ON NOT MANAGING MOURNING: THE RETICENT CHORUS IN SOPHOCLES’ ANTIGONE

Autores

Palavras-chave:

Sophocles, Ancient Greece, Greek Tragedy

Resumo

This paper discusses the reticence of the chorus in the Antigone’s two scenes of lyric dialogue which are cast as ritual laments (thrēnoi): the heroine’s interaction with the chorus in the fourth episode, before she marches off to her death, and the final kommos of Creon, when he laments the deaths of his son and wife. My discussion illustrates the manner in whichSophocles “manages”the choral response within the larger framework of ritual lament, by either gradually or straightforwardly silencing the expected lamentation of the chorus. In doing so, I contend that the dramatist produces moments of broken antiphony, in which the chorus either partially participates in or simply does not contribute to the lament of a character on stage. My exploration reveals the manner in which collective mourning rituals are able to break down on the Sophoclean stage, in particular focusing on the impact of the chorus’ refusal to respondand engage in the communal act of lament, whichultimately works to isolate further the play’s protagonists.

Biografia do Autor

Rosa Andújar, King's College London

Dr Rosa Andújar is Deputy Director of Liberal Arts and Lecturer in Liberal Arts at King’s College London. She has published articles on various aspects of ancient Greek tragedy as well as its modern reception, and is the co-editor of the volume Paths of Song: The Lyric Dimension of Greek Tragedy (De Gruyter 2018). She is currently completing a monograph which examines the various roles and capabilities of the fifth-century tragic chorus beyond the choral ode, both as a dynamic actor and a versatile physical performer.

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Publicado

2019-01-07

Como Citar

Andújar, R. (2019). ON NOT MANAGING MOURNING: THE RETICENT CHORUS IN SOPHOCLES’ ANTIGONE. NEARCO - Revista Eletrônica De Antiguidade E Medievo, 10(2), 207–226. Recuperado de https://www.e-publicacoes.uerj.br/nearco/article/view/38413