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Antigone in contemporary theatre and literature
Ancient myths in contemporary European Literature
Third Lesson
Lecturer: Petros Marazopoulos
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The myth of Antigone
Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus and his mother, Jocasta. Oedipus, who was the king of Thebes, married
his mother Jocasta, without having knowledge of their relation. Jocasta and Oedipus had four children,
Polynices, Eteocles, Antigone and Ismene.
Oedipus blinded himself when he discovered the truth about his actions, as he not only married his mother,
Jocasta, but he also unwittingly, had slain his father. The two sisters, Antigone and Ismene became then
Oedipus’ guides, as they decided to help their father. Thus, they followed him from Thebes into exile in Colonus
and until his death, in the aforementioned village near Athens.
After Oedipus’ death, Antigone and Ismene returned to Thebes, attempting to reconcile their quarreling
brothers. At that moment, Polyneices was attacking the kingdom of Thebes, whereas Eteocles, was defending
the city and his crown.
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The myth of Antigone
Polyneices and Eteocles killed each other during the battle. Therefore Creon, their uncle, became king of
Thebes.
Creon decided that he should perform an elaborate funeral service for Eteocles. On the other hand, declaring
Polyneices as a traitor for Thebes, he forbade the removal of Polyneices’ corpse from the battle scene, and he
commanded that the corpse would remain unburied.
Antigone, convinced that her uncle’s command was brutally injustice, and, of course, moved by her love for
Polyneices, decided –acting alone and secretly- to bury Polyneices. Creon was furious with this action; He
ordered Antigone’s execution, immuring her in a cave. At the moment that Creon regrated his decision to
execute Antigone, she had already hanged herself. In addition, the son of Creon, and beloved of Antigone,
Haemon, committed suicide.
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Antigone in painting
Antigone in front of the dead Polynices, 1865
Nikiforos Lytras Gives Token Burial to the Body of Her Brother
Polynices,
Jules Eugene Lenepveu
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Antigone in contemporary literature, thought and art
• The adaptions of Rotrou and Racine; La Thébaide and Les Frères Ennemis, 1664
• Antigone as political- revolutionary manifesto; Vittorio Alfieri, 1776
• The German translation by Friedrich Hölderlin, 1804
• Goethe’s Antigone, played in his theatre in Weimar, 1809
• Hegel and the philosophical parameters of Antigone’s myth
• The romantic poet Ludwig Tieck and Antigone as a Christian martyr against an unjust and
inhuman state
• Bertolt Brecht’s Antigone, 1947
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Why Antigone?
• The huge impact of Antigone’s myth throughout Europe
• From Paris to Nazi Germany, thousands of performances were given, dozens of operas, poems and
translations were written
• Τhe myth of Antigone, human priorities, brotherly love and the heart of idealism and romanticism
• Τhe female form as a sister
• Individual actions against injustice state decisions
• Political dimensions of the myth
• Violence and socio-political changes
• The theme of burial in the 18th century: from the gothic novel to the theatre
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Antigone in ancient myth and tradition
• The undeniable proof of an incestuous union
• Antigone as the epitome of loyalty and sacrifice in Oedipus at Colonus
• The stark contrast to Ismene's passive timidity
• A core contradiction; the laws of the state vs the laws of the Gods
• Antigone as a symbol of bravery, resistance and dignity
• Τhe clash between principles and values
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Antigone in ancient myth and tradition
• Antigone and universal/ timeless values
• Acts of resistance to the autocracy of power
• Central power vs individual actions
• Εxploring the relationship that the living maintain with the dead
• Power, blood ties, written and unwritten laws
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Bertolt Brecht’s Antigone (1947)
• Brecht's Antigone, entitled in German Die Antigone des Sophokles, is an adaptation of Hölderlin's
translation of Sophocles' Antigone and is set in a totalitarian, fascist state
• Plot differences between the original tragedy and the theatrical play
• The play is set in contemporary Berlin
• The purpose of writing a drama of resistance to the Nazi Third Reich
• Antigone as a timeless symbol of Resistance and Freedom
• The contemporary absurdity of war and power and the dirty political games
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Bertolt Brecht’s Antigone; The plot
The play is set in contemporary Berlin during the bombing period of World War II. Two sisters return
from the shelter where they spent the night, to their burning neighborhood. Entering their safe, from
the bombs, house –that is fortunately untouched by the flames-they realize that their brother had left
them some signs to uncover his actions; Having hastily leaving the house while they were away, he
has renounced the status of warrior, as the Nazi state power commanded him to be.
In addition, by abandoning the fear of imminent death -that is inherent in the life of every soldier- he
has chosen freedom. The feeling of happiness and relief of the two sisters does not last long. Hearing
voices from the street, they hesitantly step outside, where they see their brother, a deserted soldier,
hanged by the Nazis outside their home.
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Bertolt Brecht’s Antigone (1947)
• It was first performed on 15 February 1948 at the Chur Stadttheater in Switzerland
• From the original play Brecht maintains only those characters that serve the needs of his own
work
• Brecht uses often historical figures and events in his works, presented in new, contemporary
meanings
• Representation and re- conceptualization of ancient myths in contemporary, western thought
• Brecht notes for his Antigone that he didn’t have any interest “reviving the spirit of antiquity”
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Bertolt Brecht’s Antigone (1947)
• The historical and political context; When Brecht writes his own Antigone, Germany and Europe
people still face the tragic consequences of the fascist atrocities, cruel war and the concentration
camps
• Comparing the social- political- historical (even economical) context between two texts
• Brecht does not identify Antigone with the German resistance fighters, those who were persecuted by
the Nazis and communists. Why?
• Antigone and her royal origin
• Brecht contributes to a central question in post-war Germany: “How did we let this happen? How
did we as a people allow all this to happen?”
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Bertolt Brecht’s Antigone (1947); Differences to the original story
• Myth transformations and plot differentiations; aims and aesthetic results
• Brecht transforms Polynices' revengeful campaign against Thebes into an aggressive war of
Creon against Argos;
• Brecht wishes to "rationalize" the myth; he lets aside the theological, metaphysical and
ideological elements of the tragedy
• Brecht aims to show the role of violence and the gradual disintegration of the state’s power
• The dialogues between the sisters is much sharper and more aggressive in Brecht
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Bertolt Brecht’s Antigone (1947); Differences and analogies to the
original story
• The chorus of the elders shrinks in Brecht, letting aside the theological dimension of the myth
• Chorus and comparative futures; narrating the protagonist’s actions
• Brecht does not only use Sophocles’ Antigone in his adaptation, but also other ancient texts, such as
hymns
• Almost half of the play, then, consists of his own verses
• Analogies between Creon and Hitler
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Bertolt Brecht’s Antigone (1947); Differences and analogies to the
original story
• The ancient myth, the contemporary context and the role of the spectator
• Which the message that Brecht is willing to give to his audience?
• Critical attitude, state power, revolution and individual action
• Questions regarding the German people’s reaction against the Nazi power
• Comments on the psychology of the middle and upper classes of pre-war Germany;
• Supporting or tolerating the Nazi regime
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Petros Marazopoulos
petrosmarazopoulos@gmail.com
March 2025