The Sun. — 1845-01-03 (London, England)

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.  A bold, and to a certain extent, a successful experiment was made last night at this theatre, in the production of the Antigone of Sophocles—the last of three tragedies connected with the history of Edipua which the august genius of the Greek dramatist has familiarised to every classical scholar. When we first read the announcement of this play we were not without serious apprehensions that it would prove an arrant failure, for we did not deem it at all probable that an English audience habituated to the rapid, irregular action, and continual stir of Shakspeare's tragedies, with the fierce and tumultuous passions developed in their progress, would sympathise with the shire and stately march of a Greek play, wherein the feelings of the human heart are roused but not probed to the quick ; and where more is said than done, the character of the piece being narrative rather than dramatic. But we have been agreeably disappointed. The AntigoNe, on the whole, has been successful, but its success has not been so much owing to the interest taken by the audience in the conduct of the plot, whose severe simplicity and somewhat languid progress are illadapted to the melodramatic taste of the day, as to the music of Bartholdy, which is full of expression, varying in happy accordance with the sentiments enunciated by the dramatist. It is a striking proof of the undying character of true genius, to see a play which, upwards of two thousand years ago, delighted an Athenian audience received with applause by an English one, the majority of whom can know nothing of the incomparable grace and majesty of its styli-, and can be effeeted only by the truth and earnestness of the feelings it depicts. The Antigone of Sophocles is remarkable for the strict unity of its action, for the absence of all irrelevant characters and incidents, and more especially for the pure and lofty moral it inculcates, and which is never for an instant lost sight of. The aim of the dramatist is obvious throughout. It is to show the remorse that waits on inji:Aiee :—in a word, to illustrate the wholesome truth which Shakspeare has so well expressed, that " The great gods are just ; and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to scourge us." The plot may be summed up in a few words. On the death of Eteocles and Polynices, sons of CFalipus, who fell in battle by each other's hand, Creon, their nearest male relative, ascends the throne of Thebes, and forbids the rites of sepulture to the body of Polynices. Antigone, animated by piety and sisterly affection, nobly braves the despot's command, but being detected in the attempt to inter her brother, she is condemned to be buried alive in the cavern of a rock. Fully to appreciate the strong impelling motives un_ which Antigone acts, our readers should bear in mind that the rites of sepulture were deemed absolutely necessary to ensure the tranquillity of the spirit after death—a circumstance to which Virgil has alluded in his sixth book of the ./Eneid, where he represents Palinurus supplicating -Eneas to give his body, which lies naked " in ignotal arena," the sacred rites of burial, so that his rea-lets, wandering spirit may at length know repose. But to resume. Soon after Antigone has been conveyed to her rocky tomb, Tiresias, the soothsayer—so well known in Greek fable—enters into Creon's presence, and by solemnly predicting the evils that Nvill flow from the tyrant's unjust decree, induces him to bury Polynices, and issue an order for the release of Antigone. But the order is issued too late. Antigone has already strangled herself, and her lover, Heamon, Creon's son, commits suicide in the agony of his• grief fur her fate. His mother, also, distracted by this double loss, destroys herself, and the tragedy concludes with the unavailing self-reproaches of the Kin, and the exhibition of his intense remorse. The chorus, who, as in all Greek dramas, takes conspicuous share in the piece, is composed of the nobles and councillors of Thebes, who are supposed to be assembled before the palace in order to hear the decree which has so promptly proved fatal to Creon. Nothing can well be simpler than this plot, or less complex than the emotions sought to be conveyed by the dramatist. The interest of the piece is confined exclusively to Antigone, and rises and falls as she appears and disappears from the scene. Her character is conceived in a noble spirit, in which there is loftiness without exaggeration ; and the execution is not less masterly. The glowing, majestic, heartfelt sentiments put into her mouth, are just such as might be expected from a nature of her heroic stamp ; but which, however essentially elevated it may be in its prevailing tone of thought and feeling, is yet imbued with a keen sense of the more homely, familiar, and domestic affections. Like the Alcestis of Euripides—one of the me-,t delightful female portraits ever drawn by the magic pen of genius—Antigone merits the highest praise for the completeness and harmony of the conception. The touches are carefully laid on one by one, and the course of emotion proceeds in exact accordance with —what philosopher Square would call—" the fitness of things." In artful contrast to this fine portrait stands out the character of Ismene—a true woman such as may be met with in the every-day walk of life—gentle—affectionate—timid—but when fully roused; capable for the time of sacrificing every thought of Self, and rising to the loftiest height of moral dignity. In rev.rting once again to the plot, we cannot forbear from .-anmenting on the exqui•ite skill with w hich Sophocles has introduced the spirited hymn to Bacchus. This has evidently been done with a view to relieve the more tragic portions of the play, and so give variety to its otherwise somewhat monotonous character. The chorus sings the hymn—and a noble piece of music it is— under.the impression that Antigone will be released and all end happily ; but the catastrophe has already beenwrought,and the tragic tone of the subsequentscenes acquires tenfold force from the brief, sunny gleam of cheerfulness by which they have been preceded. Ot the performers, all played their parts creditably, and one or two with superior feeling and judgment. Mr, Vandenla4 as Creon, declaimed with emphasis and propriety though occasionally his manner was somewhat too cold and formal and Miss  Just ready, in 3 vols., post Svc,, with num.:. use Illustrations by The FORTUNES of