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Oedipus the king character analysis
Tragedy of antigone
Oedipus the king character analysis
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The play Antigone is a Greek tragedy which results in a disastrous outcome where Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, commits suicide to make up for the improper burial/remembrance of one of her brothers, Polyneices, and to express a point in acting for what is right as a symbol of morality. The play ends as the king, Creon, realizes he is at fault for the results taken place and the chorus saying wisdom is gained upon the punishment.
The chorus consists of a group of older men keeping the audience updated with the direction of the play. The chorus’ opinions towards Creon’s actions are important due to the myths they believe in and conflict they do not want to occur. In the beginning of the play, Creon states he does not want to bury Polyneices as a form of superiority over his people. In lines 230-240, the chorus intervenes and states how irrational of him it would act because his people would not consider of disobeying him. Either way, Creon decides to leave him unburied to abide by his monarch standing and plan.
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For example, the chorus prepares the audience in a tragedy in store involving Antigone through song and prayer. In line 875, the chorus stresses to Antigone her death will only be inflicted by herself rather than an act of heroism. As well as in line 885 and on, the chorus is conversing with Antigone trying to give her reasons not to act upon anger, as well utter the difference in Antigone being a mortal instead a god. Doing this foreshadows a rising action involving her later. The chorus also tells Antigone in line 920 her own temper has destroyed her in making decisions based on the inspiration of other
Just as Newsweek, a form of media today informs the public about whether TV is good or bad for children, the chorus informs the audience about the play, Antigone. In the play, the chorus narrates the play and tells the audience what's happening. "These two only, brothers in blood, face to face in matchless rage, mirroring each the other's death, clashed in long combat" (Sophocles 314). The chorus gives background information such as this to better understand the plot of the play. The chorus is like a reporter on the news or a writer of this article. The chorus in Antigone interacts with the characters by asking questions just as a journalist would do in an article or interview. "But now at last our new King is coming: Creon of Thebes, Menoikeus son. In this auspicious dawn of his reign what are the new complexities that shifting Fate has woven for him? What is his counsel? Why has he summoned the old men to hear him?...
In the play Antigone Sophocles presents the tragic consequence of a bloated ego. The play is set in Thebes, Greece before the Common Era. King Oedipus renounces his throne after discovering that he has unknowingly married his mother and inadvertently killed his father leaving the thrown to his wife’s brother, Creon (725). Oedipus’s two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, die in war. The newly crowned King Creon, buries Eteocles with full honors for his support of Thebes and refuses the burial of Polyneices as punishment for fighting against Thebes. The play’s name sake and daughter of Oedipus, Antigone, is forced to go against the command of her uncle to bury her brother and is sentenced to imprisonment until death for defying his command. Haimon, Creon’s son, hears of his future bride’s sentence and attempts to reason with his father. However, blinded by rage and ego Creon will not listen to reason.
In the Antigone, unlike the Oedipus Tyrannus, paradoxically, the hero who is left in agony at the end of the play is not the title role. Instead King Creon, the newly appointed and tyrannical ruler, is left all alone in his empty palace with his wife's corpse in his hands, having just seen the suicide of his son. However, despite this pitiable fate for the character, his actions and behavior earlier in the play leave the final scene evoking more satisfaction than pity at his torment. The way the martyr Antigone went against the King and the city of Thebes was not entirely honorable or without ulterior motives of fulfilling pious concerns but it is difficult to lose sight of the fact that this passionate and pious young woman was condemned to living imprisonment.
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.
Unlike poetic forms of literature, which do not require a conflict or a resolution in order to work, drama requires both elements in order to be successful. In Sophocles’ famous play, Antigone, it was conflict that drove the story along and it was the resounding resolution that left audiences with a gratifying feeling that hasn’t faltered for centuries. While the roles of both elements are indisputably important to the success of any play, however, there is still much disagreement among literary critics concerning the central conflict of Antigone. Some critics, such as Robin Fox, speculate that the main conflict is the struggle between family loyalty and “kinship rights of burial” (Allbaugh para. 5). Still others believe that the central conflict is the will of the individual verses the will of the State (DeWitt 1). While there is considerable merit to what these critics say, however, the ultimate conflict in Antigone is arguably the struggle between the will of the mortals, the will of the State, and the will of the gods.
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.
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's loyalty and stubbornness lead her to make irrational decisions eventually causing her death. Sophocles’s Greek tragedy, Antigone, shows how acting on emotions can lead to negative consequences and suffering. Throughout the play, Antigone keeps steady with her beliefs and always does what she thinks is right. Antigone's strong loyalty to her family and to the gods, as well as her stubbornness bring upon an early death. This shows readers that acting on emotions, especially negative ones, always have consequences.
A key factor in the power of her speech is Antigone’s consideration for her audiences. The first of these audiences is Creon the king of Thebes. Creon is receiving this argument as an explanation for Antigone’s defiance of his law. Creon’s statement, “And yet you dared defy the law,” evokes this response, in which Antigone says, “Your edict, King, was strong,” (“Antigone” 1035 Line 56-59). This confirms that her argument is directed towards the king. The second audience is the people of Thebes. In the play, the chorus represents the citizens of Thebes. They are almost always present when the king speaks, and this scene is no exception. Anitgone forms her argument to appeal to the thoughts and emotions of the citizens.
The Antigone is widely thought of as the tragic heroine of the play bearing her name. She would seem to fit the part in light of the fact that she dies doing what is right. Antigone buries her brother Polynices, but Creon does not like her doing that one bit. Creon says to Antigone, "Why did you try to bury your brother? I had forbidden it. You heard my edict. It was proclaimed throughout Thebes. You read my edict. It was posted up on the city walls." (Pg. 44) Antigone buries her brother without worrying about what might happen to her. By doing this, she takes into consideration death and other consequences for burying her brother. Antigone follows what she thinks is right according to the gods. She is the supporter of her actions in the burial of Polynices.
The failures of Creon leadership represent the limitations of autocratic government and thereby serve to promote democracy. At the play’s opening, Creon is portrayed sympathetically. He presents his decree preventing the burial of Polynices as just retribution for his crimes against Thebes and as an effective way to prevent pollution (Sophocles 62). He feels further vindicated because the chorus, consisting of elder representatives of the populace, supports the decree. Even Antigone’s impassioned defence, which invokes the “unwritten and unfailing” (73) laws of the gods, appears to have no impact on the chorus, who states that “she does not know how to bend amidst her troubles” (74). This perception of Creon begins to shift upon Antigone’s death sentence. Although the punishment seems as cruel and excessive, Creon firmly believes it to be a necessary deed. He is “eager to display his full control of a crisis barely averted...
The play is about a strong-willed woman, Antigone, defying the laws of a proud king, Creon. Antigone is torn between her devotion to the gods, her brother Polynices, and her loyalty to the king. Creon, ruler of Thebes, issued the order to leave the traitor Polynices’ body unburied.
In order for a play to be considered a tragedy it must achieve the purgation of fear and pity. In the play “Antigone”, Sophocles does a great job of bringing out these two emotions in a reader. At the beginning of the play there is a conversation between Antigone and her sister Ismene. During the conversation the reader learns the two girls lost their father in battle and both of their brothers at the hands of one another. Then the reader learns that one of the brothers, Polynices, has been left out to die without a proper burial. At this time the reader begins to feel pity for the two sisters. They have lost their father and their two brothers all at the same time.
In the story of Antigone, Oedipus has already died, his two sons. Polyneices and Eteocles, left to contend for the throne of Thebes. In their contention for the throne, the two brothers slay one another, leaving Creon once again to be the acting regent of Thebes. With this power, Creon declares that Polyneices must be left to rot on the battlefield, the highest disgrace to any Greek. Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, is left torn between state of family, and in the end, chooses family over state. Disregarding Creon's edict with grave danger to herself, Antigone ventures to bury the body of Polyneices, and thus begins her adventure. Antigone is truly a tragic hero, marked by her station as son of Oedipus, and her proud and perhaps arrogant characteristics which will lead to her eventual, inevitable, tragic ending. At the start of her tale, Antigone is the daughter of royalty, but more then that, a daughter of a horrible tragedy: through an unwitting horror story, her father, Oedipus, was also her brother, as Oedipus was married to his mother before she killed herself upon discovering the truth. Before his death, Oedipus had blinded himself, adding to the tragedy. However, Antigone's own tragedy was still unfolding. Through her proud and unrelenting character, Antigone is determined to give her brother a rightful burial, despite Creon's edict.
or someone out to help the common man, but later in the play he becomes more and