Join Antigone by Sophocles Read-Along 🎭

Everything you need to follow your conscience and know where the earthly law ends and where the divine law begins.

Welcome to the Antigone Read-Along page.

Here you will find all the resources you need to begin your journey. This read-along will be short and will last for three weeks.

I would highly encourage you to read my piece Why You Should Read Sophocles? first, to understand why I admire this great ancient Greek tragedian.

Enigma by Gustave Doré

ANTIGONE: No matter - Death longs for the same rites for all.

CREON: Never the same for the patriot and the traitor.

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Dear friends,

This is your official invitation to join the Antigone Read-Along, which starts this week and will last throughout February 2026. I encourage you to read my piece Why Read Sophocles? first, as it explains the true magnificence of this work.

I would also advise you to bookmark the page since I will be adding all the posts below as we progress (i.e. schedule section).

Antigone is the final part of the Three Theban Plays, and yet it was the first play Sophocles wrote. The ancient audience would therefore have encountered Antigone first, and only later the other plays that function as its prequels, to use a modern term.

This extraordinary work was cited by Demosthenes himself as an example of patriotism (Creon’s famous speech) and was references by Aristotle in his Politics.

It is impossible to describe how a play that lasts just over 60 pages had such a profound impact on the European civilisation.

Hegel called it ‘the pinnacle of art’.

Schedule

We are starting this week Sunday 1st of February and on Sunday 8th of February I will send you the Philosophical Exercises of the first part of Antigone; on Sunday 15th of February you will receive the second and final part. The respective chats will be launched on the same days as well.

On the third week, Sunday 23rd of February I’d love to share with you some additional material about Antigone. There was so much written about this play, so I would love to curate a list of sources that will help all of you who would love to dive deeper into this magnificent play.

Table of Contents:

• Week 1 (1st of February) - Why Read Sophocles?

• Week 2 ( 8th of February): Antigone Part I: The Difference Between Those Who Are Ready To Kill, And Those Who Are Ready To Die.

• Week 3 (15th of February): Antigone Part II: Dionysius Against Tyranny

• Week 4 (23rd of February): Final Reflections, Discussion, and Further resources

Antigone Chat Threads:

• Week 1 (1st of February) - Why Read Sophocles? (Welcome to Antigone Read-Along)

• Week 2 (8th of February) - Antigone Part I: The Difference Between Those Who Are Ready To Kill, And Those Who Are Ready To Die.

• Week 3 (15th of February) - Antigone Part II: Dionysius

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Which Translation You Should Choose?

(Note: It won’t matter which of the translations you will prefer. The important part is for it to be a perfect fit for you. All the verses will be numbered when quoted.)

The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles in translation of Robert Fagles

Robert Fagles is one of my favourite translators. He knows that we read poetry to find meaning that strikes our hearts, somehow, like a magician he translates those works in a way that you want to highlight every sentence.

This is my translation of choice. It is rare that a good translation of a classic is so widely available. (I will explain why in May when we will be reading The Odyssey!)

ANTIGONE:
I won’t insist,
no, even if you should have a change of heart,
I’d never welcome you in the labor, not with me.
So, do as you like, whatever suits you best—
I will bury him myself.
And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory.
I will lie with the one I love and loved by him—
an outrage sacred to the gods! I have longer
to please the dead than please the living here:
in the kingdom down below I’ll lie forever.
Do as you like, dishonor the laws
the gods hold in honor.

Oxford University Press’ Translation

Oxford Translation would have been my first choice if not for Fagles. A wonderfully dramatic interpretation, excellent commentary, and the cheapest option out of the three on this. Oliver Taplin was (currently retired) one of the best British classicists.

ANTIGONE (line 70)
Well then, I’ll not press you
—
and even if you ever wanted to take part,
I’d not be glad to have you acting with me. You be the way that you see fit:
while I shall go and bury him.
It’s right for me to do that and then die;
belovèd I shall lie with him beloved,°
a righteous criminal.
You see, I have to please the dead below
for longer far than those up here
as I shall lie down there for evermore.°
You, if you want, demean the things
the gods consider valuable.

The Chicago University Press translation of Antigone

When it comes to translations of Seneca and Epictetus I admire Chicago University Press’s translations. Their translations of Antigone is great but academic. It is an excellent classroom text and unfortunately lacks the poetic power of Fagles.

This, of course, is my subjective opinion. If you prefer more academic translation and still excellent version go for this one.

I would not urge you now; nor if you wanted
to act would I be glad to have you with me.
Be as you choose to be; but for myself
I myself will bury him. It will be good
to die, so doing. I shall lie by his side,
loving him as he loved me; I shall be
a criminal--but a religious one.
The time in which I must please those that are dead
is longer than I must please those of this world.
For there I shall lie forever. You, if you like,
can cast dishonor on what the gods have honored.

Special thanks to beesoftheinvisible for providing the translation above.

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