The Mock Trial of Antigone at KMS

What is a martyr?

When is it right or even beneficial to stand against the current of society?

For the past two months the Junior class of Killington Mountain School has been working on Sophocle’s ancient drama “Antigone.” For their final project students, who have been studying iconoclasts all year, put the protagonist, Antigone, on trial.

Playing prosecution, defence and witnesses, the Junior class then presented their arguments and evidence before a jury of their peers in an attempt to bring clarity to the play’s overarching thesis; that the law of an individual can sometimes supersede the law of government, and that it is better to bend with the current, than to break under its pressure.

Students took time to study Oedipus Rex in context to the play, and as part of a growing conversation about tragedy, pride and conflict. They also studied rhetoric and presented analysis from the 2020 superbowl advertisements in order to prepare for the trial, breaking apart some of the most amusing ads to concentrate on how they are designed to persuade particular groups. Understanding the tenets of “Pathos, Logos and Ethos” gives them the tools to understand the art of persuasion while also applying these critical skills to the world of advertising, news and politics that we are immersed in today. Being able to know when to use their voice, and how to use it effectively is one of the foundational skills all students at KMS practice and prepare for.