Antigone The Norton Anthology of Western Literature Ninth

The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, 9 th Edition, Volume One Copyright © 2014,

Greek Theater § Modern readers usually find Athenian drama easy to appreciate. § Common

Greek Theater: Themes Sophocles in particular explores deeply human themes and asks fundamental questions:

Greek Theater: Themes (cont’d. ) § Despite their often familiar themes, original performance contexts

Multiple-Choice Questions Who attempts to bury Polyneikes honorably? a. Antigone b. Ismene c. Kreon

Multiple-Choice Questions How is Antigone to be executed? a. hanging b. stoning c. tarred

Discussion Questions What is the role of fidelity in the play? Copyright © 2014,

Discussion Questions How does the chorus operate in the play? Copyright © 2014, W.

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Antigone The Norton Anthology of Western Literature Ninth Edition Volume One Martin Puchner, General Editor Suzanne Akbari Wiebke Denecke Barbara Fuchs Caroline Levine Pericles Lewis Emily Wilson

Greek Theater § Modern readers usually find Athenian drama easy to appreciate. § Common themes include human relationships and melodramatic plots (not unlike modern soap operas). § Classical Greek plays explore such basic human issues as justice, suffering, and conflict between family and state and between human and divine perspectives. Copyright © 2014, W. W. Norton & Company 5

Greek Theater: Themes Sophocles in particular explores deeply human themes and asks fundamental questions: §What does it mean to be part of a family, part of a city, part of a team or an army, or part of the human race? §Can we choose to embrace or reject our family, friends, and society, or do we have to accept the place to which we were born? §Is it a gesture of heroism or folly to be an outsider? What should we do if forced to choose between our family and a wider social group? Copyright © 2014, W. W. Norton & Company 6

Greek Theater: Themes (cont’d. ) § Despite their often familiar themes, original performance contexts of Greek drama were quite different from what modern readers and theatergoers are used to. § Use of masks § Open-air performance § Greek chorus Copyright © 2014, W. W. Norton & Company 7

This concludes the Lecture Power. Point presentation for Volume One: Antigone Visit the Study. Space for the Norton Anthology of Western Literature, 9 e wwnorton. com/nawest