ABSTRACT
One reason for presenting Antigone last in our analysis of the figures of Greek tragedy is that the story of this famous daughter of Oedipus follows his and that she, like him, was established in literature for all time by Sophocles. Kierkegaard now gives a description of his imaginary Antigone, always mindful of her sorrow, which sounds like an analysis of an existing work. Yet the traditional literary view has seen Antigone's nature and conflict as clear and straightforward rather than enigmatic. But their brother Eteocles, ruler of Thebes since the death of Oedipus is given a state funeral as defender of the city. The relationship of Anouilh's Antigone to that of Sophocles, however, is quite different from the relationship between the Iphigenia plays of Hauptmann and Euripides. The fact that Antigone hangs herself before rescue arrives is a traditional fact of this epic legend. But a dramatist like Sophcoles could not retain this element of chance simply as chance.
