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English II: Tragedy in Our MidstUsing the RAP Strategy to Take Notes over Nonfiction

Strategies of reek Tragedy: The !horus and the Structure of Antigone

by Nola Smithhttp://www.nauvoo.byu.edu/TheArts/Theater/studypackets/Lesson11/Strategies.htm

1. Theatre classes often approach Greek theatre as if the art of that particular

time was only a variation of modern practice. This attitude is understandable,given that many production elements common today, such as masks,costumes, music, and script, were used by the ancients, and a number of thetexts are part of our cultural heritage. f we insist on seeing theatre history asan evolutionary progression, each period building on the last, graduallydiscarding outmoded methods and discovering the !new and improved,! thencontemporary theatre must be the best. "odern theatre, with its profusion of

technological applications, its costuming drawn in materials and conceptsfrom around the world, with its constant novelty, must be the theatricalpinnacle. #ll else must be inferior. Such an approach is misleading, however,and downright arrogant. $urrent historians acknowledge that the Greeks usedmany elements of production and style first, and that today%s practices are thedescendants of originals that were, in some ways, superior. &obert $ohennotes that

'. (hen theatre historians speak of the !Greek Theatre,!they are speaking specifically of the theatre of one locale,#thens, and of )ust one century, the fifth century *$. +orthat span of one hundred years, in a citystate of no more

than 1-, persons, the #thenian population wastreated to a theatrical life unparalleled in its socialimportance and aesthetic ma)esty /Theatre 02.

. n a way, however, the biased claim for current theatre%s being the best thereis makes a certain sense. Today%s theatre is the best for the people of today,as it expresses what present artists feel about our times. *ut the idea that ourtheatre is necessarily superior is ludicrous. The Greek theatre was what itneeded to be for the Greeks. The art was formed by the times and the soul ofthe people. nstead of dismissing differences between past and currentconventions as inferior, we may rather profitably examine such differences forwhat they teach us about the past, theatre and drama, and even our own

times.

The Chorus

3. The chorus, according to &. (. *. *urton, is the !traditional element in Greektragedy 4that5 strikes modern taste as its strangest and least intelligiblefeature! /12. The Greeks, however, may have found the chorus the mostfamiliar element in the drama. The Greek theatre seems to have grown out of

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http://www.nauvoo.byu.edu/TheArts/Theater/studypackets/Lesson11/Strategies.htm

http://www.nauvoo.byu.edu/TheArts/Theater/studypackets/Lesson11/Strategies.htm



religious ritual, and remained ever close to religious roots. f we are to believe#ristotle, the tragic theatre originated in 6ionysian celebrations. Thesefren7ied ceremonies and celebrations gradually evolved into dythrambicsongs, which in turn so the most popular theory of the origins of Greektragedy goes became regulari7ed, recorded, and competitive. The membersof the ritual choruses, numbering about fifty, performed in #thens during the

spring festivals of 6ionysus, and, combining religion with publicentertainment, vied for pri7es. Greek audiences had experienced thesechoruses for many years before the invention of theatre began to change theemphasis from the choral group to the characters and their story. The peopleknew what to expect from choruses, both dythrambic and dramatic, becausemany of the city%s men had actually performed in such groups. *oth the ritesand the drama depended on many volunteer participants, who rendered thisservice as a part of their civic duty /#rnott '2. #mateur did not meanneophyte, and regular public participation led to a high level of skill in thechoruses and it also made for an informed audience.

-. The theatre of Sophocles% #thens was supported by the state as an integral

religious community function, and was run systematically. The twelve to fiftymembers /evidence is contradictory2 of dramatic choruses were chosen andassigned to a playwright about eleven months before the next contest, andmay have been trained and pampered for the better part of the year. Thetraining was led by a choregos /chorus trainer2, a welltodo citi7en, who wasexpected to secure rehearsal space and to oversee their rigorous exercise andspecial diet. There is evidence that he paid the musicians and actors, suppliedstage properties, and underwrote other costs. #ll this occurred at his expense,and was considered a form of tax payment e8ual to, for instance, outfitting abattleship for the state. The )ob was not without its rewards9 should hisproductions win, the choregos shared with the playwright the prestige andpri7e money.

0. $horal performance also followed a pattern. The scripts and other evidencesuggest that it was customary for the chorus to enter the stage either enmasse in a stately march, or to gather in from several directions, singly or insmall groups. They danced and sang in unison, but could divide into twogroups that performed in turn /some extant plays even re8uire two fullchoruses2. #t times the chorus acted as a single entity, speaking lines indialogue with an actor, but occasionally individual members of the chorusspoke a few lines alone /*rockett 2. The main choral passages wereanything but static. The dancing and chanting or singing were accompaniedby carefully prepared and pitched music. nstrumentation included that of thedythrambic choruses, such as the lyre, trumpet, and various percussioninstruments such as cymbals and drums. :ther accompaniment wasperformed on the aulos, a reedy double flute resembling a modern oboe orclarinet in tone. The flute player might be asked to improvise certain portionsof the music, and some evidence suggests he may have had a wooden shoewith which he could mark a beat /*rockett 1, *ieber ;2.

<. The dances performed by the tragic chorus to this music ranged fromstationary, with rhythmic symbolic gestures, to the frantically energetic. The

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movements would be correlated with text in timing and meaning. The dancescould be ritualistic, representing a wide variety of religious functions, such asfuneral processions, wedding dances, or ecstatic fren7ies, depending on theneeds of the play and the character of the chorus. (hile the chorus of

Antigone is composed of =lders of the city of Thebes, other plays employdiscrete groups of !sailors, young girls, mature women, guardians of a

sanctuary! /*urton 2, etc. all played by men.

;. >nlike modern musical dance theatre, where the chorus functions largely assupport for the main characters, the classical Greek chorus was as importantas the actors, with the text precisely divided. The conventional structure of thetragic play, !as rigidly prescribed as the design of a 6oric temple! /?adas '2,was ordered into parts9 Prologos, Parodos, Epeisodia, Stasima (furthersubdivided into triads of strophe, antistrophe, and epode), and Exodos. ThePrologue, which begins most plays, belonged to one or two actors, whoinformed the audience of the circumstances of the play. The chorus made itsformal entrance into the orchestra in the Parodos /a choral ode2, and would, asa rule, not leave the stage again until the Exodos. The chorus observed and

periodically interacted with the main actors during the three to six Episodes,but those acting the named characters would often leave the stage during theStasima, or lyric choral odes, to change masks.

The Structure of Antigone

@. Prologos: #ntigone meets smene before the palace, where she informs hersister of $reon%s decree that the body of their brother Aolyneices must be leftunburied. She is determined to bury the corpse, come what may, and asks forhelp. smene refuses and tries to dissuade her.

1.Parados "first choral ode#: The Theban =lders describe the events of thewar of the Seven and re)oice in the city%s divinely assisted survival. The sunnymood of this ode contrasts with the dark prologos, and 8uickly establishesirony. The audience knows that, even as the chorus anticipates ecstaticrevelry and celebration for deliverance, the events have already been set inmotion that will destroy their happiness. The contrast between the sorrow forthe slain and the )oy of life, between fear and relief, memory and anticipation,all foreshadows the coming conflicts between family and state, earthly andheavenly law, )ustice, and mercy.

11.E$isode One: $reon informs the loyal =lders or Senators of his ascension tothe throne, and of his determination that obedience to the state will override

all other considerations. 6isloyalty will bring the death penalty. ?e makes hisfirst decree9 the traitor Aolyneices is to be left unburied as a public exampleand warning. This decree is immediately challenged9 a frightened soldierinforms him that someone has mysteriously performed a ritual burial. $reonthreatens the guard with torture and death if the fellow does not discover thereal culprit.

1'.Stasi%on One "second ode#: The chorus sings of the greatness of man /abit ironically, considering $reon%s tantrum and the soldier%s foolishness2. The

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chorus warns that a ruler must uphold the laws of both the gods and thestate, or suffer a fall. This ode describes in rising complexity how man hassubdued the earth, con8uered the seas, tamed the animals, and created citiesand governments through the use of his body and mind. "ankind, asexemplified by $reon, is capable of imposing order. *ut, says the ode, mancannot control death as $reon will discover as he tries to execute #ntigone

and inadvertently causes the death of his son and wife. # further irony of thisode is that man has not subdued woman it is a woman who defies $reon.:ne implication of the ode and the scenes that follow is that, )ust as the statefails when the laws of the state and the laws of the gods conflict, so life failswhen men and women are at odds.

1.E$isode T&o: #ntigone is brought before $reon, where she defiantlydeclares her guilt, claiming that unwritten divine laws outweigh mere manmade laws. $reon argues that #ntigone, in her pride, is a threat to the stateand deserves death, even though she is his niece and engaged to his son?aemon. ?e believes smene is also guilty of treason.

13.Stasi%on T&o "third ode#: The $horus muses on the curse that hasdestroyed generations of the house of Babdacus, )ust as it is now destroyingthe last survivors, #ntigone and smene. Aride and blindness bring ruin. (hatCeus decrees will come to pass. *lindness and the sins of the fathers causedestruction /foreshadowing the fatal schism of the next scene that doomsanother family2.

1-.E$isode Three: $reon tells his son that #ntigone is a threat to authority andthe city, and asks him to abandon her. ?aemon counters that the opinion onthe street supports #ntigone, and it would be wise for $reon to bow tonecessity. $reon takes umbrage, and the ensuing 8uarrel ends with $reondemanding #ntigone%s immediate execution and ?aemon rushing off

threatening to die first.

10.Stasi%on Three "fourth ode#: The $horus and #ntigone engage in a formaldialogue. #ntigone mourns her own death and the curse on her family thathas robbed her of the opportunity for marriage and childrenD near despair, shefinds new strength to stand alone. The chorus, torn between loyalties, offersscant sympathy. :ne interesting aspect of this ode is that the chorus offers afacesaving excuse9 the trouble between father and son is caused by a god.

Eust as $reon blames his son%s defection on ?aemon%s love for #ntigone, sothe Greeks blamed much of the disorder in the universe on #phrodite%smeddling. +amily love for brothers, fathers, offspring, and other closerelatives was regarded a !duty as well as a virtue! /Stanford ;2. !Strongerotic passion,! on the other hand, !was regarded as a sickness of mind andbody, as both characters and choruses attest in tragedy! /02. Sexuality wasnatural and normal, but an !=ros! that interfered with filial ties was amadness.

1<.E$isode 'our: $reon orders #ntigone%s death. #ntigone continues to )ustifyher actions, and asks the gods to punish those who punish her.

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1;.Stasi%on 'our "fifth ode#: The chorus recounts stories of other noblefigures who have suffered cruel fortunes because someone tried tocircumvent the will of the gods. !+ate%s inevitability, valid for the guilty andinnocent alike, is the unifying theme of the whole! /*urton 112. The chorusseems to take a step back here, to disassociate itself from )udgment, whichbelongs to rulers and the gods.

[email protected]$isode 'ive: The blind soothsayer Teiresias warns $reon that he hasangered the gods by not burying Aolyneices, and a dire fate awaits him andhis city. $reon is forced to reverse his )udgments.

'.Stasi%on 'ive( the Paean "si)th ode#: The distressed chorus invokes6ionysus, the halfmortal patron god of Thebes, to protect and heal the city.

They are ready once more to participate in the wild rites of the cult this timein desperate appeal to the gods rather than boasting in victory./>nfortunately, instead of the god, the messenger comes, bearing a tale ofsorrow. The king bears the punishment for the State2. n a sense, Sophocleshere reminds the audience that they too are at the mercy of the mistakes of

their rulers and the whims of their gods. #ttendance at the tragedy itself wasa 6ionysian ritual, participation in an activity that removed the mind fromeveryday reality into a sort of !madness,! or new way of seeing.

'1.E$ilogos: # messenger relates bad news to the chorus and =urydice, $reon%swife. $reon and his men buried Aolyneices, then, hurrying to release #ntigone,discovered her dead /hanged2 and ?aemon weeping over the body. *eforetheir eyes ?aemon followed his bride in suicide. =urydice leaves silently.$reon enters with the body of his son, and brokenly repents his pride andanger, accepting responsibility for the death. The messenger reenters andinforms $reon that his wife, grieving over the loss of her sons, has committedsuicide. $reon, in misery and pain, accepts the blame, admits his nothingness

before the gods, and prays for death.

''.E)odos "seventh and final ode#: The chorus delivers the moral, urgingwisdom and proper awe before the gods, underlining the !enduringsignificance below the surface detail of action! /*urton 102.

'.This brief recounting of the plot of Antigone shows that the chorus framesevery ma)or scene. The chorus functioned technically in this and othertragedies to give information, to add color and life and sound, to set the moodand pace. "ore importantly, standing in the orchestra between the actors andthe audience, sometimes part of and sometimes outside of the action, itfunctioned as a link between the world of the play and that of everydaypeople. t was sometimes the moral commentator that established the ethicaland social framework for the action, the storyteller that could link theimmediate action to the larger Greek mythos and connect it to the widercontext. t could coach the audience, translating the intellectual and moralproblems of the events, or act as the !ideal spectator,! responding to theevents as the playwright felt the audience should. ts emotional responsesmoved the thoughts and feelings of the audience. Sophocles expanded onefunction of the chorus, as is readily apparent in Antigone: !n Sophocles%

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drama especially, the odes are a rich source of his famous dramatic irony,filled with images and references that signify far more to the audience thanthe characters on stage! /Gardiner 32. The actors performed the storyD but thechorus told the deeper story. !Sophocles% particular contribution to dramaticstructure is the staging of conflict, in particular conflict between opposingforces rigid in attitude and uncompromising in action! /(alton 1'2. ?is

choruses functioned as the neutral ground where both sides of the conflictcould be examined. Sophocles% chorus in Antigone consists of =lders orSenators, older men who have been loyal to the rulers of the city throughseveral changes of leadership. They are old enough now to feel a bit detachedfrom both the physical battle and the political fray9 as they tell $reon,!Founger men than us should implement your policies.! Thus, this chorus isthe character who, unlike the rigid and strongly opinionated namedcharacters, is free to weigh options and to change its mind. The chorus shiftsits position throughout the play, and is swayed by each character%s bestarguments. This fluctuation is useful, for it validates the opposing claims,leaving no definite right. =ven those chorus opinions that appear settled in

Antigone are actually e8uivocal. The individual odes are ambiguous. (hat

appears as a condemnation of #ntigone would serve e8ually well as adenunciation of $reon in a later stage of the play. =ach rebuke at $reon%spride could )ust as well serve as a criticism of #ntigone%s selfrighteousposturing as a martyr. The chorus demands that the audience constantly reevaluate, and so helps the audience toward discernment, and even wisdom.

*orks !ited

#rnott, Aeter 6. Aublic and Aerformance in the Greek Theatre. Bondon9&outledge, 1@;@.#ylen, Beo. The Greek Theater. Bondon9 #ssociated >niversity Aress, 1@@-.*ieber, "argarete. The ?istory of the Greek and &oman Theatre. Arinceton,

NE9 Arinceton >niversity Aress, 1@01.*rockett, :scar. ?istory of the Theatre. <th ed. *oston9 #llyn and *acon,1@@-.*urton, &. (. *. The $horus in Sophocles% Tragedies. :xford, $larendon Aress,1@;.$ohen, &obert. Theatre. 'nd ed. "ountain iew9 "ayfield, 1@;;.$orrigan, &obert (., ed. $lassical Tragedy9 Greek and &oman9 ; Alays in

#uthoritative "odern Translations, #ccompanied by $ritical =ssays. NF9#pplause Theatre *ooks, 1@@.

Gardiner, $ynthia A. The Sophoclean $horus9 # Study of $haracter and+unction. owa $ity9 >niversity of owa Aress, 1@;<.

&einhold, "eyer. $lassical 6rama9 Greek and &oman. (oodbury, NF, *arron%s=ducational Series, 1@-@.

Segal, $harles. nterpreting Greek Tragedy9 "yth, Aoetry, Text. thaca, NF9$ornell, 1@;0.

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