I found Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Antigone two captivating and intriguing plays. I chose to examine these plays in depth because I am drawn to Sophocles’ poetic style, particularly the sharp imagery, dramatic prose, and rhythmic flow his work achieves. Although Sophocles wrote both plays as poems, the English translator of Oedipus the King, Bernard M. W. Knox, decided to adapt the text as an “acting version” for the stage, as stated in the translator’s preface. He also crafts sympathetic characters whose journeys pose deep philosophical questions for the reader to contemplate and analyze. He effectively employs literary techniques such as dramatic irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing to develop his characters and the plays’ central themes. In addition, his work offers readers a glimpse into ancient Greek culture by exploring how the roles of gender and the gods shape a character’s quest for truth. Thus, altogether, Sophocles employs a combination of literary devices and commentary on Greek culture and society in Oedipus the King and Antigone to reveal the importance of following one's heart and remaining committed to the truth, no matter how painful, dangerous, or tragic the consequences.
To begin, one primary literary device that Sophocles employs in Oedipus the King is dramatic irony. Early on in the play, through Oedipus’s encounter with the blind prophet Tiresias, the reader is asked to question who the real blind man is in Thebes. Though Tiresias is literally blind, Oedipus is figuratively blind, because he is blind to the truth of his identity. Sophocles therefore uses irony not only to show the contrast between the blindness of these two characters, but as a tool for realizing tragedy. For example, Tiresias tells O...
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... though he is figuratively blind to the truth of the literally blind prophet Tiresias’s words, and his wife Jocasta deters him in his pursuit to discover that truth, he ultimately confronts his tragic destiny. Here, the reader moreover sees how masterful Sophocles is at employing irony, foreshadowing, and symbolism to contrast Oedipus’s blind ignorance to Tiresias’s physical blindness as a guise for divine truth. Through analyzing both Oedipus the King and Antigone I have not only developed a deeper understanding of Sophocles’ literary brilliance, but I have also gained sharper insight into Greek society and the role of gender and the gods in complicating tragedy and the pursuit of truth. I found Oedipus and Antigone particularly sympathetic characters; both remind me of the importance of staying true to oneself and following one’s heart even at the risk of death.
Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. Prentice Hall Literature, Platinum. Eds. Eileen Thompson, et al. Englewood Cliffs: Simon and Schuster, 1991.
In the awe-inspiring play of Antigone, Sophocles introduces two remarkable characters, Antigone and Creon. A conflict between these two obstinate characters leads to fatal consequences for themselves and their kindred. The firm stances of Creon and Antigone stem from two great imperatives: his loyalty to the state and her dedication to her family, her religion but most of all her conscience. The identity of the tragic hero of this play is still heavily debated. This tragedy could have been prevented if it had not been for Creon's pitiful mistakes.
Sophocles. Antigone, Oedipus the King, Electra. Trans. H. D. F. Kitto. New York: Oxford University Press, 1962.
Sophocles’ use of symbolism and irony is shown in Oedipus Tyrannus through his use of the notion of seeing and blindness. This common motif is extended throughout the play and takes on a great significance in the development of the plot. In an effort to escape his god given prophecy, Oedipus tragically falls into the depths of unthinkable crimes as a result of the mental blindness of his character; thus never escaping his lot.
People are undisputedly faced with the challenge to grow and encounter headfirst all the unexpected changes life throws at them. Change, perhaps the solitary constant factor of life, drives people to make decisions that will be reciprocated with an unforeseen event. This principle of life is applied as an underlying web of the plethora of ironies throughout all of Antigone. Set in the age of reconstruction in Thebes, no doubt due to the aftershock of a war between brothers and their ongoing family curse, Sophocles’s constant use of irony in Antigone around Creon, the king of Thebes, indicates that the ironic nature of man contributes and lurks in their ultimate demise.
In Sophocles play, Antigone, the reader explores many aspects of a Greek tragedy. In this play, a complex family follows a series of mishaps after hearing from a “seer.” After the family thinks they have overcome the worst, they then endure two brothers fighting over both of their rightful places on the throne. In the end, both of them die, but one, Eteocles, was buried a king, and the other, Polynices was left to be untouched a “traitor.” Their sister, Antigone, feels it is her rightful to disobey her uncle, Creon, who sets a decree that declares Policies was to be left unburied. She called this “the doom reserved for enemies marches on the ones we love the most” (Fagles 1984, 59).
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
Segal, Charles. Introduction. Antigone. By Sophocles. Trans. Reginald Gibbons and Charles Segal. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print.
Boston: Pearson, 2013. 1396-1506. Print. The. Sophocles. “Oedipus the King” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing.
The most effective feature utilized by Sophocles is irony because it builds tension, keeps the audience alert and has the effect of black comedy. The most common kind of irony is spoken irony which occurs in most dialogues. Oedipus bans himself in the beginning ?His fate will be nothing worse Than banishment? (Sophocles 31) which is ironic. This example has both a tension building effect and an amusing effect on the audience, which further engages them. When Oedipus is talking to his real mother, Jocasta he says ?still to fear?my mother?? (Sophocles 52) it has an amusing effect on the audience. The overuse of irony is very effective because Sophocles is constantly recycling it, which gives a more humorous and irritating aspect to the play.
In Ancient Greece the existence of gods and fate prevailed. In the Greek tragedy King Oedipus by the playwright Sophocles these topics are heavily involved. We receive a clear insight into their roles in the play such as they both control man's actions and that challenging their authority leads to a fall.
In the play "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, the author presents us with several instances of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play. Dramatic irony plays an important part in "Oedipus the King", because it is used to describe Oedipus' character as arrogant and blind toward the truth. The audience is expected to understand Oedipus' history well before he does. In the first three episodes, Oedipus uses a lot of dramatic irony in his speeches.
In ancient Thebes, where Oedipus and his family have demolished any sense of peace, the esteemed elder Teiresias has served as an assistant and protector of the city’s royalty by exposing their fate since the times of Oedipus’ rule. This venerable prophet, physically blind but spiritually enlightened, moves the story by informing Creon, and the readers, of the deaths of several characters in the play. Not only does Teiresias affect the final act, but his presence ultimately cements the character development of Creon’s character, and is the theme’s major connection with fate and free will. In Sophocles’ Antigone, Teiresias’s character functions as a catalyst for the third act and serves an overall embodiment of the theme.
Sophocles’ Antigone is a text rich with layers of meaning. In this essay, I intend to uncover some of these layers in order to assert the extent to which Antigone is responsible for her tragic end. I will argue that the protagonist is responsible for her own actions – actions that by her own choice result in her death. The catalyst for said death, however, is the result of other characters and events. I will focus particularly on the edict of Creon and his role in the tragedy, as it is the juxtaposition of their beliefs, which results in both of their tragic endings. Throughout the essay I will analyse scholarly works on the subject, as well as the events in the text itself, in order to weigh the ultimate accountability of Antigone.
Irony used from beginning to end and with each statement made by Oedipus about finding the killer of Laius. Although the audience is familiar with the story they are fully invested in Oedipus. Because Sophocles uses irony in his play it makes the audience empathize with the protagonist. Oedipus becomes human, a tangible character that experiences the same emotions as everyday people. The thing that makes Oedipus even more human is that he is a victim of a fate assigned to him before he was born. He unknowingly carries out the prophecy destined for him which leads to the discovery that he was abandoned at birth by his biological parents; with this discovery a sense of his identity is taken from him. A character so arrogant normally does not receive empathy from the audience, however, he is still very much an innocent fragile human being punished for his father’s defiance. Sophocles used irony to bring a new twist to a familiar story. The use of irony keeps the audience ahead of the protagonist yet still eagerly awaiting his reaction to the obstacles before him; even though they know his fate the audience wants to see how he deals with his unfortunate