Length: 810 words (2.9 pages)
Rating: Red (FREE)      
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In this essay I am going to discuss the form and structure of
Sophocles play Antigone, I will look at how Sophocles structured this
play and comment on this, I will also compare it to a typical Greek
structure.

The typical structure of Greek tragedies had a Prologue and a Parados;
there would then be four alternating Episodes and Stasimons. To end
the play there would be finally a fifth Episode and then an Exodus.

The structure of Antigone was slightly different to this as Sophocles
broke the trend and added an extra Episode and Stasimon; this is
significant as it was the first time this happened in the Greek
theatre.

Sophocles used a Prologue in Antigone at the start of the play. The
Prologue is normally between one or two protagonist and in Antigone it
was Ismene and Antigone in the scene. This is helpful for the audience
as it sets the scene and shows us some of the mythological background.
It also sets the play into its context which is in a time of war.

The Prologue is followed by a Parados which is the entrance of the
Chorus. The Chorus would enter in the Parados with singing and
dancing. They would then compare the story being told with a
mythological background Â?He fled, fled with the roar of the dragons
behind himÂ?

Following the Parados is the first of six Episodes, an Episode is a
scene between two or three Protagonists and this is where the story
unfolds. Sophocles is credited with introducing the third protagonist.

During the Episodes we discover how the characters think and feel
about their situation, with the Chorus and other characters.

Then is the first Stasimon of five Stasima. This is where the Chorus
re-iterates the key points of the previous Episode and gives the
audience a chance to reflect on what happened in the previous Episode.
The Stasima are used to introduce the characters in the next Episode.
A Sophoclean Chorus was made up of 15 men; it was never women as women
were not allowed. The Chorus sang and danced which brought spectacle.
The Chorus was also known as the Perfect Audience as they would react
the way the director had intended the audience to react. The Chorus
links the story to a larger mythological framework for example they
link the death of Antigone to the death of Danae. The Chorus also
comments on action during an Episode this is called Kommoi Â?You mean,
then, sire, to put them both to death?Â? The Chorus also represents
part of the collective community, in Antigone this could be the Theban
Elders.

In Greek Tragedy there was no violence on the stage, this was due to
two reasons;

a) There was enough violence in real life and theatre was meant to be
an escape from this.

b) Greeks thought if you saw violence you were more likely to create
violence.

Instead of there being violence on stage it would be reported by a
Messenger.

The dead characters body would be shown to the audience on the skÄ?nÄ?s
revolving door called the EkkyklÄ?ma.

Teiresias was a blind prophet and was in most Greek Tragedies, the
audience expected to see him. Teiresias was the link between Man and
the Gods. He could see the future and would warn people of what was
going to happen. The characters he warned never listened to him until
it was to late and this caused dramatic irony. For example Teiresias
predicts Â?You shall have given a son of your own loins to deathÂ? and
later on in the play Haemon dies.

The Exodus is where the play concludes. The Chorus exit and they speak
words of wisdom normally directed at the protagonist, in Antigone it
is directed at Creon. Â?Of happiness the crown, and chiefest part is
wisdom, and to hold the gods in aweÂ?

Antigone is always set in the same place, outside the Palace. We hear
of different places although we never see them, this may have been
because of lack of set or stop the audience from being distracted away
from the performance.

The aim of everything that goes on is Catharsis. This is purging of
all negative emotions. Creon is the character who has the Carthatic
experience, a bad experience, he is the tragic hero. Creon suffered
from Hubris which is where the will of the Gods and fate decides his
outcome which is to do with the curse of Labdacus. Creon also has
Harmatia which is a fatal floor in Creons case it his pride,
stubbornness and arrogance. Creon finally goes through Anagnorisis
where he realised that everything that happened was his fault and
where the Gods were all powerful

The aim of the form and structure is to create tension and I have
concluded that Sophocles successfully created an appropriate amount of
tension.