PREFACE The final stages of my work on the play overlapped with a Fellowship from the National endowment for the humanities which was awarded for another project, but nevertheless contributed to the efficient com- pletion of the book. I am deeply grateful to the Endowment for their I completed work on this volume at a time when antigone's lament about being between upper and lower worlds took on an intensely ersonal meaning as I faced a life-threatening illness. I cannot list all e friends, colleagues, and students, past and present, who offered their help, encouragement, and prayers, but they are all gratefully re- membered. I would like particularly to thank my Harvard colleagues for their many kindnesses, especially Kathleen Coleman, Albert Hen- richs, and Richard Thomas, chair of the department. I am deeply grat ful to the medical professionals whose expertise and concern enable me to finish my share in the volume and indeed to continue lookin on the light of the sun: Drs. Christopher Colie, Keith Stuart, and David S. Rosenthal and Ms Judith Podymatis, RN. My collaborator, Reg gib- bons, not only made several long trips so that we could work together the best possible way, by face-to-face discussions, but remained a steadfast and involved friend on whom I could also count for support. I am grateful to George Steiner for taking the time to read the man- uscript at a time when he was busy delivering the Norton Lectures at Harvard. To my wife, Nancy Jones, my gratitude for her ever-present ve and devotion at a period of particular adversity goes beyond what Cambridge, Massachusetts CHARLES SEGALPREFACE The final stages of my work on the play overlapped with a Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities, which was awarded for another project, but nevertheless contributed to the efficient com￾pletion of the book. I am deeply grateful to the Endowment for their support. I completed work on this volume at a time when Antigone's lament about being between upper and lower worlds took on an intensely personal meaning as I faced a life-threatening illness. I cannot list all the friends, colleagues, and students, past and present, who offered their help, encouragement, and prayers, but they are all gratefully re￾membered. I would like particularly to thank my Harvard colleagues for their many kindnesses, especially Kathleen Coleman, Albert Hen￾richs, and Richard Thomas, chair of the department. I am deeply grate￾ful to the medical professionals whose expertise and concern enabled me to finish my share in the volume and indeed to continue looking on the light of the sun: Drs. Christopher Colie, Keith Stuart, and David S. Rosenthal and Ms. Judith Podymatis, RN. My collaborator, Reg Gib￾bons, not only made several long trips so that we could work together in the best possible way, by face-to-face discussions, but remained a steadfast and involved friend on whom I could also count for support. I am grateful to George Steiner for taking the time to read the man￾uscript at a time when he was busy delivering the Norton Lectures at Harvard. To my wife, Nancy Jones, my gratitude for her ever-present love and devotion at a period of particular adversity goes beyond what words can express. Cambridge, Massachusetts CHARLES SEGAL September 2001 viii