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The myth of Antigone is set in the city state of Thebes, but the playwright, Sophocles, was Athenian. As such, the play is almost certainly a reflection of Athenian values and customs rather than an attempt to dramatize the attitudes and ideas of Athens’ neighbor to the northwest. However, even if Sophocles was trying to recreate Theban culture (extremely unlikely given the way that ancient societies tended to view cultures outside their own), it would not have been perceived as such by his original audience, who were also Athenian. This is significant because we know quite a bit about how upper class Athenians raised their daughters, giving historians an insight into how the central conflict between Creon and Antigone would have been perceived. Antigone is betrothed, but not married, and Athenian girls could be betrothed at any time after birth and before the onset of puberty (a girl being eligible to marry after her first menstrual cycle). This means that Antigone (were she a historical figure) would probably have been between the ages of twelve to fifteen. She would have been, in other words, a girl, not a woman. Think of her as a freshman or sophomore in high school (Haemon most likely would have been only a few years older). Artemis Pre-pubescent girls were perceived by ancient Athenians as wild and ungovernable, and upper class girls were often removed from the home at this age to the Sanctuary of Artemis (goddess of the moon and the hunt, but also a goddess of young girls and virginity) to live apart from the family as “bears”(arktoi). An imaginative explanation for this custom emphasizes the resemblance of the young girl to a bear; she seems almost human (walking on hind legs, holding things in paws), but is both wild and tame, both human and animal. The significance of this for the original audience is that not only was Antigone a woman meddling in politics (the domain of men), she would have been seen as a child questioning the decisions of her elders. DIRECTIONS: Keeping this in mind answer the following questions. 1. Assuming the original audience saw Antigone as a typical spoiled child defying her elders, how would they have interpreted her actions when she a) announces she is going to bury her brother; b) challenges Creon’s authority to his face; and c) ends up being the one who is in the right? How does this alter the character from how it is usually portrayed in modern productions (with Antigone being cast as a young woman in her twenties)? Explain. 2. In general, how seriously should adults take the political opinions of younger people? Different cultures have answered this question differently. Consider the article on the reverse side, and either defend the notion that young people should have a say in their governance or argue against this idea. The more convincing you are, the better your grade will be. Germany Ponders Giving Children the Right to Vote Deutsche Welle (World) 07 September 2008 German citizen should have the right to vote in national elections, even those under the age of 18, says a group of parliamentarians. They've proposed a law that would allow parents to vote for their children. Preschoolers have as much right to make their political opinions heard as adults, according to a bipartisan group of 46 German parliamentarians. The politicians are outraged that approximately 14 million German citizens are shut out of the democratic process because of their tender ages, the DPA news agency reported. That means nearly one in every five German citizens is too young to cast a ballot. Currently, Germany follows the lead of most other democratic countries in limiting voting to adults 18 years of age and older. Some German states allow voting starting at age 16 for local elections. The idea has gotten backing from some members of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the free-market liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). The proposal also has the support of political heavyweights such as the former minister for family affairs Renate Schmidt, Bundestag vice-president Wolfgang Thierse and FDP head Dirk Niebel. Constitutional change required The supporters want to change Article 38 of Germany's constitution by striking out the sentence that defines voting eligibility as starting at the age of 18. Under the proposal, parents would be allowed to vote for the children. Parents could then add their children to a voting list when they believe the child is ready to take on his or her own democratic responsibility. A similar proposal was defeated in 2005 on constitutional and practical grounds. Opponents objected that parents would vote their own wishes and not those of their children. A two-thirds majority would be needed to change the German constitution.