Antigone, Interrupted

by Bonnie Honig

Sophocles' Antigone is a touchstone in democratic, feminist and legal theory, and possibly the most commented upon play in the history of philosophy and political theory. Bonnie Honig's rereading of it therefore involves intervening in a host of literatures and unsettling many of their governing assumptions. Exploring the power of Antigone in a variety of political, cultural, and theoretical settings, Honig identifies the 'Antigone-effect' - which moves those who enlist Antigone for their politics from activism into lamentation. She argues that Antigone's own lamentations can be seen not just as signs of dissidence but rather as markers of a rival world view with its own sovereignty and vitality. Honig argues that the play does not offer simply a model for resistance politics or 'equal dignity in death', but a more positive politics of counter-sovereignty and solidarity which emphasizes equality in life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Philosophy, Lit Crit, Theory

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Bonnie Honig is a political and legal theorist specialized in democratic and feminist theory. She is Sarah Rebecca Roland Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University and Senior Research Professor at the American Bar Foundation. She received her PhD from Johns Hopkins University.

Prior to moving to Northwestern University, Prof. Honig taught at Harvard University for several years. The 1997 decision by then-President of Harvard Neil Rudenstine not to offer Honig tenure was highly controversial, and attracted harsh criticism from a number of prominent Harvard professors as a violation of Rudenstine's stated commitment to increasing the number of tenured female professors.

Reviews

[Mentai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful for Honig's exploration of solidarity in terms of sisterhood, queerness and maternity. And for interpreting voice in several registers away from the usual. Instead she opts for intonation, melodrama and a decon of the binary between phone and logos drawing on Cavarero, Ranciere and Loraux.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exemplary work of political theoretical interpretation and the powers it has to reframe a text so that thought returns to it quickened and enlivened. Read it first in 2017 and despite many changes in the way I think I find it just as invigorating and compelling now.

[Keelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong theoretical work that maintains fidelity to Sophocles’ while demonstrating its contemporary relevance. This is definitely important for scholarship in Antigone, but also for readers interested in the convergence between literature, political theory and psychoanalysis.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Part I (pp. 13-82).

[BMR, LCSW · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took forever for me to get through. It made no sense to me until the penultimate chapter. It was actually painful for me to read until that point when it made sense. I'm glad I finished it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but those who are waaaaay into philosophy and theory.