Annotated Bibliography
Antigone is a tragic play. Tragic plays are dated back to the era, of Dionysos. Dionysos is an ancient religious ritual celebration thee God of Wine and fertility. The celebration because annual festivals were authors coming and display their plays to the city of Athens. The plays were performed on opened- aired theatre with all men performing them. Tragedy plots were inspired from Greek mythology and religion. Religion and the divine Law played a enormous part on Antigone’s actions (Ancient Greek.)
Antigone is a play written by Sophocles around 442 BC. Sophocles is known for his modern techniques. Sophocles’ work is known as the pinnacle of the Greek tragedy. Sophocles was very popular in his era. He served as treasurer of the Delian League and also General of Athenian army. Because Sophocles was widely known, his play were very popular. He received first prize at the drama festival when he was only twenty- eight. He wrote about one hundred and twenty- three plays for Aten's theater using tragedy and major conflicts (The Greek Theatre.) These techniques are used in the play, Antigone, to display the conflict between
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individual and power of the state. Antigone as an individual has the option to follow her action or to follow the law. Although either way she will face consequences for her actions (Sophocles.) When reading the play Antigone, you will not know the full story without reading “Oedipus the King.” The play is about The King Laius of Thebes learning from an oracle that he was going to be killed by his son. Because of this, Laius want Jocasta, to kill the baby but instead she gives the baby away. Later the baby, Oedipus grows up and marries Jocasta, not knowing that she is actually his Mother. When the truth comes out, Jocasta hangs herself in the bedroom and Oedipus plunges out his own eyes. Oedipus leaves Thebes and Creon is now in charge to look after his two daughters, Antigone and Ismene. Then starting the play Antigone (Oedipus the King.) Antigone is a play about the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta.
The play starts off with Antigone discussing what happened with her brothers Polyneices and Eteocles, with her sister, Ismene. Antigone wants her sister to come and help her give their brother Polynices a burial because she was not given one. Ismene decides not to help her sister becuases she is scared of the law Creon declared. Anyone who buries Polyneices will be punished. Croen is surprised to find out that Antigone buried Polyneices because she is a woman. To make an example out of her and to not lose his pride as a king. Antigone later dies and Hamaon, Creon’s son kills himself because Antigone was his soon to be wife. Since Hamaon died Creon’s wife killed herself because she could not bear to lose her son. The play Antigone is a Tragedy
(Antigone.) The play Antigone gives many different tones and themes. Natalie Haynes describes “ the idea that you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide was shown to be a mockery. Antigone does not hide anything from what she did when she is questioned. Though she is still persecuted for her actions. When persecuted, Antigone has fear set in her mind. She fears of never getting married or not even being able to see the light of day. The play Antigone has many themes. (Antigone: Freedom) Another theme displayed in the play Antigone is Pride. One could say that Antigone had excessive pride and that is why she will not allow for her brother to be eaten and destroyed by a scavenger. As a result, she goes against Creon’s Law to satisfy her pride. Another example of a character with excessive pride is Creon. Creon had pride for is own laws, and is saw that if the citizens of Thebes were not following his law, he was losing his pride as a king (Pride and Power.) Creon’s pride made his turn the whole city to see Polyneices as a trader. Although Polynices and Crean had the same mindset, both of them wanted to have the power of Thebes to rule over by themselves. As a result, both of them lost the battle in tragic ways. (Antigone Theme.) The Nature of tragedy is displayed throughout the play. The Chorus appears to announce tragedy in the play. From the start readers are able to grasp that two brother are dead by each others hand. Then are able to foreshadow that something bad will happen with whoever buries the body of Polyneices. Not only are readers about to draw a conclusion from Ismene's demeanor, readers can tell after reading the story of Oedipus. (Antigone) Many people wonder what Antigone true motivations were for her actions. Many argue that the reason for the action was because of her family ties. Antigone has the rights of an individual. When the play starts, she is shook of what was unfolding and acted instantly. Nevertheless if Polynecies was not her brother it is suspected that she would not have taken action so quickly. (Motivation of Antigone) In the play Antigone, the character Antigone plays the role of a feminist. Antigone defies the gender role, which is showed by her uncle, Creon's attitude toward her. Antigone is someone who will do what she feels s right. Her strength and determination, makes her a strong feminist in both ancient Greeks and modern day women can stand behind (World’s First Feminists.) Even if it meaning losing her life. Antigone follows her beliefs (Role of Women.) Antigone and her Sister are extremely different. Antigone has a free spirit and is a defiant individual. In the article, “ Greek Tragedy” they explain, “ Antigone would have been a strong, successful 90’s type of women with her liberated and strong attitude towards her femininity.” For example when you learns the new law Creon has in place, she can no sit and do nothing, action is taken. On the other hand, her sister Ismene, is dependent and stuck in her perception of her time era. In the beginning of the play readers are able to notice that Ismene accepts her own limitation and also her role and inferiority as a women. (Greek Tragedy.) Work Cited “Antigone.” SparkNotes, SparkNotes, http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/antigone/themes/. “Ancient Greece –Sophocles – Oedipus the King.” Oedipus the King – Sophocles – Ancient Greece – Classical Literature, http://www.ancient-literature.com/greece_sophocles_oedipus_king.html. Cartwright, Mark. “ Ancient Greek Theatre.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 9 June 2018, https://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Theatre/. Denault, Leigh. “ Drama: the greek theatre and Three Athenain Tragedian: Aeschylus, Sopocles, and Euripides.” The Glory that was Greece, http://www.watson.org/~leigh/drama.html. “ Greek Tragedy: Antigone and Ismene Comparison.” SchoolWorkHelper, SchoolWorkHelper, https://schoolworkhelper.net/greek-tragedy-antigone-and-ismene-comparison/. Haynes, Natalie. “ Antigone: Freeom Figher or Terrorist?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 Feb. 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/feb/27/antigone-juliette-binoche-anne-carson-barbican. Nagelsen, Susan. “ Role of Women in Antigone.” Study.com, study.com, https://study.com/academy/lesson/role-of-women-in-antigone.html. “Notees on antigone Themes.” BookRags, BookRags, http://www.bookrags.com/notes/ant/top2.html#gsc.tab=0. Oakes, Meagan. “ Pride and Power : Antigone the Treagedy.” 2006, https://www.uvm.edu/~jbailly/courses/tragedy/student%20second%20documents/oakes2.htm. Sophocles. “Antigone.” Trusted Online research, https://www.questia.com/library/literature/drama/plays/antigone. “Sophocles’ Antigone.” Socphocles Antigone: Antigone’s Age (The classics Pages), http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~loxias/antigone.htm. Sophocles- classics – oxford bibilgraphies- obo. “ Oxford bibliographies, Your Besy Research starts here Obob, 18 may 2018, http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195389661/obo-9780195389661-0063.xml. Sophocles. “Sophocles” Sophocles Brief History – Sophocles, http://www.sophocles.net/listingview.php?listingID=19 Spence, Caitlin. “Sophocles: One of the World’s First Literary Feminist.” https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1193&context=urc. Tutu, Ioana. “ The Motivation of Antigone.” https://www.mcgill.ca/classics/files/classics/2009-10-07.pdf
In the play Antigone, created by Sophocles Antigone is a foil to Creon because their personalities contrast. This makes Creon a Tragic Hero because he thinks that he is a god but in reality he is a mortal upsetting the god's and he will eventually meet his demise. At the start of the play the reader is introduced to a character named Creon, who is the king of Thebes, the previous king, Eteocles, was killed by his brother Polyneices. There is a law arranged by Creon, so nobody could bury the body of Polyneices but Antigone, the sister of both Eteocles and Polyneices, wants to bury her brother and is willing to risk her life to bury him. She eventually gets caught and is sentenced to death by Creon.
The play Antigone by Sophocles is about reason and opinion and reveals how people use their voice to be heard. Antigone uses reasoning and opinions to express their moral beliefs and state laws in the play. People manipulate each other by using these terms to get their way by speaking out and standing up for themselves.
The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices.
A Greek drama is a series of actions within a literary presentation in which the chief character has a disastrous fate. Many Greek dramas fall under the 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. The grand debate over which character can hold the title of the tragic hero has been discussed in the literary world for ages.
A person once said, “The Antigone [is] one of the most sublime and in every respect most excellent works of art of all time” (Hegel). The play Antigone [is] written in the 6th century by the writer Sophocles (Willocks). Sophocles is a play writer and he made tragedies more complex. A tragedy always ends in defeat or death, has a hero who is confronted by hostile forces and has a tragic hero who has to make a choice difficult moral choice. The main character is usually the tragic heroine. A tragic hero is a person who has a dramatic change in fortune, morally good, heroic in stature or social position, true to life and consistent (Willocks). Creon is the king and he believes whatever he said should be obeyed. He did not listen to the Greek
In the play Antigone, the debate over who is the real tragic hero is and the controversy of Greek ideals in the Antigone continues on to this day. Who is the tragic hero in Antigone? Is it Antigone herself or is it Creon the ruler of Thebes? The belief that Antigone is, is a strong one. Still there are people who think Creon is the tragic hero. Antigone is widely thought as the tragic her. The play is named after her. In addition, she is the antagonist in it. Many people usually associate the antagonist, the good guy as a tragic hero. Look at much television shows, especially cartoons, the good person usually wins. Then there are those who might think Creon was the tragic hero because the gods were against him, and that he truly loved his country. There are five criteria or standards you must meet first in order to be a tragic hero. First, you must be a person of high character or status. The character must not be too overwhelmingly evil or good. Then they must be brought from happiness to misery. Then brought from happiness to misery. Second, the hero enacts a harmartia, "wrong act." This either may be a flaw in judgment or an error. Third, the hero experiences a perpateia, reversal of fortune. This is the tragic downfall or plot twist in the story. Fourth, the hero recognizes his or her responsibility. Fifth, the story ends with a catastrophe. The catastrophe either may be an emotional event, this even may be a death.
This play, Antigone, was titled after one of the play’s main characters; however, the title could have been “Creon”, due to Creon’s influence throughout the play. Creon was a major influence to the play’s plot as it involves Creon within a majority of the scenes, from beginning to end. Throughout the play Creon’s tragic countdown is expressed, beginning with him as king of Thebes to the death of his beloved family. Antigone is merely portrayed as a rebellious nephew, as she consistently defies Creon. Antigone is expressed within the play consistently; however, the play portrays decisions proclaimed by Creon, which displays Creon’s tragic flow. Being titled “Antigone”, does not accurately express the play’s content as Creon’s tragic fate is actually being described and represented.
The play “Antigone” is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the reader parts of the form through different characters.
Thebes was invaded by Oedipus’ son, Polynices, and his followers. As Oedipus predicted in the previous play, Polynices and his brother, Eteocles, killed each other during battle. Creon, the king of Thebes, ruled that Eteocles should have a proper burial with honors and Polynices, the invader, be left unburied to rot.
Sophocles’ background influenced him to write Antigone. One important influence on the drama was the author’s life in the “golden era” of Athens during fifth century BCE. In that time, Athens was experiencing much change in all facets, and drama was a major factor in Athenian culture. In his essay “Sophocles,” Ed Downey reports that Sophocles was born at the beginning of the “golden era” in Athens and lived a long life influenced by “the artistic and cultural achievements in the ancient Greek world”. Sophocles was a wealthy and highly educated, “happy man.” As a young man, Sophocles began his playwright career, eventually becoming one of the greatest writers in history although only seven of his works are still intact (1). Similarly, the setting
“Antigone” is a great Greek tragedy by Sophocles. The story is about a young woman who has brother by breaking king’s decree, and now she is punished for obeying God’s law. In the classic model of dramatic structure, two characters move the action of the play from introduction to climax to resolution with their conflict. One of these characters is the protagonist, and the other is the antagonist. The protagonist is a “good guy” and the antagonist is the “bad guy”. In Sophocles’ play Antigone , the lines between protagonist and antagonist are blurred. In the Greek tradition , the title character is the protagonist, but in this play the supposed antagonist, Creon also displays characteristics of protagonist.
Sophocles was able to incorporate Poetics in his tragedy of Antigone. We see two different characters, moved with two different purposes: one ethical and one pathetic. Through the complication and unraveling we see how Antigone embodies the fundamentals of what a Greek tragedy is.
The main part of the story is that Antigone wants to give her brother a proper burial instead of having him rot like her father Creon wanted to do. The first detail about Antigone was that Antigone could do what she wanted with her fallen brother’s body, she first tried to compel her sister to help her but she would not commit, so she defied the gods and made her father, the king furious. Another detail of Antigone was that because she was a female she was never suspected. Creon never suspected that Antigone because she was a woman and it was thought that a man threatened to defy the
Tragedy of Antigone The play “Antigone” by Sophocles displays many qualities that make it a great tragedy. A tragedy is defined as a dramatic or literary work in which the principal character engages in a morally significant struggle ending in ruin or profound disappointment. In creating his tragedy “Antigone”, Sophocles uses many techniques to create the feelings of fear and pity in his readers. This, in turn, creates an excellent tragedy.
Antigone is a play about a woman who disobeyed the King's order to not bury her brother. The play was written by the famous Greek tragedian, Sophocles, in 441 B.C. The story took place in the city of Thebes and the time period is not mentioned. The main characters introduced in the play are of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. The primary focus was centered on Antigone and the consequences she faces after breaking the King's orders.