in Antigone, the attribute of Creon that sets him apart as the candidate in Sophocles’s eye for ironic tragedy is his incentive in his actions. Creon exhibits harsh irony on his part when he comments that Antigone’s death “gives him everything” (Sophocles, 709). His rebuttal is ironical, because it is ultimately Antigone’s death that vacuums all the love out of Creon’s life when he is left with no family. In that moment when Antigone, the daughter of his bother Oedipus, remains defiant to his laws
Being a part of a family forces one to have responsibilities and duties that are needed to be fulfilled. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Antigone, Antigone has the responsibility of being loyal to her brother, Polynices. Her intuition and strong will discourages her from listening to the power of the state and to disobey some of her family to respect another part of her family. Her devotion leads to the destruction of Creon and herself, but her role as a part of her family does not stand in her determination
Biography of Sophocles Sophocles was born near Athens, in the small town of Colonus, around 495 BC. His ninety-year life span coincided with the rise and fall of the Athenian Golden age. The son of Sophillus, a wealthy armor maker, Sophocles was provided with the best traditional aristocratic education available in Athens (Page 3). Very little is known about Sophocles as a youth, although one public record suggests his participation in “The Chorus of Youths,” chosen to celebrate the Athenian naval
him unburied, a feast for birds and dogs, an outrage to see” (Sophocles 200-209). Even though he is known for doing bad things he is still considered superior to everyone of Thebes. Antigone was known as the niece of Creon but she did not express herself as a famous and important person. Creon is proud of his position as king and he takes pride in his city and his decisions. “Do you realize you speak these lies to your king?” (Sophocles 1065). Creon shows his dominance in this quote. Antigone, however
Sophocles’ “Antigone” was a Greek tragedy written for entertainment, but it also served as a social commentary for what was happening in ancient Greek city-states during that time it was written. “Antigone” was a prime example of art imitating life in Greek culture. The play was rife with themes relating to individual versus state, women’s roles in the city-state, the significance of elders in society, pride, tyranny, and human law versus moral or divine law. In this essay I’d like to pose and answer
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
Sophocles' Antigone Theater played a large role in ancient Greek society. The citizens were meant to learn from the mistakes made in tragedies. They should have learned what not to be like as a citizen or human. In the classic tragedy Antigone, the third and final play in Sophocles¹s Oedipus Cycle, there are two main characters, Antigone and Creon. They are both strong willed and stubborn people. By their resistance
desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.” It is both the right and responsibility of a person to fight an unjust law, and civil disobedience allows one to convey his thoughts and ideas in a passive, nonviolent way. In Sophocles’ Antigone, written in 442 B.C., we find one of the earliest examples of civil disobedience. The play emphasizes the right of the individual to reject his government’s infringement on his freedom to perform a personal obligation and highlights the
Sophocles' Antigone 1. - Clearly define by specific traits the character of Antigone and Creon. After her mother committed suicide, her father died and her brothers fought until they killed each other, Antigone projects her strong character with interesting ways of showing it. As the main character with strong values and a stubborn way, she follows the laws of god, without minding the consequences. Antigone is a strong willed woman who wins the respect of the audience by the inner strength
This paper is an essay on Antigone. The story Antigone is a great Greek tragedy. Sophocles, an ancient Greek playwright, is the author of the story. It is a great story. It is known throughout the world. This essay is going to trace the character of Antigone through the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Antigone is a very strong willed character. In the very first scene of the book Antigone is talking to her sister (Ismene) about how their two brothers (Eteocles and Polyneices) killed each
In the play Antigone, by Sophocles, it is greatly apparent just within the first few exchanges between Ismene and Antigone that there are various social issues surrounding the women in ancient Greece. The play raises many gender and socially related issues especially when looking at the contextual background of the playwright and the representation of the women within the play. When the characters of the first scene begin their analog, it is important to note what they are actually saying about each
"I would not count any enemy of my country as a friend." In the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, Antigone finds herself torn apart between divine law and state law. The play opens up at the end of a war between Eteocles and Polyneices, sons of Oedipus and brothers of Antigone and Ismene. These brothers, fighting for control of Thebes, kill each other, making Creon king of Thebes. Creon, as king, gives an important speech to the citizens of Thebes, announcing that Eteocles, who defended Thebes
Sophocles' Oedipus You can Run, but you can’t Hide Sixteenth century play writers often focused on the tragic irony of fate. One such play-writer is Sophacles. In one of his later plays, “Oedipus”, he writes the tragic story of a man who can’t avoid his pre-destined fate, and that some things just can’t be changed by the people in your life no matter how hard they try. Oedipus, the main character of this tragedy, he is a protagonist ruled by conflict and fate. This is evident in the characters
The play Antigone by Sophocles shows a conflict between the King Creon and Antigone. This conflict eventually leads to the destruction of the house of Creon. Upon closer analysis, it is obvious that Creon caused this to happen himself. There is an old saying that power corrupts and Creon has fallen victim to power. In the opening of the play, we learn that Creon has been proclaimed king. We expect Creon to be the same rational man as we saw him to be in Oedipus the King who stood up for justice and
chief character has a disastrous fate. Many Greek dramas fall under theatrical category of a tragedy due to the tragic events and unhappy ending that cause the downfall of the main character. During the famous play “Antigone” the Greek author Sophocles incorporated several features of a tragedy. These features include a morally significant dilemma and the presence of a tragic hero. Grand debate over which character can hold the title of the tragic hero has discussed in the literally world for ages
Sophocles' Philoctetes “No word. Then I am nothing” (950) “Who will say word of greeting to me?” (1354) In his lecture Oedipus at the Crossroads, Simon Goldhill addresses the idea that the incest between mother and son results in the collapse not only of the characters, but of language itself: or rather, of the language the characters use to express their despair. The fact that Oedipus stumbles on the words “Daughter, sister…” reflects this breakdown of language. In Sophocles’ Philoctetes
Sophocles’ play “Antigone” illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The play opens after Oedipus’ two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus’ brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors, while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot away. Creon believes that Polyneices’ body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience and
Electra by Sophocles is a tragedy that focuses very singularly on grief and its effects. It concerns the attempts of Electra, (Kristen Scott-Thomas), to avenge her father Agamemnon by killing her mother Clytemnestra (Diana Quick) with the advice of the virgins of the palace and her sister Crysothemis (Cait Davis), and the help of her long lost brother Orestes (Jack Lowden). The tragedy has little subtext and makes very obvious the feelings of the characters. This takes away from some subtleties of
Often, people must choose between what they believe to be right, and what the authority in a society has deemed to be correct. Such is the case in Antigone, by Sophocles. In the Greek tragedy, Sophocles tells the story of a woman who has chosen to bury her brother, a man who led an attack against his own city. It was decreed by her uncle, King Creon, that her brother should not be buried because he went against his own country. In the end, this choice leads to her downfall.Some may argue that the
Oedipus the King, a tragedy which was written by the ancient greek dramatist Sophocles, is often referred to as the perfect tragedy (McManus, 1999). According to Aristotle in his Poetics, in order for a story to be considered a tragedy, it must be realistic, evoke a series of emotions leading to catharsis, which is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions”. A tragedy should also contain six key elements: