Antigone Essays (Examples)

Antigone and Oedipus Rex Are Both Tragic

Antigone and Oedipus Rex are both tragic plays by Sophocles. In many ways, these plays are similar to one another as tragedies. For one, they are part of the same set of texts by Sophocles. Antigone is the first installment in the series of three plays. Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) is the second of the trilogy. Second, the title characters in the plays are related, as Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus. Therefore, they share the same fate due to their common blood. The outcome of the Antigone play has an influence on Oedipus and vice-versa. In addition to the continuity of characters and events between Antigone and Oedipus the King, there are thematic similarities between the two plays. One of the themes that is shared in common between Antigone and Oedipux Rex is that of fate vs. free will. In both these plays, fate strangles the main characters…… [Read More]

Antigone Is the Last Play in the

Antigone is the last play in the Oedipus cycle written by Sophocles. In the play, Antigone, the Oedipus's sister-daughter challenges her uncle, Creon, who has ascended the Theban throne after he brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, are killed in battle. In the play, Antigone defies Creon's mandate that Polyneices should not be granted a proper burial because he is an traitor and an enemy of the state. Because of her opposing views, Antigone can be considered to be a social and political outcast.

hile Antigone can trace her roots back several generations, her opposition to Creon's mandate causes her to be considered a traitor by her uncle and those that follow him. Furthermore, because she is her father's daughter, as the chorus comments "Like father, like daughter: both headstrong, deaf to reason! She has never learned to yield. She has much to learn," she cannot allow herself to defy divine law…… [Read More]

Antigone A Clash of State and Personal

Antigone: A clash of state and personal values

Sophocles' drama Antigone unfolds the tale of the tragic daughter of Oedipus Rex. At the beginning of the play Antigone is the bereft sister of two dead brothers who died fighting in the Theban civil war. Creon gives the brother (Eteocles) who defended the city's current leadership a hero's burial while leaves the other brother (Polyneices) to rot in the streets, exposed to the elements. For Antigone, her Parmenidean or eternal worldview transcends the immediate needs of the senses and politics. Harmony must be maintained through obedience to the gods. This is contrasted with Creon's Heraclitean view which stresses that strife is the natural state of order and this must be accepted as part of life. Antigone's refusal to accept Creon's dictate results in her death, but her moral belief system ultimately triumphs even though Creon lives on at the end of…… [Read More]

Antigone Along With Its Companion

As a character, Creon is almost and inverse of Antigone, because his concern for his own authority trumps his love for his own family, as he all but disowns his son Haemon for the latter's support of Antigone. As these flaws are the most important elements of characterization in terms of the plot, they essentially define the characters even in spite of the interior emotional lives hinted at within the play.

As speech is the primary way in which the plot is conveyed to the audience, Aristotle argues that a tragedy must contain effective language and metaphors in order to both relay direct information about the plot as well as shape the reception of that plot through the use of a particular style. Aristotle favors metaphor above all else, as he claims that "to coin metaphors with skill means ability to see the likeness in things," and thus reveal something…… [Read More]

Antigone as Tragic Heroine in

Thus, the nobility of Antigone's character lies in her reluctance to condemn her sister, whereas her tragic flaw lies in her fanatical devotion to the men in her family, to the point that she wishes to lie with her brother's corpse.

Antigone's fall comes when she is caught burying Polyneices' corpse, and the fact that her subservience to patriarchy is the precise reason for this fall is revealed in Creon's response. hen Creon condemns Antigone to her early grave, but before Ismene enters in her attempt to claim responsibility, Creon tell Antigone that she should "Then go down to the dead. If you must love, / love them. No woman's going to govern me" (599-600). Thus, it is Antigone's devotion to honoring men which gets her arrested, and it is the cultural patriarchy of her society which condemns her to being buried alive, perfectly illustrating how Antigone's own tragic flaw…… [Read More]

Antigone What Is Fate and What Is

Antigone

hat is fate, and what is free will? In Sophocles' play Antigone, both fate and free will are important in determining the outcome of the play. Fate is presented as something that the gods determine. It is the destiny of human beings, and something that people have no control over. No matter how hard a person like Antigone or Creon tries to fight fate, their lives are not entirely our own to live. Free will exists, but with limitations. Human beings can make choices and decisions, and those decisions sometimes do alter one's fate. For example, Creon's decision to not bury Polyneices is the central decision that leads to the tragic ending of the play Antigone. Antigone knows that King Creon is going against the will of the gods by refusing to give Polyneices, her brother, a proper burial. This is the central issue of Antigone. hereas Ismeme is…… [Read More]

Antigone Sophocles' Antigone Is a Story That

Antigone

Sophocles' Antigone is a story that has several strong characters, each set up cleverly in order to demonstrate the role that personality traits and the strength of conviction in ideals plays in determining individual decisions. Thus, if Creon's son Haemon serves as a contrast of wisdom to his own display of pride and arrogance, Antigone's sister Ismene acts as a foil in defining Antigone's character and strength of conviction in her ideals.

One of the best ways to demonstrate the sharp contrast in personalities is to place two people; both with equal interests, in an identical situation where life challenges must be faced. Sophocles does exactly this in the opening scene of Antigone when he shows the different reactions of the sisters Antigone and Ismene to Creon's proclamation that their brother, Polynices' body should be left unburied for the birds and dogs to devour.

Antigone's reaction is one where…… [Read More]

Antigone Literature Has the Ability to Reflect

Antigone

Literature has the ability to reflect the society in which the piece was created and the cultural beliefs of that community. This cultural perspective also has to do with the religion of the community in which the piece of literature was written. The discrepancy between religious belief and the demands and order of the governmental system is a particularly common theme in literature. Perhaps one of the best examples of a piece of literature representing this dichotomy is Antigone which is the second play in Sophocles' Oedipus trilogy. Although the story of Antigone may be less well-known than that of her father Oedipus, it is no less compelling and tragic. Antigone desires to bury her brother properly, according the religious beliefs of Ancient Greece but is thwarted because he is regarded by the people of Thebes as a traitor. Polynices, her brother, has engaged in warfare with his brother…… [Read More]

Antigone Sophocles' Antigone Has Been Widely Interpreted

Antigone

Sophocles' Antigone has been widely interpreted as a play about a young woman's admirable courage of conviction. This rather straightforward interpretation is largely the result of a plot that revolves around Antigone's determination to honor her dead brother by giving him a proper burial, in spite of the King's edict that his corpse should be left to rot. Thus, Antigone's tragic fate is seen as the result of her laudable defiance of an unjust ruling rather than the result of a flaw in her own character. However, on closer analysis, there is ground to argue that Sophocles' purpose was not to create a play on praiseworthy virtues but to highlight the fact that actions motivated by a lack of temperance and hubris inevitably lead to tragic consequences.

The interpretation that Antigone is a morality play that focuses on the ideals of religion, honor and courage is perfectly understandable if…… [Read More]

Antigone Philosophers Like Aristotle Noticed

Both Antigone and Creon are determined and obstinate. Both exhibit the tragic flaw of hubris, because neither one is willing to surrender his or her will. However, Creon was in the position to avert the tragic ending of the play without sacrificing much more than his pride. Antigone, on the other hand, would have lost everything she believed in and her self-respect if she humbly accepted the marriage and did not raise a voice to Creon. Like Ismene, Antigone would have been another docile woman willing to accept the status quo and as such, she would not have been the play's heroine, tragic or not. Antigone's actions actually show her to be a remarkable hero who cared more for existential peace than for false security or meaningless laws. The tragedy at the end of the play testifies to Antigone's courage and strength.

Determination and stubbornness do not necessarily equal hubris.…… [Read More]

Antigone Is One of the

However, there are a number of similarities in the two writings, ranging from the dominance of men over women to the determination of women to do as they please, with no care whatsoever of the consequences that their actions have on themselves.

"My Duchess" does not actually bring proof to support the concept that the duchess is actually dead, thus leading one to believe that she did not receive the same treatment as Antigone did. Even with that, it is difficult to ignore how the Duke prides himself when talking about how he managed to suppress his wife. To a certain extent, both the Duke and Creon are satisfied knowing that they imposed their authority, but at the same time they seem to feel sorry that they had to resort to such an act.

6. Evilness of Creon

Creon's behavior across the play certainly influences most individuals in the audience…… [Read More]

Antigone Sophocles an Athenian Politician and Dramatist

Antigone

Sophocles, an Athenian politician and dramatist, wrote Antigone and Oedipus the King, two famous works, known for the connection of tragedy between generations of the characters. Indeed, Antigone's fate is shaped not only through her own actions, but through Oedipus' sin as well. Any analysis of Antigone is therefore incomplete without first taking into account its linkages to Oedipus.

Both Antigone and Oedipus have the same theme of the hubris or arrogance of even the most powerful of men (Oedipus and Creon) ultimately having to bow down before 'the supreme will and power of the Gods', as exemplified in "But if any man comes striding, high and mighty, in all he says and does, no fear of justice, no reverence for the temples of the gods -- let a rough doom tear him down, repay his pride, breakneck, ruinous pride!" (Chorus: Oedipus) and again in Antigone:"Isn't a man's right…… [Read More]

Antigone and Ismene

Hot-button topics like abortion and related women's rights are commonly addressed by feminists and non-traditional women. That is not to say that traditional women do not believe they should have reproductive rights, but only that non-traditional women are much more likely to speak out on the issue and make their voices heard. Through that, change is often made that benefits both the non-traditional and traditional women in society. This causes society to advance, and what was non-traditional becomes more traditional over time.

As can be seen from an examination of Antigone and her sister, and from an examination of what non-traditional women of today are doing with their lives and the causes they support, being non-traditional has its benefits and value, both to the women and to society as a whole. Not all women are comfortable with that role, of course, but there are a number of women who feel…… [Read More]

Antigone Odyssey Greek Value Systems

But her loyalty is not to her father or brother, but to her husband, thus it is viewed more charitably in the ancient Greek system of values. Also, her actions protect the state, as she prevents a wrongful king coming to power by refusing to remarry immediately, after her husband is suspected to be dead. Interestingly enough, Penelope manifests her supreme value of loyalty through her use of mendacity, as she unweaves her web every night. Penelope, at the beginning of the epic poem the "Odyssey," has promised the suitors demanding her hand in marriage and leadership over her husband's kingdom, that she will chose one of them only after she finishes weaving her piecework -- hence her nightly undoing of her weaving. Eventually, this ruse is discovered, but the cleverness that Penelope's lies demonstrate, as well as the lies her husband frequently tells to extricate himself from many an…… [Read More]

Antigone A Kaleidoscopic Woman of

Thus, it is evident that Antigone's capacity for devotion and love has different hues and is, therefore, kaleidoscopic in nature. Unfortunately, it is perhaps this very mercurial quality that results in her actions leading to tragedy. for, had Antigone been willing to honor her love for Haimon and Ismene, she may have well succeeded in enlisting their co-operation in persuading Kreon to reverse his decision.

Antigone: A tragedy that is based on Aristotle's formula

Antigone has often left scholars and students puzzled as to whether Antigone is an ideal tragic heroine, and whether the play conforms to Aristotelian principles (Berlin, p. 11). By analyzing Sophocles's characterization of Antigone as a kaleidoscopic woman of different hues, it is easy to see how Antigone's hamartia leads to a tragedy of virtually epic proportions. Therefore, there is a case to argue that not only is she the ideal tragic heroine (or hero) but…… [Read More]

Antigone as a Feminist Heroine

Antigone: A Feminist Heroine or Just a Dutiful Sister?

The question of whether Antigone, the title character of the third tragedy within Sophocles' Theban trilogy, is indeed a feminist heroine is a debatable one. Considering the literal definitions of words like, "feminism" ("the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes") (ebster's New American Dictionary, p. 191) and "heroine" ("1. A woman admired for her achievements and qualities 2. The chief female character in a literary or dramatic work") (p. 243), it seems that Antigone herself is not so much a feminist heroine, in particular, as she is merely the loyal (and deeply indignant) grieving sister of a fallen, if ignoble prince, Polynices. Despite Polynices' treachery in life, Antigone wishes for her brother to be buried with honor, just like her other brother, Eteocles. Antigone's reputation as a "feminist heroine" springs from the fact that she defies…… [Read More]

Antigone the Game of Fate

Antigone's Fate / Antigone: The Game Of Fate

The play Antigone, composed by Sophocles, informs us that fate cannot be controlled by anyone. Fate is an essential part of many tragedies. As for the characters in Antigone, their fates end up being unavoidable, whether it is due to the reason that they refused to accept it until it was very late, or they accepted the fate and permitted it to come to pass. The character's lives possess set conclusions, and there exits some clues on what these conclusions shall be, and when they shall happen. The characters are frequently capable of knowing their fate and reacting to it. At certain periods, characters accept their fate since it is vital to them, or they trust that it is unavoidable (Stegar, 1). A vital theme of Antigone is the conflict amidst fate and a person's action. Whereas free decisions, like the choice…… [Read More]

Sophocles Antigone in Sophocles Play

Antigone suggests that Creon has defied the divine law even though he claims to promote lawful behavior, suggesting that he violate ritual and that it is her duty to change that, "Hate and scorn and shame have followed us, we two, living with hell's own curse... now Creon makes an enemy of our own flesh and blood" (Braun 22). Antigone argues that her actions are done out of love, desperately pleading to her sister Ismene "You coward! Stop turning my love into hate... you know what I must do.. how can you deny it" (Bethune 1; Braun 24). Antigone also proclaims that she "wasn't born to hate one with the other, but to love both together" referring to her brothers (Braun 42). "I am different. I love my brother" (Braun 24).

The chorus however suggests that law superceded love, stating "The mind is full of cunning, for evil and for…… [Read More]

Sophocles' Antigone Is Motivated to Disobey Creon's

Sophocles' "Antigone"

Antigone is motivated to disobey Creon's edict and give her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial because she believes both Eteocles and Polyneices deserve the same honor, to be reunited with their deceased parents to live in death in Hades. Antigone says, (lines 21-22) "Yea, hath not Creon, of our two brothers slain, honored with burial one, disdained the other?" This line shows Antigone's disagreement with Creon's decision to not bury both brothers honorably. When Antigone says, "So with my loved one loved shall I abide, my crime a deed most holy: for the dead longer have I to please than these on earth," it shows us the importance Antigone places on the afterlife. It is because of this importance and Antigone's own sense of right that she was motivated to disobey Creon's edict.

Ismene is a foil to Antigone when she refuses to help bury their brother, Polyneices.…… [Read More]

Cause Effect Character Pride and Heroism Antigone

Sophocles explores the connection between fate and character in the play Antigone, in which the title character becomes a classic tragic hero due to flaws like hubris. However, it is not just her character traits that destine Antigone for her fateful end. Antigone’s character is inherently virtuous, as she wants to disobey the law for the right reasons. She has strong moral principles, and is guided by universal ethical values rather than the limited and unjust rules established by the authoritarian King Creon. Antigone values spiritual principles, mercy, and justice, making her an exemplar of virtue ethics in the Aristotelian sense. Moreover, Antigone acts selflessly, placing principles above her own self-interest and risking her life to promote her values. Yet Sophocles shows that a virtuous character or ethical behaviors sometimes lead to tragic results. When one’s principles conflict with those embodied by the state, tragedy is inevitable. Also, Antigone is…… [Read More]

Creon as a Tragic Hero

Creon as a Tragic Hero

Antigone, a play written by Sophocles consisted of three main themes, all of which play a significant role in the portrayal and understanding of the play. These themes comprise of love, fate, and pride. To begin with, Oedipus has murdered his father, who was the king of Thebes, unaware that it was his father. Subsequent to this, he took over and became the king of Thebes. What is more, Oedipus ended up marrying the reigning queen of Thebes, who was his mother and bore four children. Antigone is one of the children that was born out of this relationship. In the end, when Oedipus came to the realization of what he had actually done, he went on to move away and cut out his eyes. Subsequent to all of this, it is Creon that ended up taking over as the king of Thebes. The sense…… [Read More]

Self in Antigone and Hamlet

Hamlet, however, is full of hesitation. He does not experience the type of confidence Antigone does and suffers because of it. These characters are not abnormal; they are exaggerated or comical in a way audiences cannot relate to them. They are uniquely human and that is why they are still popular today -- because they are real enough that audience members feel as though they have known these types of personalities before. Through these characters, the playwrights show the audience how important it is to be true to self above all else. From Creon, who loses his sense of self when he sells out to power to Hamlet, who loses his sense of self when he falls into depression, to Antigone, who gladly gives her life for what she believes, we see the power of the sense of self and the importance of how it should be respected.

ork Cited…… [Read More]

Doll's House and Antigone Sophocles and Henrik

Doll's House and Antigone

Sophocles and Henrik Ibsen explore the philosophical discussion of judgment in Antigone and A Doll's House, respectively. In Antigone, the title character questions the right of leaders to judge strictly when she commits treason after burying her brother. The deciding factor in determining Ibsen's characters' fates in A Doll's House is a moral dilemma of the intent behind an act of fraud. Both Sophocles and Ibsen pass judgment on their characters, but show that the justice system may be flawed when motive and intent are not considered in the prosecution of crimes.

Antigone directly challenges the authority of King Creon when she says, "Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal laws of God. They are not merely now: they were, and shall be, operative forever, beyond man utterly." (Sophocles, Scene 2) This illustrates the primary conflict of the…… [Read More]

Theatrical Analysis of Macbeth and Antigone

Theatrical Analysis of Macbeth and Antigone

The most accounted features of a tragedy are the gloominess of atmosphere, solemnity of action, mental conflicts, strain, suspense and capability of capturing the audience. Tragedy tries to stimulate the sentiments of pity and fear (Devi 1). Thus, this study is comparing the two Shakespearean and Greek tragedies, Macbeth and Antigone. This analysis will compare and contrast the two plays, their theme, comparison of main characters, conflict, plot etc. The purpose of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of the plays to the reader and to assess the similarity and differences in both the plays. Macbeth unfolds the story of a man, ambitious to become a king. He even murders King Duncan to fulfil his ambition due to the prophecy of the three witches and his wife, Lady Macbeth. However, he ends up dying because of his greediness. Antigone, on the other…… [Read More]

Oedipus and Antigone Questions Answered

e learn that women are very dependent on the men in their lives for social standing.

Creon is more sympathetic than Oedipus. hile he is very straightforward, he does not express the same opinions for Oedipus that Oedipus does to him. hen Oedipus does not hear the answer he wants, he becomes arrogant and then tells Creon he is not a good friend. He even goes on to accuse him of being "evil incarnate" (II.111). Creon actually tries to change Oedipus' mind while Oedipus is nothing but a man on a mission and no one should get in his way. Creon does not change his position throughout the entire play and from this, we can gather that Creon is more stable than Oedipus.

Antigone acts as she does because she firmly believes in her cause. She is a hero because she refuses to change her position. She acts the way…… [Read More]

Role of Creon the Play Antigone Can

Role of Creon

The play Antigone can certainly speak to a modern audience, because it is about the dangers of hubris, or the arrogant feeling that one can do whatever he or she wants because of the individual's feeling of power. In a democracy, we might see this when a politician declares that he has a "mandate" from the people. Some feel that it was hubris, a feeling that he could do whatever he wanted and not be held accountable, that brought the Nixon administration down. Although as king, Creon consults with the oracles and tries to respect the will of the gods, he is in power because of tremendous turmoil and unbelievable tragedies in his extended family. Instead of trying to bring consensus and closure to the terrible events, he decides that he must punish one person involved, but not both. He allows funeral ceremonies for one nephew but…… [Read More]

Judgment Sophocles' Antigone Illustrates the

Good judgment is something that comes from careful consideration of the issue and understanding all of the steps that have lead to the development of the particular dilemma faced. No situation arises without context. Consideration of that context provides a means for making better decisions. In Antigone, Creon's poor decision is backed by the chorus. The chorus, however, is not a worthy source of sound decision-making. It provides little in the way of perspective. This shows that good judgment comes from within, not from listening to the inevitable chorus of voices. The chorus is merely loud, not necessarily wise and is unlikely to bear the consequences of the decision, should it be made with poor judgment. Creon thus suffered because he failed to consider the entire context and did not tune out the chorus when it offered…… [Read More]

Tragic Truth the Search for

It recounts the travails of Antigone, daughter of Oedipus the former king of Thebes, who disobeys King Creon in burying the body of her slain brother. She knows that she faces death for doing this, but insists that she does not care, saying "For whoso lives, as I, in many woes,

/ How can it be but death shall bring him gain? / And so for me to bear this doom of thine / Has nothing painful" (Arrowsmith, lines 508-12). Antigone does not see meaninglessness in death, but rather is willing to face death for the symbolic gesture of burying her brother. This illustrates her own tragic quest for truth; like Gilgamesh (and Creon), she is frustrated by the rules and order imposed by a mortal government, and feels that it pales in comparison to the divine moral laws such as those regarding the treatment of the dead and the…… [Read More]

Nature of Justice -- Secular or Divine

Nature of Justice -- ecular or Divine?

Comparative Essay

The comparison of Antigone and Dante's Inferno is interesting as they are really quite different in style, tone, context, and story type. Both stories address the choices made by mankind, and the allegiances that people form and that impact their actions. Dante is in charge of the telling in his story, but Antigone must suffer through the interpretations, telling, and retelling of her story and that of her opponent.

Antigone. Third of the three Theban plays, Antigone is a tragedy attributed to ophocles circa 442 BC. Of the three plays set in the city of Thebes, Antigone was created first but is chronologically the last in the stream of events. Establishing the premises related to the characters in the story is dominant in the first part of the play, then the action relentlessly advances toward the outcome, which the reader assumes…… [Read More]

Major Themes in European Literature

contemplated an individual's relationship with his or her environment. In Oedipus Rex and Antigone, Sophocles explores the relationship an individual has with the world and society. In each of these plays, Sophocles juxtaposes divinity and humanity and investigates the role of each within Theban society as well as looks into conflicts that arise when the laws of man conflict with divine laws. Through their narratives, Oedipus Rex and Antigone posit man is intended to serve others, including gods, and that they do not exist to be self-serving.

Oedipus Rex revolves around an eponymous anti-hero who by saving the city of Thebes from a Sphinx inadvertently and simultaneously brought forth a plague upon it. By defeating the Sphinx, Oedipus secured his place upon the Theban throne and as such was not only responsible for ensuring laws were abided, but was also responsible for protecting Thebes' citizens. Because of the plague that…… [Read More]

Family vs Society in Sophocles'

Though Antigone is certainly the protagonist of the play, she makes her decision very early in the action -- she chooses to bury her brother despite the civil disobedience and disrespect of the State that it shows. Ismene, on the other hand, wavers between the two duties. hen Antigone is caught, her sister tries to take the blame with her: "But now you're in trouble, I'm not ashamed / of suffering, too, as your companion" (Sophocles, 540-1). Though Ismene's motives might be somewhat questionable, she is at least claiming a sense of duty and companionship with her sister -- and a desire to honor her brother -- by joining in the guilt of the act against the State. Antigone will not let her, again for reasons that could be put under debate. One possible explanation for Antigone's refusal to let Ismene share the punishment for the act would be her…… [Read More]

Creon of Oedipus and the

He is hurting from being blame for this crime, however in Antigone, he falsely accuses people. He becomes heartless between both stories due to the personal experience he went through, which made him a different character in each one.

King Creon decrees that Polynices the traitor is not to be buried, but his sister Antigone defies the order. She is caught, and sentenced by Creon to be buried alive - even though she is betrothed to his son Haemon. After the blind prophet Tiresias proves that the gods are on Antigone's side, Creon changes his mind - but too late. He goes first to bury Polynices, but Antigone has already hanged herself. When Creon arrives at the tomb, Haemon attacks him and then kills himself. When the news of their death is reported, Creon's wife Eurydice takes her own life. Creon is alone (Notes & Discussion of Sophocles' tragedy).

Conclusion…… [Read More]

Creon the Play Oedipus the

This is a major departure from the Creon seen in Oedipus Rex and reflects his changed role. In addition, he sees changing one's mind as a weakness, "womanish," an undesireable trait in a king. Once he's made a decision he feels he must stick by it even if he suspects it might have been incorrect.

The first decision Creon makes that affects this play is that he will give Etocles a state funeral, but that Polynices' body is to be left out in the open, unsanctified, and left for the animals to eat. This is a terrible fate for a Greek, who must have certain rites performed to move on to the next life. Creon sided with Etocles, but both brothers broke the agreement.

Antigone is outraged that Etocles is to be ushered in to the next life proplerly but not Polynices. She takes a stand and decides to perform…… [Read More]

Tragedy in the Oedipus Trilogy Sophocles Is

Tragedy in the Oedipus Trilogy

Sophocles is considered to be one of the greatest Greek dramatists, and remains among the most renowned playwrights even today. The Greek tragedy is one of the most influential genres of literary and theatrical history on the modern drama and theatre. The theatre of ancient Greece was inspired by the worship of Dionysus, and the performance of plays was considered to be a religious experience for both the actors and the audience. ecause of this, the intensity of the Greek theatre was very strong, and the degree to which the plays were taken seriously as a means of influencing and interpreting life was also very high. According to Aristotle, the philosopher credited with creating the definition of a tragedy, "Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament,…… [Read More]

Hubris The Good the Bad

She is committed like Creon but for purely unselfish reasons. e see this when she tells Ismene, "I will bury him myself. / And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory" (Sophocles 85-6). hile Antigone admits that she is defying the law, she has something greater on her side, which is truth. In this sense, we can see how the truth cannot be stopped. Antigone even admits her guilt, telling Creon, "I did it. I don't deny a thing" (492). In addition to this, she is not afraid of the consequences. She even has the nerve to tell Creon that his doom will be her "precious little pain . . . This is nothing . . . I've been accused of folly by a fool" (520). Antigone goes to extremes but it is for the cause of something greater than herself while Creon cannot…… [Read More]

Creon State vs Family the

Not following his own rules, in the end, would make him attractive to Thebes as he would stay close to the rules of Gods. Following his words, would have meant the despise of all Greece, something no political strategy would allow.

It could be said that his change of direction comes, therefore, from two causes. The first, and the immediate one, comes from the pressures the Chorus puts him to. It could be argued that the Chorus, in this case, is his political conscience that asks for admitting that his decision is detrimental for his rule. A leader that creates rules with effects that are opposing the beliefs of his people has little chance for a good reign, especially in the shadows of a civil war. A state with a fragile political and social system is vulnerable to exterior forces. The other cause of his decision to bury Polyneices and…… [Read More]

Religion in the Literary Works

Machiavelli shared Douglass' opinion concerning the role of religion in one's society. He believed that religion is instrumental in bringing about not only a moral society, but also a just one. In his discourse, "The Prince," he asserted that the ideal leader, the Prince, must not "...deceive friends...be without faith, without mercy, without religion..." This invoked the belief that a leader, in order to become effective, efficient, and respected by the civil society, must also be of moral character. This means that in the same way as people let their lives be influenced by religion and its values and beliefs, so too must the Prince engage in a lifestyle dominated by religion. A religious individual is a moral individual, hence commanding the respect of his people and giving him credibility to lead over society.

However, it is also vital to note that while he put premium to religiosity, Machiavelli's characterization…… [Read More]

Sophocles An Ancient Voice for

If Oedipus had controlled his temper instead, he might have averted his awful fate. Sophocles uses this parable to make a statement about man's responsibilities. Even today, people are continuously making choices that have negative impacts on their own lives, yet they shirk any blame or responsibility for the fruits of those choices. Sophocles shows us that Oedipus is not a victim of the whims of the gods, but a victim of his own actions. Sophocles uses Oedipus to make social commentary on the self-denial of the common man. In modern times, we see this reflected in the attitudes of the average American- we constantly seek to place the blame for our misfortunes on external sources instead of acknowledging our own contributions to those misfortunes.

As much as Oedipus is a victim of his own actions, he is a victim of his emotions. He carries the anger and resentment of…… [Read More]

Education and Proper Behavior for

He believed, a bit more than Sophocles, that through behavior, humans can actually change fate. Fate does control, yes, but only punishes those who fly in the face of all that is just and divine. For instance, Plato would agree with Sophocles that Fate would have a hand in punishing those who rule via hubris, or supreme confidence in their wisdom and strengths. However, Plato believed that through acting justly and with proper political and logical behavior, humans can actually reroute fate and escape its wrath.

Aristotle was, arguably, the most different in his beliefs on how humans should behave, and the construction of their education, in this group of Plato, Sophocles and Aristotle.

By setting up objective criteria for human behavior, Aristotle prepares the foundation for his aristocratic political views. Perhaps the part of Aristotle's Politics most offensive to the general concept of Greek democracy is his defense of…… [Read More]

Covenants in Genesis and Oedipus

How could that be true when that child was left in the woods to die?

Oedipus is calmed, but he still sets out to solve the murder-mystery and punish the man who committed regicide. As more details come to the surface, however, Oedipus starts to get a bad feeling. The evidence indeed points to him: Laius, he learns, was slain at the same crossroads where Oedipus took the lives of a group of men. as Laius among them? Apparently so…as Oedipus also learns that he was the babe whom Jocasta and Laius abandoned -- and indeed has grown up to ruin the house by killing his father and marrying and having children with his mother Jocasta. Jocasta (sensing that this might be the case) had pleaded for Oedipus to halt the investigation, but determined to know the truth, Oedipus called the herdsman who found him tied to a tree to…… [Read More]

Tom Tigone Women Men and

It is entirely through such efforts that the larger impact of the novel is made.

One scene in particular is meant as an especially compelling emotional allegory, and is very effective at making the undeniable and intimate nature of human feelings as a basis for moral decisions-making abundantly clear. When Mrs. Bird catches her two sons tormenting defenseless kittens, she berates them and ultimately succumbs to tears at the plight and pain of the cats and, perhaps even more so, at the cruelty of her own children. It seems to be in man's nature -- and specifically in man's nature as opposed to woman's -- to practice cruelty, yet even the practitioners can usually be made to recognize that their cruelty is wrong simply by dint of being cruel, and for no other logical or deduced reason. Their mother's tears more than her stern admonitions cause the boys to understand…… [Read More]

Greek Civilization Compare Greek Religion in the

Greek Civilization:

Compare Greek religion in the two different periods in history in the eighth century, the time of Homer, and in the fifth century BCE, according to the following:

The different ways they believed their gods intervened.

During the Epic Age, that of Homer, they believed that the God directly intervened in the lives of human beings. Over time, as the rulers of Greece became more powerful, the population began to feel that although the Gods could control lives, they were mostly observers rather than direct participants.

Whether they believed their gods favored or punished specific individuals for moral reasons.

In the 8th century BC, the people believed that the Gods punished behavior, but that the punishments were more targeted at individuals who disrespected the gods rather than those who committed crimes or sins. As exemplified in Antigone, the people feared that if they defied the gods then they…… [Read More]

Ancient Text Explains or Demonstrates

In the "Odyssey" Achilles says to Odysseus, that it is better to be a living dog than honored in Hades.

Submission to fate is ultimately what the Greeks seem to honor as a 'good' attitude. Oedipus the King finally accepts his cursed status, rather than fleeing from it, and from the beginning of her life, Antigone seems to anticipate that she will meet with an unhappy end. Although she is betrothed to marry, she does not seem to see her future as a married woman as an obligation that supersedes her obligation as a sister, and even says that because she can only have one brother, unlike a husband; obligations to the family come before everything. The play seems to suggest that this is valid, given the wrath that falls upon Creon's head. But evil also falls upon the heads of the innocent, because of the actions of the guilty,…… [Read More]

Sophocles I Questions Sophocles' Royal

Question

Haemon is in an impossible position. Although it could be argued that Antigone is in an impossible position as well, forced to choose between obeying the will of the gods or the will of man, Haemon must choose between loyalty to his proposed wife and his father as the king of the state. His temperament is such that he is an innate compromiser. He is forced to negotiate between two people who do not believe in compromise, upon any terms.

Creon has begun a horrible chain of events. The Theban king has attempted to supplant the will of the gods, refusing to let Polynices' soul enter the underworld and be judged by the gods, thus taking on the role of the gods as judgers of men's souls as well as a judge of his citizen's actions on earth. By refusing to obey the king's orders and defy the gods,…… [Read More]

Oedipus Rex and Burial at

It is this lead character's outrage that drives the plot, rather than any journey of self-discovery or some fateful intervention. This is seen when Antigone declares her defiance of the king: "I will bury him myself. / and if death comes, so be it. / There'll be glory in it. / ... The gods will be proud of me." Rather than placing the importance of the gods first, Antigone views her own actions as of primary importance.

There is also a heavy element of introspection in both plays; it is Oedipus' attempt to discover the past of his kingdom that reveals his own personal past, and it is this self-discovery that leads to the tragedy of the play. Oedipus himself reveals the personal nature of this tragedy when he says "nor needs to tell / How your whole state is sick, for howsoe'er / Ye sicken, sicker is this heart…… [Read More]

Gentleman and Benevolence Confucian Benevolence

He was also severing his bond to his subjects like Antigone, whose rights to act in a morally pious fashion were part of their rights as his citizens.

A good king thus must act with benevolence, and according to the rules that are put upon him in his position, just like a subject must act kindly towards the king. Creon's actions also put his own son in a terrible position. His son forced to choose between his obligations to his father and his bride. In violating his proper duties as a father as well as a king, Creon is also violating the dictates of being a gentleman in the spirit of benevolence.

Demonstrating benevolence is honoring one's obligations and also allowing others to perform their obligations to you and to others. Antigone attempts to do this by encouraging her sister to join her in burying her brother and also defying…… [Read More]

Oedipus Rex vs The Burial

His nephew turned against his own country and he got what he deserved. but, in king Creon's view, death is not enough. He believes in setting an example and uses the occasion as an opportunity to make a point and warn all those who dared to defy their country of the fate that was expecting them, too. In this case, King Creon is wrong, because he will eventually pay dearly for his mistake of defying the gods. Profanation represented a duty of the humans to the higher forces and not even a king could afford to forget that.

The Burial at Thebes is a play meant to bring the work of a classic Greek play writer into the twenty-first century. Freud found the sources of one of his psychoanalytic theories in edipus Rex, paying his tribute to his predecessor who lived two and a half centuries away.

The audiences in…… [Read More]

Biblical Themed Short Stories

prim geography teacher. She is a disciplinarian who adopts strict rules for her classroom. Her teaching style is a common-sense method with her former students and citizens of Liberty Hill regarding her as the embodiment of wisdom and gentility. Like Miss Dove, Leiningen believes in hard work, refusing to leave his estate despite a swarm of soldier ants nearing his property. Early in the story it is shown he is wise as well. "First he had vanquished primal forces by cunning and organization, then he had enlisted the resources of modern science to increase miraculously the yield of his plantation." However, there are some differences. For example, Miss Dove is strict, reprimanding David Burnham for swearing. "Nothing is achieved by swearing," Miss Dove's sentence read. "Twenty Times."

Leiningen is not like that with the people he works with on his estate. He encourages them to stay with him to fight…… [Read More]

Clash of the Titans the

(Rose 307)

Rose cites the repeated imagery of flying in the film, finding that this matches what critic Philip Slater says about the Freudian and phallic images in the Perseus myth. Rose refers to this film, and several others of a similar nature, as modern versions of the myths, to a degree cut down from the original in order to something more visceral and more direct. In a film like this, the student has "an opportunity for assessing the concrete differences between the ideological norms of male-female relations in their own society and those explored in ancient Greek myth" (Rose 310).

Stephen R. ilk considers the film and the way it is designed and also finds elements of the Greek period in the film. He refers tom the designs of special efercts artist Raym Harryhausen when he notes, "Critics have dismissed this sort of animation as 'kitsch,' but I note…… [Read More]

Hero One of the Most Pervasive Archetypes

Hero

One of the most pervasive archetypes in literature is the hero. The Greeks presented a complex and very human type of hero, often referred to as the tragic hero. eaders can relate especially to tragic heroes because tragic heroes have flaws. Their flaws make tragic heroes more human, and are effective protagonists even when their plans fail. The hero who is semi-divine or divine is a less compelling story, given that few if any human beings can relate to a figure who is flawless, immortal, and possessing of unlimited strength. Graphic novels present complex characters including some that fit the definition of tragic hero. Modern literature teems with examples of heroes who are just like us: they have good intentions, they are far from perfect, and they sometimes fail. Yet embedded in the definition of hero is the imperative that the individual must be able to put aside egotism,…… [Read More]

Various Short Story Assignments

prim geography teacher. She is a disciplinarian who adopts strict rules for her classroom. Her teaching style is a common-sense method with her former students and citizens of Liberty Hill regarding her as the embodiment of wisdom and gentility. Like Miss Dove, Leiningen believes in hard work, refusing to leave his estate despite a swarm of soldier ants nearing his property. Early in the story it is shown he is wise as well. "First he had vanquished primal forces by cunning and organization, then he had enlisted the resources of modern science to increase miraculously the yield of his plantation." However, there are some differences. For example, Miss Dove is strict, reprimanding David Burnham for swearing. "Nothing is achieved by swearing," Miss Dove's sentence read. "Twenty Times."

Leiningen is not like that with the people he works with on his estate. He encourages them to stay with him to fight…… [Read More]

Clytemnestra and Iphigenia One of

This temper surely gave Clytemnestra the ability to withstand her "wretched life" by serving as a type of emotional outlet for her anger and disappointment related to being imprisoned in her own household as the doting wife of Agamemnon who certainly experienced sexual encounters with other women as leader of the Greek armies at Troy.

Another example has Clytemnestra admitting "Thus harassed by these ever-rife reports

(i.e., that Agamemnon was dead)/Full often from my neck have forceful hands/Seized and untied the beam-suspended noose" (Swanwick, 179), a reference to attempting to hang herself from a roof beam. This indicates that Clytemnestra was indeed a very strong woman with sufficient inner strength to do away with herself because of her grief associated with Agamemnon and his alleged death at the hands of the Trojans -- "For a woman severed from her mate/To sit forlorn at home is grievous woe" (Swanwick, 179).

In…… [Read More]

Duty A Father His Son

Instead, they carried out their missions without question, and effectively won the war with their attention to detail and sense of duty. The book makes the reader question their own sense of duty, and if they would have the resolve to fight in a war like this if it happened again. It is a powerful book, partly because it is emotional, and partly because the reader realizes that these people are real, their duty was real, and that our freedom really rests on their shoulders.

Ultimately, this is a book about dying. It follows the last days of Greene's father, but it also looks at the bigger picture of America's World War II vets and how many we are losing every day. It also looks at the lives of the Japanese lost in the atomic bomb explosions, and talks about how many more lives could have been lost if the…… [Read More]

Oedipus Rex Oedipus Is the

His physical loss of sight is penance for the lack of insight he had at the start of the play. He has exchanged physical sight for mental insight into the truth.

4. Rhetorically, Oedipus uses the diction of a king at the beginning of a play. He plays the role of one in power, and of a person in full control of and with confidence in himself. When his people approaches him with a problem, he therefore reacts with confidence that he can solve it. He is fearless and strong in his position, as shown in lines 10-15. He is so confident that he can take care of any problem that he promises to do so even before hearing what the trouble is. Indeed, he believes that the only thing that can possibly keep him from helping the supplicants with their problem would be the hardness of his heart. This…… [Read More]

Oedipus the King by and

Sophocles writes, "Tiresias: That's your truth? Now hear mine: honor the curse your own mouth spoke. From this day on, don't speak to me or to your people here. You are the plague. You poison your own land" (Sophocles, 2004, p. 47). Each of these men has positive qualities, but their tragic flaw outweighs these qualities, and leads to pity and their downfall in the end. In addition, their tragic ends have tragic consequences on those around them, which is another element these two works have in common.

It is interesting to see the similarities in the plotting of these dramas as well. Essentially, they follow the tragic character from a turning point in their lives to the culmination of their problems and how they choose to face them. Their families and loved ones are left behind to sort out their lives without them, while they take the "easy" way…… [Read More]

Women in Greek and Hebrew

Deborah is believed to have played a key role in public arena.

Even in the male dominant society of Israel, Deborah's orders were followed and people looked up to her for advice. In the position of a prophetess, she could give orders which were readily followed: "She sent for Barak...and said to him, 'The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: "Go, take with you ten thousand men..."" Barak was not willing to go alone and wanted Deborah to accompany him. Deborah is an important figure in ancient Hebrew culture and it is through her that we can see how this culture allowed women to have some freedom in their restricted sphere.

The daughter of Jephthah was another prominent figure. She was also a judge who ruled Israel as she was a woman of strong faith. After her father promised Lord that if he won, he would offer "whatever comes…… [Read More]

Oedipus Rex the Delphic Oracle

When the play opens, a plague has overcome Thebes, and so Oedipus has sent Creon to consult the oracle of Apollo to seek a solution. Creon reports that the oracle has declared that Laius's murderer must be found and banished from Thebes, only then will the plague be lifted. Oedipus sends for the blind prophet, Teiresias, to tell him who killed Laius. Teiresias names Oedipus as the killer and says that his marriage to Iocasta is sinful, and reminds him of his parents' curse. Iocasta and Oedipus exchange stories of their pasts. Then a messenger arrives announcing the death of Polybus, King of Cornith. Oedipus is relieved believing that he has escaped the prophecy. However, the messenger tells him that it was he who took Oedipus to Cornith. The servant confirms this, and thus the truth is revealed and the prophecy has been fulfilled after all.

Oedipus is an honorable…… [Read More]

Behavior Prejudice and Social Psychology Gender-Based Stereotypes

behavior?

Prejudice and social psychology

Gender-based stereotypes and influence of society

Cultural impact of host cultures

The contribution of Stanley Milgram has been significant in the field of social psychology. Milgram conducted experiments of human behavior in a laboratory setting and concluded that obedience to authority usually disregards moral or legal normative standards. An individual's behavior is thus shaped by the environment, people around, and his figure of authority. "Because humans are social animals, human behavior is strongly influenced by behavior of other humans; this influence is often very direct"(Aarts & Dijksterhuis, 2003; Pg. 18). The current paper investigates as to what extent the human behavior is influenced by others. The paper adopts an investigative approach and cites peer reviewed articles to substantiate the discussion. Social identity theory is also an important theoretical explanation that explains how and why an individual voluntarily gets influenced from socially constructed relationships.

Introduction

Stanley…… [Read More]

Sophocles Oedipus

Sophocles' Oedipus the King

Look up and/or reflect on the meaning of:

Tragedy: A tragedy is any event which causes great suffering and stress, such as the death of a loved one or a natural disaster. In the context of Greek literature, tragedy was the most popular form of theatre, with storytellers relying on the rhetorical technique of tragic irony to create emotionally resonant tales of lost love and territorial conquest.

Philosophy: The overall study of the human condition, reality, metaphysics, and other pursuits of higher intelligence.

Psychology: The scientific study of the human mind, including cognitive function, perception, attention, emotion and behavior.

Logic: The fundamental application of reasoning to the pursuit of problem solving, a function which only the human mind is known to hold the capacity to perform.

Ethics: The branch of philosophy which postulates certain standards which should be used to guide proper human conduct.

Mathematics: The…… [Read More]

Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many

Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands by Mary Seacole and Middlemarch by George Eliot may seem like strange texts to read in consort. The latter is one of the classic texts of 19th century literature, written by a Englishwoman brought up in a strict religious tradition who later exchanged her faith for that of secular humanism and Darwinism. Middlemarch is a sprawling, weighty novel, filled with overlapping plots that only (and then, really, only tangentially) come together at the end. The former is an autobiography written by Mary Seacole, a freeborn Jamaican Creole, who claimed that she used the energy and vitality received from her Scottish father and the healing skills taught to her by her Jamaican "doctress" mother to become a practicing war nurse. (Seacole 1-2) However, the two texts powerfully demonstrate that the lives of Victorian women were far more autonomous in practice than traditional Victorian…… [Read More]