Antistrophe

In classical Greek drama, an antistrophe (meaning "turning back") was a part of the choral ode that followed the strophe. While the strophe represented the chorus moving from right to left, the antistrophe marked their response as they moved in the opposite direction, left to right. The antistrophe typically mirrored the strophe in meter and structure, often addressing the same themes or questions presented previously. This allowed for a dynamic and balanced interplay between the chorus's statements and counter-statements, enhancing the emotional and thematic impact of the performance. This structural element is also sometimes used in modern literature as a rhetorical device for repetition and emphasis.

Antistrophe meaning with examples

• In Sophocles' *Antigone*, the strophe presents Antigone's defiance, her argument that is followed in meter by the antistrophe where the chorus echoes her plight, mirroring her words about the law of the gods being superior to the law of the king. This dialogue of movement adds to the drama. Antigone would later be imprisoned, mirroring the fear expressed in the chorus.
• The play used the cyclical pattern of strophe and antistrophe to establish the theme of moral questioning. First, the strophe posed questions of justice, followed by the antistrophe's response echoing these concerns in mirrored poetic meter and structure. This gave audiences time to consider the question of morality and right and wrong as a key element of the play.
• The chorus in the *Antigone* employed the strophe and antistrophe to underscore the themes of fate and human free will. The strophe would describe a decree, which would be immediately challenged by the opposing side in the antistrophe, as the chorus considered what fate was. The mirroring structure and rhythmic tension elevated these reflections and underscored the debate of the gods.
• During a debate, the politician launched into a strophe describing the benefits of the new program. The opponent then fired back with an antistrophe, offering a contrasting perspective, point by point in the same structure. The mirroring provided a platform for balanced consideration by the citizens and ensured a full consideration of both sides.
• The writer crafted a poem, using a stanza as a strophe to introduce the central metaphor and then, in the following antistrophe, the poem offered a counterpoint by shifting the context but keeping the same meter and theme, creating a unified whole through contrast.