Preface

• Author: Roger S. Fisher
• Pages: 11-20

Preface

ANYONE

WHO

UNDERTAKES

to

translate

an

ancient

Greek

tragedy

will

quickly

realize

that

translation

is

a

form

of

commentary,

and

that

is

why

every

translation

of

Sophocles

’

s

Antigone

is

somewhat

different,

in

ways

that

may

subtly

influence

how

a

reader

perceives

the

play.

1

This

new

Eng



lish

translation

of

Sophocles

’

s

Antigone

seeks

to

convey

the

language

of

law

and

the

spirit

of

litigation

that

is

deeply

embedded

in

the

play.

The

legal

aspects

of

the

play

are

critically

important

for

understanding

the

conflict

depicted

in

the

play

and

the

motivation

of

the

key

characters.

2

Words

for

justice

(dike)

alone

appear

nineteen

times

in

the

play.

Other

words

having

to

do

with

law

and

legal

procedure,

either

directly

or

in



directly,

are

even

more

numerous.

Conley

and

O

’

Barr

write

that

“

in

any

culture

a

full

appreciation

of

the

law

and

its

power

depends

on

a

thor



ough

understanding

of

everyday

linguistic

practice.

”

’

More

than

that,

a

full

appreciation

of

law

also

requires

an

ear

sensitized

to

the

resonant

meanings

of

words.

Law,

like

poetry,

is

a

literary

genre

where,

to

quote

Sir

Edward

Coke,

“

every

word

almost

[is]

operative

and

material.

”

4

The

strong

undercurrent

of

legal

language

in

the

play

that

would

have

been

apparent

to

an

ancient

Athenian

audience,

familiar

with

the

language

of

the

legislature

and

the

courts,

might

not

be

apparent

to

an

English

reader

without

a

translation

that

attempts

to

express

those

nuances

in

modern

English.

5

The

goal

is

not

only

to

get

as

close

to

Sophocles

’

s

play

as

pos



sible

in

modern

English,

but

also

to

convey

that

Antigone

herself,

as

the

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