Ambivalences of the logos
A reading of Sophocles’ Antigone
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25187/codex.v11i2.59153Keywords:
Ancient tragedy, Sophocles, Antigone, Creon, Gender studiesAbstract
The tragedy Antigone by Sophocles is usually read in Modernity through a contrast between values and perspectives defended by the homonymous character and those favored by her uncle and ruler of Thebes, Creon: oikos [family] / polis [city]; female / male; religion / politics; unwritten laws / written laws; etc. Some contemporary readings even propose a positive understanding of Antigone’s attitudes, as opposed to those assumed by Creon (characterized as negative). In this paper, I advance an interpretation that is based on a philological reading of the play — also informed by anthropological studies attentive to gender issues and certain sociocultural practices — in order to problematize this type of simplified dichotomous treatment. I intend to indicate that there are some elements of Antigone in Creon and vice versa, arguing in favor of a more attentive understanding of the nuances in the presentation of these characters, as well as in Sophocles’ tragic reflection: what is at stake here is not a simple solution to the dilemmas of existence, but a problematization of the human condition, divided between family and city, female and male, religious and political commitments, striving to exist.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
