Introduction
Sophocles’ Antigone is a tragedy written that was written in the 5th century, also known as the Golden Age of Athens as this was the period of an Athenian political hegemony over the rest of Hellas. During one of many Persian invasions, Thebes allied itself against Athens and lost alongside Persia. Though the story of Antigone was known in Hellas, Sophocles used it as a piece of propaganda, setting the story of a monarchic polis against the democratic city-state of Athens, demonstrating not only the might of a democratic government, but the failures of Thebes. Moving to the nineteenth century, the play becomes more academic to some. In Victorian America, Antigone is firstly read as a means to acquire more knowledge about democratic Athens in the hopes for America to acquire the …show more content…
Furthermore, Victorian America also turned to Antigone herself, noting her submission to family and religion and using her motivations as a means to teach young girls proper ethics, holding up Antigone as a model for Victorian women to emulate. In Victorian Germany, however, they find a particular fascination with her death, and how it connects to the larger moral of the play. This essay will first focus on what Victorian America read beyond the likes of Antigone, before moving onwards to what is dubbed as Victorian Antigone, then finishing off with Antigone’s sacrifice and its meaning.
Past Antigone
The Victorian period further divided men and women by establishing a sharper, stronger line between the duties of the two sexes and what was appropriate for them. Women were further oppressed by the lack of education offered to them
Sophocles’ Antigone is a tragedy written that was written in the 5th century, also known as the Golden Age of Athens as this was the period of an Athenian political hegemony over the rest of Hellas. During one of many Persian invasions, Thebes allied itself against Athens and lost alongside Persia. Though the story of Antigone was known in Hellas, Sophocles used it as a piece of propaganda, setting the story of a monarchic polis against the democratic city-state of Athens, demonstrating not only the might of a democratic government, but the failures of Thebes. Moving to the nineteenth century, the play becomes more academic to some. In Victorian America, Antigone is firstly read as a means to acquire more knowledge about democratic Athens in the hopes for America to acquire the …show more content…
Furthermore, Victorian America also turned to Antigone herself, noting her submission to family and religion and using her motivations as a means to teach young girls proper ethics, holding up Antigone as a model for Victorian women to emulate. In Victorian Germany, however, they find a particular fascination with her death, and how it connects to the larger moral of the play. This essay will first focus on what Victorian America read beyond the likes of Antigone, before moving onwards to what is dubbed as Victorian Antigone, then finishing off with Antigone’s sacrifice and its meaning.
Past Antigone
The Victorian period further divided men and women by establishing a sharper, stronger line between the duties of the two sexes and what was appropriate for them. Women were further oppressed by the lack of education offered to them