Antigone's Textual History

         After watching both micro lectures on Antigone this week, I was fascinated to learn how much the play has changed since it was originally written by Sophocles 2,500 hundred years ago. I thought it was really interesting how different translators could change the literal tone of the play just through their own interpretations of the original Greek script. 

        During one of the breakout room discussions during class, Marc, Logan and I were discussing the Creon's role in Antigone. We soon realized that Logan had a different translation of Antigone, and were very surprised by the difference in wording of the two translated texts. Even though Creon was portrayed in both as an inconsiderate ruler, it was still quite interesting to see how differently the two translators interpreted the original play.

        Another point I was fascinated by was how a specific line was transferred from Ismene to Antigone in the Jebb translation. I read an article about how the translator chose to do so because of Ismene's previous portrayals in other stories during the period before Antigone. The translator also did so because it would distract the audience from the main focus of the play, which is Antigone's character. Personally, I do agree with the translator's decision, as it contributes to the strength of Antigone's character and Ismene's submissive nature.

        Overall, I found the variations between translations very intriguing, as it effectively changed how the world perceives a play that was written more than 2,500 years ago.