Where Is the God of Thebes?

Dionysus and the Fifth Stasimon of Sophocles’ Antigone (1115–1154)

Abstract

This article analyses the fifth choral ode of Sophocles’ Antigone, which invokes Dionysus. Prompted by a question raised in a classroom setting, it explores the relationship between the experience of violence and the absence of divine intervention in the drama. The interpretation approaches the play from the perspective of theatrical performance, paying particular attention to the use of masks and to the ways in which the tragedy evokes spaces that are public and enclosed, proximate and distant. According to the proposed reading, although Dionysus does not appear directly in the dramatic action, his presence and influence remain palpable in the dramatic tension and in the fates of the individual characters. The article also reflects on the theoretical and practical challenges of teaching Antigone in secondary education.