Legal Speech and Argumentation in the Antigone

• Author: Roger S. Fisher
• Pages: 21-42

4

TWO

>

Legal

Speech

and

Argumentation

in

the

Antigone

THE

LEGAL

STYLE

and

wording

of

Creon

’

s

decree,

and

the

manipulation

of

the

language

of

the

decree

by

Antigone,

are

two

clues

from

the

Prologue

that

the

play

is

going

to

be

about

law

in

some

way.

The

style

of

speaking

and

the

words

used

in

the

Prologue

(and

throughout

the

remainder

of

the

play)

create

a

pattern

of

language

that

the

audience

would

have

recog



nized

as

one

that

connects

the

play

to

the

legal

language,

speaking

styles,

and

practices

of

their

own

courts

of

law

(see

Table

i).

1

i

or

counterclaim

(a

late

usage

I

i

has

the

sense

of

“

to

challenge

I

i

a

juror

”

:

SEG

9.8.28)

I

TABLE

1.

LEGAL

TERMINOLOGY

IN

THE

ANT/GONE

WORD

i

SPEAKER

¡LINE

i

DEFINITION

AND

NOTES

i

cfyeiv

i

Antigone,

i

Guard,

Choros,

1

Creon

i

34,382,

39S,

401,

i

To

arrest,

lead

a

prisoner

■

\43%,

624,773,

811,

i

i

1

877,

885,

916,

931,

i

i

[939,1330,1339

i

!

cfypaTFva

i

Antigone

'\4S5

i

Unwritten

customs

(in

con-

■

i

Í

trast

to

“

written

laws

”

)

i

arría

(Saptía;

i

Creon,

Ismene,

\445,

537,1173,

IA

serious

charge,

accusation

i

aíría

!

Messenger

i

1310,1318

i

i

cbcwv;

skwv

1

Guard,

Choras

[276,836

i

Involuntary;

voluntary

1

á'VTeÍKO

’

v

i

Creon

1

IO

53

1

To

speak

out,

declare,

dispute,

i

[21]

I

Karapvéopai

Antigone

v

.

Creon

¡WORD

¡SPEAKER

¡LINE

i

DEFINITION

AND

NOTES

i

á

’

TtáXXáaa

’

w;

i

yi)

i

Guard

(twice),

'',400,

422,596,

1

Chorus

(twice),

1

769,

135g

1

Creon

I

i

To

release

!

cfrrapvo#

¡Antigone,

Guard

'',435,

442

i

Denying;

to

deny

utterly

t

|

To

fail

to

persuade

¡

¡áTtiarÉw

i

Chorus,

Creon

''.219,381,656

kiterally

"to

disbelieve

”

]

I

I

I

I

but

in

Athenian

law

court

I

I

I

I

I

speeches

means

“

to

disobey

”

I

!

QL7T0pp7]TO;

i

Ismene

\44

i

Forbidden,

unspeakable

but

in

i

Athenian

law

used

of

things

i

forbidden

by

law,

such

as

state

1

secrets

and

even

words

whose

i

use

was

forbidden

by

law

!

áTTOTÍCTW

i

Choras

\i3S2

1

To

punish,

avenge

i

ápécncw

i

Antigone

1

(twice),

Chorus

¡

75>

211,500

i

To

approve

a

motion

i

áp^r|v

Qvjpáv

1

Ismene

\92

I

To

attack

the

state

!

cH?]

I

Antigone

\4

1

Tragic

folly,

fine,

penalty

i

áripo?;

ámpácü,

i

éKTtpoTtpáw

i

aúTÓ^eip

¡

Antigone,

i

Ismene

i

Creon,

i

Antigone,

1

Messenger

¡5,

22,77,

7

g,

1

Sanctioned;

to

sanction,

i

¡9{3

__

i

honour,

endorse,

validate

i

i

-C

72

»

306,

900,

i

Perpetrator,

killer

by

one

’

s

i

i

IZ

75>

1315

i

own

hand

(hence

suicide,

but

i

i

I

also

murder)

1

¡

^lá^opai

;

Ismene

(three

i

times),

Creon,

1

Antigone,

1

Teiresias

1

66,

79,

663,1073

i

To

persist

in

argument

i

i

-ywápt]

i

Ismene,

Creon,

i

Guard,

Haemon,

1

Messenger

\4

2

>

176,330,389,

i

A

legal

term

used

in

the

i

!

635,

640,

719,

dicasts

oath;

can

also

mean

i

i

I2

S°

I

opinion,

judgment,

but

also

a

1

i

1

motion

in

the

assembly

1

i

8

íkv

|;

Sócaio?

i

Antigone,

i

Guard,

Creon,

1

Choras,

1

Haemon

1

2

3>

2

4>

94>

240,292,

\

Verdict,

trial,

justice

i

i

667,

671,

72g,

74

2,

i

i

i

743>

79i>

921,1270

1

!

i

3óa|V

Sóa-eiv

¡

Guard,

Creon

1

22

8

1

To

submit

to

trial,

suffer

a

i

i

i

judgment

1