Throughout literature authors have written to express a message to their intended audience. This is no exception for the plays, Oedipus Rex and Darker Face of the Earth, written by Sophocles and Rita Dove, respectively. The similarities in plot, characters, and motifs are not the sole concurrencies between both plays; the overall message to the audiences in both plays is one in the same, one cannot escape their fate. Sophocles and Dove both illuminate this message through their use of the chorus. While Sophocles uses a single chorus of Theban elders, Dove illustrates the grimness of fate through several minor characters: the chorus, the prayers and the players, the rebels, and three female slaves. Dove’s usage of Phebe, Diana, and Psyche further accentuate the battle between free will and fate, as well as the role of women, a concept absent in Sophocles’ play. Phebe’s character serves a moderator between Augustus and the slaves, similar to the chorus, her role further develops the superiority of fate over free will. Whilst the Chorus opens Oedipus Rex in “Parados,” Phebe has the first lines in Darker Face of the Earth. Moreover, both Choragos and Phebe have some of the last lines in their respective plays. This parallel assists in creating a sense of continuity with their characters. Phebe was the name of the sun goddess for the Roman people, the sun is a static force, and it will always rise in the morning. The sun also represents light and knowledge, which are two characteristics that allow Phebe to be a leader. While, Choragos is a character like the Chorus that will always appear in Grecian plays. Both the role of Phebe and the role of the Chorus help set the ambience of each of their respective plays. The Chorus opens Oedip... ... middle of paper ... ... Diana both authors illustrate that one cannot control his or her fate. In both plays the authors use these characters as a medium for their own beliefs, to express their tone and overall message to the audience. Works Cited Atsma, Aaron J. "PHOEBE : Greek Titan Goddess of the Oracle of Delphi ; Mythology : PHOIBE." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Exploring Mythology & the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. . Lindemans, Micha F. "Diana." Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion. 3 Mar. 1997. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. . "PSYCHE : Greek Goddess of the Soul | Mythology, Psykhe, W/ Pictures." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Exploring Mythology & the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. .
Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus can be argued that it is related loosely to Rita Dove's The Darker Face of the Earth. This comparative and contrasting characteristics that can be seen within both plays make the reader/audience more aware of imagery, the major characters, plot, attitudes towards women, and themes that are presented from two very different standpoints. The authors Sophocles and Dove both have a specific goal in mind when writing the two plays. In this paper I will take a closer look of the two, comparing and contrasting the plays with the various elements mentioned previously.
Pessoni, Michele. “‘She was laughing at their God.’: Discovering the Goddess Within Sula.” African American Review 29 (1995): 439-451.
Athena and Calypso are the most significant goddesses presented in The Odyssey. While Athena embodies both feminine and not so feminine traits, Calypso embodies the sexual nature of women and the thought and feelings of sexualized women. Calypso, for example, sheds light on the double standards that exist between gods and goddesses: “Hard-hearted you are, you gods! You unrivaled lords of jealousy- scandalized when
In Greek mythology, there are many, many gods and goddesses that the people prayed to on a regular basis for everyday things we take for granted. There was usually a different deity for anything a person wanted to pray for: love, money, children, success or almost anything else one could think of or want. People today are amazed at the number of gods there were and how people could remember which god did what. We study these today but still get easily confused, which is understandable. Athena was a very prominent goddess, especially in Athens and she is also featured throughout Homer’s Odyssey. Many confuse her with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Actually, Athena is known as the goddess of war, practical reason, wisdom, and handicraft. She was also known as the protector of the city of Athens.
In Sophocles' most famous Theban play consisting of two parts, "Oedipus the King" and "Antigone", both parts are necessary in understanding some of the things that happened around them, and what type of man had raised Antigone. She is the main character in the play of “Antigone”.
Oedipus the King conveys many lessons that are relevant to people living today despite the fact that it was written by Sophocles twenty four centuries ago. Oedipus is a child destined to kill his father and marry his mother. During his life, he makes many mistakes trying to avoid his fate. These mistakes teach us about the nature of humans under certain circumstances. Oedipus possesses personality traits which causes him to make wrong decisions. Attributes like arrogance and his inability to make calm decisions in certain scenarios due to his anger causes his downfall. Oedipus’ excessive pride, like many people today, was an important factor that brought him grief. Oedipus’ lack of patience caused him to make hasty decisions which lead him to his greatest agony. Oedipus’ massive ego turned into excessive vanity, this was the first step to his downfall. Oedipus talks to Creon about the murderer of Laius. He declares, “Then I’ll go back and drag that shadowed past to light… but by myself and for myself I’ll break this plague” (Sophocles, 11). Oedipus is saying that he will be the on...
Sophocles, one of Athens great ancient writers lived through the fifth century B. C. (496-406). In such period of time, theater was considered to be both a religious and civic event. Religious because it happened only twice a year in the honor of the god of wine and crops, Dionysus; civic because every Athenian citizen was invited to take part in the famous three days of drama. Each day, during those days, a tragic play was presented for the audience’s edification. Those plays featured some important mythical or legendary event the audience is familiar with. The main character and the overall story being acted out are also known by every spectator. With that said, the play writer had some expectations to meet and some criterias to follow. Sophocles, in Oedipus the King, had to meet the standard schematic of a tragic play. He needed the base of a traditional plague, lead with a prologue followed by a parados. Many episodes would be added to the parados, as well as many odes. He would close the play with an exodos. There are also some more meaningful details the audience is expecting to see. Those details are included in the great greek philosophe Aristotle’s concept of tragedy. In this essay I will discuss the traditional schematic of a tragic play as well as the particular facts one is expecting to encounter. With Aritstotle’s concept of tragedy, the analysis of Scodel Ruth and Michelakis Pantelis, a scholar and a cultural critique, I will draw on how Oedipus the King fits within the popular theater of the fifth century.
Michael J. O’Brien in the Introduction to Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, maintains that there is “a good deal of evidence to support this view” that the fifth century playwright was the “educator of his people” and a “teacher”. Sophocles in his tragedy, Oedipus Rex, teaches about “morally desirable attitudes and behavior,” (4) and uses three women to help convey these principles of living. This essay will explore the role of women in the drama, the attitude toward women therein, the involvement of women in plot development, and other aspects of women in Oedipus Rex.
In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, the main character uses rhetoric to effectively persuade her audiences to sympathize with her. In the play, Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, dies a traitor to the Theban people. The king, Creon, decrees that no one is to bury the traitor despite the necessity of burial for proper passing into the afterlife. Believing that Creon’s decree is unjust, Antigone buries her brother. When she is brought to the king, Antigone uses this speech in defense of her actions. In the speech, she uses allusion, diction, and particular sentence structure to increase the effectiveness of her argument.
Several similar themes are present between the three plays Antigone, Medea, and Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles and one by Euripides. The three plays were written during the time of the ancient Greek civilization and, therefore, contain the morals and values of that time. Throughout the three plays, it is observed that the protagonists all carry similar traits: a sense of duty and stubbornness in their ways. Both of these traits lead to a tragic ending for the characters in the three plays. By observing the three plays and comparing them, readers are able to see these two traits play out among them and see how they ultimately lead to their downfall.
Years and years after Hercules had fought Hades and won that battle, his life had unexpected turns. He got to married his one true love Meg and had a beautiful child name Luna. Their daughter was half mortal, half goddess because Hercules was a God and Meg was mortal. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. Luna didn’t know she was half god, because Hercules and Meg made the decision to keep it hidden and Zeus was furious about that. Now they all lived in Thebes and Luna grew up as human as could be. She always had this unbearable strength, charming beauty, and a loving spirit. She always knew something wasn’t right, but couldn’t ask her parents because she knew they wouldn’t tell her. She had always had dreams about living on Mount Olympus with Zeus
Grant, Michael, and John Hazel. "Athena." Gods and Mortals in Classical Mythology. Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam, 1973. Print.
Sophocles explores the psychology of humans through the aristotelian elements of tragedy, in his play, Oedipus Rex. These elements have effectively allowed Sophocles to communicate the idea of fate overpowering intellect. Oedipus and Tiresias are key characters in developing this concept. Tiresias, a divine being, possesses heavenly knowledge whereas Oedipus, a mortal individual, relies heavily on his reasoning and intellect to make sense of his world. Sophocles pairs these characterizations with motifs about blindness and sight as well as truth and ignorance, allowing for the theme to come forth. Tyrone Guthrie’s extraordinary costuming and staging only enhances Sophocles’s message about destiny conquering human judgement.
The ineffaceable impression which Sophocles makes on us today and his imperishable position in the literature of the world are both due to his character-drawing. If we ask which of the men and women of Greek tragedy have an independent life in the imagination apart from the stage and from the actual plot in which they appear, we must answer, ‘those created by Sophocles, above all others’ (36).
Goddesses play important roles protectors and guardians of men and are demonstrated as being wise and knowledgeable in Homer’s Odyssey. Circe knows the directions to the underworld, and Eidothea, Proteus’ daughter knew where Odysseus was and was able to outmaneuver her father by telling men of how he will try to shift his shape and sh