Antigone: historical context

Antigone: Historical Context

Ancient Greece and Athenian Democracy

  • Antigone was written in Athens around 441BCE during the Golden Age, a time of cultural, political, and intellectual growth.
  • This period saw the establishment of Athenian democracy, an important event in the history of Western civilisation.
  • However, even though democracy was introduced, women, slaves and foreigners were excluded. Antigone challenges this exclusion, especially regarding gender inequalities.

The Theban Plays

  • Antigone is one of three plays in Sophocles’ Theban cycle, along with Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. These plays follow the cursed family of Oedipus, the former King of Thebes.
  • Although Antigone is the last of the cycle, it was actually written first. This suggests that Sophocles’ audiences might have been familiar with the background story and the fate of Oedipus’ family.

Greek Drama and Religion

  • Greek tragedies were performed during the annual festival of Dionysia, where playwrights competed for prizes. The themes were often drawn from mythology and legend.
  • Antigone explores how divine law and natural rights conflict with man-made laws. It asks whether loyalty to man-made laws can justify violation of other, perhaps higher, moral laws.

Societal Norms and Values

  • Greek society was highly structured, and there existed a chasm between the roles and rights of men and women.
  • Antigone’s defiance of Creon is a challenge to the patriarchal society of the time. She defends the importance of family bonds and religious rites, highlighting societal hypocrisy.

Philosophical Context

  • Greek tragedies often focus on moral dilemmas and the choices made by individuals that lead to their downfall - this is a key component of Aristotelian tragedy.
  • The philosophical conflicts in the play reflect the tension between ancient doctrine and new rationalist principles of logic and science.

As you study Antigone, keep these points in mind. The historical and societal contexts of its creation influence the characters, themes and conflicts in the play.