Blake Clinton Y.

Dy LITELEC A54

Antigone, the Temple, State and the G eek !halan"

The #ell kno#n t agedy titled Antigone that #a$ %ompo$ed &y Sopho%le$ po t ay$ the $t 'ggle$ o( a & a)e maiden again$t a ty anni%al egent #ho de$pite all the oppo$ition and o&$ta%le$ in he path a%hie)e$ he goal o( gi)ing p ope &' ial to he dead $i&ling$ e)en at the %o$t o( he o#n dea li(e. It$ )illain i$ le(t to a ho i&le (ate that &e(all$ him and hi$ kingdom at the hand$ o( The$e'$ and the $e)en enemie$ o( The&e$ m'%h late on #hile $he he $el( i$ g anted pea%e in the Ely$ian *ield$. In mode n time$ thi$ #o'ld &e %on$ide ed a %la$$i%al $to y o( ma ty dom #he e ighteo'$ e&ellion i$ e#a ded and an 'n%a ing $o%iety i$ $mitten ho#e)e i( taken in the %onte"t o( the G eek City State thi$ i$ in (a%t a $to y en(o %ing the 'le$ o( %on(o mity and o&edien%e to the $o%iety+$ no m$.

,hile Antigone doe$ meet a (a kinde in %ompa i$on to C eon &oth #ill o do end 'p dead &y the end o( the $to y (o di$o&eying the t#in pilla $ that a e the State and -eligion, #hi%h d' ing the time #ent hand in hand in go)e ning the people o( the %ity $tate$ #hom de$pite e"hi&iting the ea ly %ha a%te i$ti%$ o( demo% ati% go)e nment #e e hea)ily intole ant o( de)ian%e e)en going $o (a a$ to de)elop the o$t akon, a p o%e$$ #hi%h allo#ed the %iti.en$ o( any %ity to e"ile #home)e they #i$hed &y pop'la )ote. /o#e)e a$ &a &a i% o hypo% iti%al a$ thi$ may $eem it #a$ me ely &'t a $' )i)al ta%ti%

a$ the method o( #a (a e then and li(e it$el( #a$ &a$ed a o'nd the !halan", a 'nit o( a med $oldie $ &ea ing a $pea , $hield and $ho t $#o d ad)an%ing and (ighting in a tightly %lo$ed &lo%k (o mation. The enti e %on%ept e$ted on ea%h and e)e yman (ighting a$ one (o the g eate $' )i)al o( the 'nit and not (o pe $onal agg andi.ement a$ $'%h ea%h %ity+$ (ate depended on the n'm&e o( !halan"e$ it %o'ld (ield and thei le)el o( 'nity among$t them$el)e$. Thi$ play i$ in e((e%t an a&0e%t le$$on to the e$'lt$ and

%on$e1'en%e$ o( &eing indi)id'ali$ti% and tho'gh the e$'lt$ #e e o)e e"agge ated it #a$ p o&a&ly mo e than eno'gh a$ the phalan"e$ o( G ee%e ha)e p o)ed thei #o th in the Battle o( The mopylae and #e e adapted &y 2a%edonia in late yea $ #hile %ity $tate$ them$el)e$ g e# to &e e"t emely %lo$e knit %omm'nitie$ tho'gh it i$ 1'ite i oni% that thi$ #o'ld lead to thei do#n (all $in%e thei "enopho&ia p e)ented them ( om 'ni(ying into one nation.

All in all Antigone %o'ld &e a %on$ide ed a (ai in$ight into the #o ld o( an%ient G ee%e and tho'gh it &et ay$ little o( the li(e o( the G eek$ at la ge &eing a (an%i('l tale and all it gi)e$ an in$ide $ look into the mind$et$ and %'lt' e o( the G eek$ &y the #ay ea%h %ha a%te a%t$ in e$pe%t to thei en)i onment.