist. Antigone knows that she will be killed, but instead of being killed at the hands of Creon, she kills herself. I wasn’t expecting a lot of things in this story, but I definitely wasn’t expecting that, but it was kind of awesome.
It was a good plan, but when it came time for Eteocles to give up the throne to his brother, Polyneices, he had no plan on giving the throne up. So, the two brothers go to war against each other. They both die in battle. What the story is really about, is who gets to be buried and who doesn’t get to be buried.
Since both of the brothers have died, Oedipus’s brother-in-law, Creon, has taken the the throne. He decides that since Eteocles was just fighting for the throne and for his city, he can be given a proper burial. Since Polyneices was fighting against the throne, he can just be left out to be eaten by scavengers. Antigone doesn’t think that this is right. But, Creon has said that anyone who tries to bury Polyneices, will be punished.
Antigone doesn’t really care what Creon says, and that it what I like about her. This was written around 441 BC. Women weren’t allowed to not care about what men said. Antigone goes against time and culture, and decides to bury her brother. As soon as someone notices that Polyneices has been buried, Creon immediately suspects Antigone, and has her arrested.
Then the story took a real twist. Antigone knows that she will be killed, but instead of being killed at the hands of Creon, she kills herself. I wasn’t expecting a lot of things in this story, but I definitely wasn’t expecting that, but it was kind of awesome.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes