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Οι Αντιγόνες
Στον αστερισμό των επτά σωζόμενων τραγωδιών του Σοφοκλή, η Αντιγόνη θεωρείται το λαμπρότερο αστέρι. Αυτή η υπερβολική, συχνά, εκτίμηση αφορούσε άλλοτε τη μορφή της ηρωίδας, άλλοτε το ίδιο το έργο, άλλοτε έναν ασαφή συνδυασμό και των δύο. «Έχετε δίκιο όσον αφορά την Αντιγόνη», έγραφε ο Σέλλεϋ στον Τζων Γκίζμπορν τον Οκτώβριο του 1821. «Τι υψηλή εικόνα γυναίκας! Και τι να πει κανείς για τα χορικά, ιδιαίτερα για το λυρικό κομμό του ισόθεου θύματος; Και οι απειλές του Τειρεσία, και το πόσο γρήγορα βγαίνουν αληθινές; Κάποιοι από εμάς έχουμε αγαπήσει μιαν Αντιγόνη, σε μια προηγούμενη ζωή κι αυτό μας κάνει να μην βρίσκουμε πλήρη ικανοποίηση σε κανένα θνητό δεσμό». Στις διαλέξεις για την Αισθητική (1820-1829), ο Χέγκελ αποκαλεί αυτό το έργο «ένα από τα υψηλότερα και τα πιο ολοκληρωμένα, από κάθε άποψη, έργα τέχνης που δημιούργησε ποτέ η ανθρώπινη προσπάθεια». Στις διαλέξεις του για την ιστορία της φιλοσοφίας, που δόθηκαν μεταξύ 1819 και 1830 επικαλείται την ηρωίδα, «την ουράνια Αντιγόνη, την ευγενέστερη μορφή που εμφανίσθηκε ποτέ στη γη»…
495 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 1984
19 people are currently reading
406 people want to read
About the author
George Steiner
188 books569 followersSee also: George A. Steiner, author on Management and Planning.
Dr. Francis George Steiner was an essayist, novelist, philosopher, literary critic, and educator. He wrote for The New Yorker for over thirty years, contributing over two hundred reviews. Among his many awards, he received The Truman Capote Lifetime Achievement Award from Stanford University 1998. He lived in Cambridge, England, with his wife, historian Zara Shakow Steiner.
In 1950 he earned an M.A. from Harvard University, where he won the Bell Prize in American Literature, and received his Ph.D. from Oxford University (Balliol College) on a Rhodes Scholarship in 1955. He was then a scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, for two years. He became a founding fellow of Churchill College at the University of Cambridge in 1961, and has been an Extraordinary Fellow there since 1969. Additionally, Steiner accepted the post of Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Geneva in 1974, which he held for 20 years, teaching in four languages. He became Professor Emeritus at Geneva University on his retirement in 1994, and an Honorary Fellow at Balliol College at Oxford University in 1995. He later held the positions of the first Lord Weidenfeld Professor of Comparative Literature and Fellow of St. Anne's College at Oxford University from 1994 to 1995, and Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University from 2001 to 2002.
Dr. Francis George Steiner was an essayist, novelist, philosopher, literary critic, and educator. He wrote for The New Yorker for over thirty years, contributing over two hundred reviews. Among his many awards, he received The Truman Capote Lifetime Achievement Award from Stanford University 1998. He lived in Cambridge, England, with his wife, historian Zara Shakow Steiner.
In 1950 he earned an M.A. from Harvard University, where he won the Bell Prize in American Literature, and received his Ph.D. from Oxford University (Balliol College) on a Rhodes Scholarship in 1955. He was then a scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, for two years. He became a founding fellow of Churchill College at the University of Cambridge in 1961, and has been an Extraordinary Fellow there since 1969. Additionally, Steiner accepted the post of Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Geneva in 1974, which he held for 20 years, teaching in four languages. He became Professor Emeritus at Geneva University on his retirement in 1994, and an Honorary Fellow at Balliol College at Oxford University in 1995. He later held the positions of the first Lord Weidenfeld Professor of Comparative Literature and Fellow of St. Anne's College at Oxford University from 1994 to 1995, and Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University from 2001 to 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 22, 2017
Ο Steiner έχει εποπτεία όλου του υλικού σχετικά με την Αντιγόνη, έχει διαβάσει και κατέχει όλο το σχετικό φιλοσοφικό, φιλολογικό και κοινωνιολογικό σχολιασμό της τραγωδίας στη Δυτική σκέψη από τον 19ο αιώνα και μετά, και μας προσφέρει ένα έργο πυκνό και συναρπαστικό.
January 4, 2016
George Steiner, unquestionably one of the most perceptive and linguistically sensitive of contemporary critics, offers in Antigones a major contribution to twentieth century literary criticism. In his earlier work After Babel (1975), which has already become a landmark study of language and translation, Steiner uses the biblical metaphor of the Tower of Babel in Genesis to underscore the complex layerings of meaning surrounding a text, the fluctuating historical and cultural connotations of words which make exact translation virtually impossible. In this work he accomplishes the almost impossible task of tracing the Antigones theme in literature from the original tragedy through two milleniums of literature. A study in the act of reading while considering other arts as well suggests the transcendent quality of this work. For example, the musical presentations of this theme are discussed considering works by Mendelssohn, Saint-Saens, Orff, and Honegger. By the conclusion of the final chapter the cumulative effect of this seemingly slight work is simply overwhelming (as is much of Steiner's ouevre).
September 21, 2024
El mite d'Antígona m'ha fascinat des que el vaig conèixer, i tenia moltes ganes de llegir aquest llibre.
El primer capítol m'ha resultat difícil, molt tècnic i disseccionant algunes versions, amb molta atenció a la traducció - interpretació de Hölderlin que no conec.
Els dos següents es corresponen a grans trets amb un recorregut històric de les Antígones que l'autor considera més significatives el segon; i una anàlisi minuciosa de la versió de Sòfocles i la relació amb altres el tercer. Son molt més senzills de llegir amb un mínim de coneixement del mite, i els he disfrutat molt.
El primer capítol m'ha resultat difícil, molt tècnic i disseccionant algunes versions, amb molta atenció a la traducció - interpretació de Hölderlin que no conec.
Els dos següents es corresponen a grans trets amb un recorregut històric de les Antígones que l'autor considera més significatives el segon; i una anàlisi minuciosa de la versió de Sòfocles i la relació amb altres el tercer. Son molt més senzills de llegir amb un mínim de coneixement del mite, i els he disfrutat molt.
October 11, 2019
Steiner siempre tiene algo interesante que decir. Este libro recorre la influencia y las causas de la misma de Antígona. Por qué persiste un mito, qué encontramos aún en él.
August 29, 2019
Chapter 1 - Antigone and the 19th Century. Hegel, Kierkegaard, Goethe, Hölderlin.
Chapter 2 - Why myths? Why Greece? Are Jung's archetypes an explanation of the imagination's dependence on myth or a symptom of it? A look at the possibility that the historical basis for the myth of Antigone be found in 5th Century BC Greek history. Don Juan as the only modern myth, not Don Quixote, Hamlet (Orestes), or Faust (Prometheus).
Steiner presents a theory that myths are a kind of embodiment of language, grammatical constructs. They are therefore tied on a profound level to the act of communication itself. Steiner doesn't make a lot of this theory, though he returns to it at the very end of the book with the "hunch" that, "we speak organic vestiges of myth when we speak." This idea seems more a kind of myth itself than any seriously meant theory, since Steiner seems particularly concentrated on the Greek myths, excluding other mythological traditions though, presumably, not other languages.
Some of this chapter is devoted to different, mainly 20th century, versions of the Antigone story, in no way meant to be comprehensive. Mostly it is devoted to a discussion of the characters who aren't Antigone: Iseme, Haemon, Sentry, Messenger, the Chorus, and Creon. The little he has to say on Tiresias and Eurydice are in the next chapter.
Chapter 3 presents a generally very good close reading of the key scenes of the play. For me, Steiner credits the play with a bit more than it contains when he gets to the Antigone-Creon confrontation. He sees here a confrontation encompassing and anticipating all future confrontations in drama, which he enumerates as 5 types: male / female, old / young, society / individual, life / death, humans / gods. He does admit at least that the male / female conflict here lacks a sexual element, and refers again to the Don Juan myth post-dating the Greeks. At the very end of the book, Steiner seems dissatisfied with his work: new understandings and interpretations crowd his brain, more Antigones are being imagined, the work is never finished. Is it even properly begun?
I find Steiner a great stimulator of thought, either in agreement or dissent. His thoughts on the place of the Greek myths in the Western mind touch on some of my own reactions to my recent readings of the tragedies. Here are communications from a dawn culture, the first human speech rising from a darkness of silence; the plays speak of a rise from savagery, almost an animal existence, to a state of civilization. It's as if the tales of infanticide, incest, lex talionis, and human sacrifice are told from living memory and the dramas witness the difficult and sometimes unsuccessful effort of humankind to grow beyond them.
Chapter 2 - Why myths? Why Greece? Are Jung's archetypes an explanation of the imagination's dependence on myth or a symptom of it? A look at the possibility that the historical basis for the myth of Antigone be found in 5th Century BC Greek history. Don Juan as the only modern myth, not Don Quixote, Hamlet (Orestes), or Faust (Prometheus).
Steiner presents a theory that myths are a kind of embodiment of language, grammatical constructs. They are therefore tied on a profound level to the act of communication itself. Steiner doesn't make a lot of this theory, though he returns to it at the very end of the book with the "hunch" that, "we speak organic vestiges of myth when we speak." This idea seems more a kind of myth itself than any seriously meant theory, since Steiner seems particularly concentrated on the Greek myths, excluding other mythological traditions though, presumably, not other languages.
Some of this chapter is devoted to different, mainly 20th century, versions of the Antigone story, in no way meant to be comprehensive. Mostly it is devoted to a discussion of the characters who aren't Antigone: Iseme, Haemon, Sentry, Messenger, the Chorus, and Creon. The little he has to say on Tiresias and Eurydice are in the next chapter.
Chapter 3 presents a generally very good close reading of the key scenes of the play. For me, Steiner credits the play with a bit more than it contains when he gets to the Antigone-Creon confrontation. He sees here a confrontation encompassing and anticipating all future confrontations in drama, which he enumerates as 5 types: male / female, old / young, society / individual, life / death, humans / gods. He does admit at least that the male / female conflict here lacks a sexual element, and refers again to the Don Juan myth post-dating the Greeks. At the very end of the book, Steiner seems dissatisfied with his work: new understandings and interpretations crowd his brain, more Antigones are being imagined, the work is never finished. Is it even properly begun?
I find Steiner a great stimulator of thought, either in agreement or dissent. His thoughts on the place of the Greek myths in the Western mind touch on some of my own reactions to my recent readings of the tragedies. Here are communications from a dawn culture, the first human speech rising from a darkness of silence; the plays speak of a rise from savagery, almost an animal existence, to a state of civilization. It's as if the tales of infanticide, incest, lex talionis, and human sacrifice are told from living memory and the dramas witness the difficult and sometimes unsuccessful effort of humankind to grow beyond them.
July 5, 2021
I enjoyed Antigone. The majority of my reading is classics and criticism. I'm a competent reader. But this was impenetrable.
December 7, 2020
Αγάπη που σε λεγαν Αντιγόνη, εναλλακτικός τίτλος για το επικό μεταφιλοσοφικό δοκίμιο του υδραυλικου Στάινερ. Είμαι biased με την περιπτωση του, φθονω τις αδιανόητες γνώσεις του, λατρευω το χαλαρό αντιδιανοουμενιστικο στιλ γραφής του και υποκυπτω σε όποιο συμπέρασμα καταλήγει η σκέψη του. Εδώ αποδεικνύει ή αναδεικνύει το continuum που διέπει τη φιλοσοφική σκέψη από το Σοφοκλή και δώθε. Η αλήθεια είναι πως αν είχαν μιμηθεί τη μέθοδο του (αστειο) οι πυροβολημενοι λιακοπουλοι θα είχαν μαζέψει περισσοτερο κόσμο στο ψεκασμένο κοπαδι. Αλλά ας μη χαλάμε την ομορφιά της ανεπιτηδευτης γνώσης με γελοίους συνειρμούς.
March 18, 2023
Η οπτική του Σοφοκλή για την αντιστροφή του κόσμου των ζώντων και του κόσμου των νεκρών έχει προσλάβει συντριπτική επικαιρότητα για εμάς σήμερα. Πρόκειται για την νηφάλια περιγραφή ενός πλανήτη, που πάνω του οι σφαγές και ο πυρηνικός πόλεμος έχουν αφήσει αναρίθμητους άταφους νεκρούς ενώ στα υπόγεια καταφύγια, στις σπηλιές ή στις επιταγμένες κατακόμβες του οι ζωντανοί περιμένουν το τέλος τους στο σκοτάδι. Αυτή τη στιγμή οι άνθρωποι φαντάζονται,σκέφτονται,ζουν νέες Αντιγόνες,το ίδιο θα συμβαίνει και αύριο.
Υ.Γ. Και εγώ θέλω πολύ να φαντάζομαι ότι θα υπάρξουν νέοι Steiner
Υ.Γ. Και εγώ θέλω πολύ να φαντάζομαι ότι θα υπάρξουν νέοι Steiner
March 19, 2024
I have decided to teach Antigone in my introductory course to Comparative Literature and it is always a good idea to refresh one's knowledge. Steiner is an amazing scholar; not exactly trendy but a big source of information and knowledge. I have enjoyed his book very much, the way he mixes the classic text with modern readings and his own interpretations. Very inspiring and helpful.
January 20, 2023
si no haces tu tesis de Antígona esto es too much, pero si lo haces esto es mina de oro
December 27, 2020
Antigone is one of my favorite plays and Steiner one of my favorite critics. Hence. . . .
I went to The Park Avenue Armory (NYC, and my venue of choice for outstanding events) to see a Japanese, Buddhist performance of the play, one of the most beautiful artistic events I have ever witnessed. The play was done in Japanese, in a large pool of water, with stone places and a kind of island in the center. The actors wore white robes, and there was an overhead simultaneous translation.
Steiner does a historical analysis of the play in Western culture that is thorough and, naturally, erudite
I went to The Park Avenue Armory (NYC, and my venue of choice for outstanding events) to see a Japanese, Buddhist performance of the play, one of the most beautiful artistic events I have ever witnessed. The play was done in Japanese, in a large pool of water, with stone places and a kind of island in the center. The actors wore white robes, and there was an overhead simultaneous translation.
Steiner does a historical analysis of the play in Western culture that is thorough and, naturally, erudite
September 17, 2015
In the end, he takes 300 pages to teach us that nobody can love that much a work of art. He would actually beat anyone. Loved him
January 28, 2020
See review by Jonathan Barnes on internet.
Later-- Barnes's review has now been pulled. It didn't leave much standing! Barnes is a very fine scholar.
Later-- Barnes's review has now been pulled. It didn't leave much standing! Barnes is a very fine scholar.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews