There was something that I noticed in Antigone that I'm not sure of it's importance, but I'm going to elaborate on it to try to figure it out. The sun and the directions are mentioned in the stage cues about four times throughout the play. The first time that this occurs is even before the play starts, in the very first stage direction. It is noted that the palace faces south, which may foreshadow the bad things that are to come to the palace. I think it is also important to point out that the play occurs in one day; it begins when as the sun rises and ends when the sun sets. The next part that this occurs is after Antigone tells Ismene her plan to bury Polyneices; it is mentioned that when they part, Ismene goes to the right, to the east, and Antigone goes to the left, to the west, and "bright daylight...pours from the right." Does this symbolize Ismene's choice to follow the law or perhaps the fact that she survives? Does Antigone's choice to go left into the darkness foreshadow her death and choice to break the law?
In any case, the sun and directions are mentioned again when Antigone is arrested and is being taken to the tomb that she is to be buried alive in. It says, "Slaves lead her out to the left, the west. Now the sun begins to follow." I'm thinking that maybe the coming of the sun might symbolize her inevitable death, or perhaps the law catching up to her. The last time that this occurs is at the end of the play when some of the characters go off the stage to the west to get Antigone out of the tomb, into the sunset; the sun is very low in the sky. This is clearly to signify the approaching end of the play, but I also think it signifies the fact that Kreon and the others are trying to beat death by rescuing Antigone before she dies.
I don't know if my ideas on the sun and direction occurrences are right, and I don't know how they all tie in yet, but I do know that they are significant and I don't think that my ideas are too off the wall.
In any case, the sun and directions are mentioned again when Antigone is arrested and is being taken to the tomb that she is to be buried alive in. It says, "Slaves lead her out to the left, the west. Now the sun begins to follow." I'm thinking that maybe the coming of the sun might symbolize her inevitable death, or perhaps the law catching up to her. The last time that this occurs is at the end of the play when some of the characters go off the stage to the west to get Antigone out of the tomb, into the sunset; the sun is very low in the sky. This is clearly to signify the approaching end of the play, but I also think it signifies the fact that Kreon and the others are trying to beat death by rescuing Antigone before she dies.
I don't know if my ideas on the sun and direction occurrences are right, and I don't know how they all tie in yet, but I do know that they are significant and I don't think that my ideas are too off the wall.