Jebb's Antigone

185 Pages·2015·0.67 MB·English

by  Susie Rance

Jebb’s Antigone
By
Janet C. Collins
A Thesis submitted to the Graduate Program in Classics
in conformity with the requirements for the
Master of Arts
Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
August 2015
Copyright Janet Christine Collins, 2015
I dedicate this thesis to
Ross S. Kilpatrick
Former Head of Department, Classics, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.
Who of us will forget his six-hour Latin exams?
He was a very open-minded prof who encouraged us to think differently,
he never criticized, punned us to death
and was a thoroughly good chap.
And to
R. Drew Griffith
My supervisor, not a punster, but also very open-minded,
encouraged my wayward thinking,
has read everything
and is also a thoroughly good chap.
And to
J. Douglas Stewart, Queen’s Art Historian, sadly now passed away,
who was more than happy to have
long conversations with me about any period of history,
but especially about the Greeks and Romans.
He taught me so much.

And to
Mrs. Norgrove and Albert Lee
Abstract
In the introduction, chapter one, I seek to give a brief oversight of the thesis
chapter by chapter.
Chapter two is a brief biography of Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb, the still
internationally recognized Sophoclean authority, and his much less well-known life
as a humanitarian and a compassionate, human rights–committed person.
In chapter three I look at δεινός, one of the most ambiguous words in the
ancient Greek language, and especially at its presence and interpretation in the first
line of the “Ode to Man”: 332–375 in Sophocles’ Antigone, and how it is used
elsewhere in Sophocles and in a few other fifth-century writers.
In chapter 4 I examine the “Ode To Man” itself, which has caused
considerable academic discussion: Does it belong here? What role does it play in
Antigone? Is it essential to the play?
In chapter five I seek to discover the character of Antigone as Sophocles has
drawn her. She is a fascinating woman, not only in her commitment to burying her
brother Polyneices, but also in the subtleties in her that Sophocles has portrayed.
When it comes to Sophocles, conclusions are most difficult, but I needs but try.
Finally, the two appendices examine first Eglantyne Jebb, Sir Richard’s
i
niece who, with her sister Dorothy, founded “Save The Children,” and last of all,
the “Apostles,” a secret society of Cambridge University of which Jebb was a
member.
ii
Acknowledgments
Over such a long period there are a very large number of people who have been so kind
and thoughtful in supporting me. Mary and Douglas, Anne and Richard, Gloria and Drew, Sue
and Ross, Carol and Anton, John, Venetia and John, Karen, Tina and Louise, Lynda, Margaret,
some from twenty-five years ago whose names I can no longer remember but whose essence is
immortal and unforgettable. And finally Susie Rance, my editor, without whose work this thesis
would not be. Thank you all. You are all very special.
iii
Table of Contents
Abstract.............................................................................................................................................i
Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................iii
Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................................1
Chapter 2: Jebb ...............................................................................................................................4
Chapter 3: δεινός ..........................................................................................................................44
Chapter 4: The First Choral Ode: 332–83 .....................................................................................71
Chapter 5: Antigone ......................................................................................................................92
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................136
Bibliography ...............................................................................................................................138
Appendix A: Eglantyne ..............................................................................................................150
Appendix B: The Apostles .........................................................................................................161

iv
Chapter 1: Introduction
Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb was a distinguished, and very capable, nineteenth-century
classical scholar and statesman. His seven-volume translations and commentaries of the extant
works of Sophocles’ plays are still the foremost works in any study of Sophocles. He was not
boastful, but was rather a quiet man, keenly interested in all manner of subjects, not just classical
studies. He, his fellow Apostles at Cambridge university and other friends from all walks of life
advanced education to all people on all fronts in Victorian England. There were three subjects of
enduring interest to Jebb that he never stopped fighting for: for education (for all children, for
women, and for working people); for the equality of women and the need for women to sit on
education councils; for Sophocles and for research of the Greek language in great detail and
classical Greece in all its representations. Until mid-century, little actual research was done.
Students translated and might look at such authors as were available in the extant manuscripts,
but Jebb really was central to vigorous research, connecting topics and tracking down
manuscripts. He was also an idealist. He saw an historical link between Sophocles, Vittorino da
Feltre, a renaissance educator and man of faith, and himself. All believed that people could be so
much more noble and honourable than they/we presently are. This is perhaps why he was so sure
that the translation of δεινός at line 332, the first line of the “Ode to Man” in Sophocles’
Antigone, is “wonderful” and not “terrible.” Hence, having given a mini-biography of Jebb in
chapter two, I turn to an examination of the word δεινός in chapter three. Because the word is a
mystery, I look at its translation here in the ode, then at how Sophocles uses δεινός throughout
his works, then at just a few examples in two or three other authors of his time.
1
In chapter four I examine in more detail the “Ode to Man” itself. The interpretations of
the ode down through the generations are very interesting. They extend from seeing it as a poem
dropped into the play to fill an artistic gap to seeing it in the twenty-first century computer age as
a representation of man transferring his mental capacity into a computer and so dispensing
completely with the body. Quite what Sophocles would think of this particular modern
interpretation, or Jebb too, it is impossible even to imagine.
In chapter five I look at the person that Sophocles has portrayed, Antigone. She is a
complex, troubled, and ultimately controversial young woman, who sometimes draws
compassion, sometimes draws condemnation, but in all instances is a fascinating and irresistible
character. She pays the price for moral certitude, and even in her lament and final speech, she
does not waver, nor appear pathetic. But, there are four one-liners in the play that ought not to be
passed over, because they give us just a brief insight into another side of her personality. I
consider Sophocles to be provoking the audience to think.
The conclusion is followed by two appendices. The first is a brief account of Eglantyne
Jebb, Jebb’s niece, who confirmed the family tradition of advocating social justice causes by
founding the Save The Children Foundation and writing the first “Charter of Rights for the
Child.” The family of Jebb, his sister and one surviving brother, were all, in all manner of ways,
engaged in working to improve the lot of the human race. Jebb lived in the middle of all this
activity, which he saw simply as the right thing to do.
The second appendix is a brief history of the Apostles, a Cambridge club to which he
belonged throughout his life. Jebb believed that to be invited to be a member was the most
important event of his life, except for marrying his wife Caroline, who was the strongest support
2
for him. The Apostles were a secret society; only twelve students were members each year, and
for the most part, they remained connected for the rest of their lives. The work they
accomplished is of great value, though not much touted.
3
Chapter 2: Jebb
Richard Claverhouse Jebb was born in the village of Claverhouse — hence his name —
just outside of Dundee while his parents were vising his maternal grandmother.1 He grew up in
Ireland, first in Dublin, then about nine miles outside in a house called Desmond in the very
small village of Killiney. When he was four years old his sister Eglantyne2 was born, which
thrilled Jebb. He and his sister remained very close throughout their lives.
Caroline Jebb3 tells us that about five years later the family was completed by the birth of
twins:
Mrs. Arthur Jebb remembers well an evening when her father was amusing
herself and Dick in the drawing room. He had not long before read portions of
the Comedy of Errors to Dick, who had been greatly interested and wished to
see the play acted. When the door opened to admit an old servant who
announced the birth of the twins, Dick gleefully exclaimed, “Now we have the
two Dromios.”4
Jebb was at this time nine years old. One of the twins had health issues, and this is when the
family moved to Killiney. The children were delighted with the move. In the country, there were
endless adventures to be had, things to be discovered and places to walk. Here Jebb learned to
love solitude and long solitary walks. The children were able to pick and eat wild berries, pick
1. Christopher Stray, Sophocles’ Jebb: A Life in Letters (Cambridge 2013) p. 9. Caroline Jebb, Life and Letters of
Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb (Cambridge 1907) p. 1 (henceforth LL.).
2. Names in this family are very confusing: his mother’s sister was named Eglantyne, his sister too, and one of
her daughters was named Eglantyne. His sister Eglantyne, nicknamed “Tye” or “Tiny,” founded the Arts and Crafts
Body of Home Arts and Industries Association in 1884; his niece Eglantyne with her sister Dorothy founded the
Save the Children Fund in 1919, and Eglantyne wrote the very first Universal Rights of the Child in 1924 (see
Appendix A). Stray p. 11 n. 12 and p. 12 n. 17.
3. Caroline Slemmer, who would later become Jebb’s wife.
4. LL. p. 12.
4