Sophocles’ Antigone
5th century B.C.
Greek Tragedy
 Greek tragedy is usually
centered on the
suffering of a major
character and ends in
disaster.
 No one knows for sure how tragedy writing
began but by the time Sophocles wrote, tragedy
was a highly developed dramatic form.
 Tragedy is strongly linked
with religious ritual
and artistic performance.
 It uses poetic language
and song.
Greek Religion
 The Greeks believed that the good will of
the gods determined the city’s welfare.
 The fulfillment of religious duty and
patriotism were often synonymous.
 The citizens must follow the gods’ orders or
they would bring evil on their city.
Tragedy Characters
 Characters had
human traits but were
larger than life.
 The characters often
symbolize universal
ideas.
The Trilogy
 Tragedies were presented as a part of a trilogy.
 Much of the plays were based on myths that
were familiar to the Greeks of this time.
 This made it possible for the playwright to
include allusions without having to explain the
allusion.
Greek Theater
 Theater was a
celebration in ancient
Greece.
 Festivals were held to
honor Dionysos
 NOTE: Watch for
allusions to Dionysos
during the play.
 One of the twelve
major gods of Mount
Olympus
 God of poetry, drama,
the song, and wine
 Son of Zeus and
Semele (or
Persephone)
 Believed to be able
to take the form of
animals to be
sacrificed
 Worshipped during
He was believed to have died
every winter and revived every
spring.
the festival and
given credit for
being able to have
drama
 During these festivals,
the Athenians would watch
competitions between
playwrights.
 The plays would depict
events that exposed arrogance
and that emphasized reverence for the gods.
 Thousands of people would watch the plays
in the outdoor theaters.
 Seats rose in a
semicircle from a
level orchestra
area.
 Plays had limited
number of
characters
 No curtains to allow
for change of
scenery so scenes
were interspersed
with songs.
 There was no violence or irreverence shown
on stage.
 Both ideas (violence and irreverence) were
important to the plots of many plays.
 All the violent acts happened off stage and
were reported to the audience and characters
through dialogue.
Masks
 Made of linen, wood, or
cork
 “Larger than life”
 Identified age, gender,
emotion
 Exaggerated features-
large eyes, open mouth
 Amplified sound
Presentation of Plays
 Playwrights used the same format for most of their
plays.
 Plays opened with a Prologue or Exposition
 The Prologue presented the background information of
the conflict.
 The chorus always
sang a parodos, or an
opening song.
 This was followed by
the first scene.
 The chorus song,
called an ode, divided
scenes.
 So what serves the
same purpose as the
chorus in modern
theater?
The Chorus
 The role of the chorus was central to the production and
important in interpreting the meaning of plays.
 During the odes, a leader (called the choragos), would
sometimes have a discussion with others in the chorus.
 At the conclusion of the play, the chorus would give
thanks to Dionysos and there would be an exodos (final
exiting scene).
Chorus
 Contained 15 men who chanted and danced
 Choragos--the spokesman or leader of the chorus
 Commented on the action of the play and interpreted its
meaning for the audience in chants and odes
Function of the Chorus
 Sets the overall mood and expresses theme
 Adds beauty (theatrical effectiveness) through song and
expressive dance
 Gives background information
 Divides action and offers reflections on events
 Questions, advises, expresses opinion (choragos)
Chorus
Location of the chorus
Conventions of Greek Drama
 UNITIES- a way of providing a central focus to
a play. Aristotle believed perfect tragedies
had:
 Unity of Action--simple plot
 Unity of Time--single day
 Unity of Place--one scene throughout with no
mixture of tragedy and comedy
TRAGEDY
 A serious play that
depicts the fall of a
noble character
 Character in conflict
with forces beyond
his/her control
Tragedy
A person of importance, such as a
king or a princess, moves from
happiness to disaster through
some character flaw or error in
judgment, or through the forces of
fate.
Tragic Hero
 Of noble birth (highly
regarded)
 Acts nobly or honorably
 Makes choices that lead to
a situation from which
there is no escape
 Has a tragic flaw that
leads to his destruction
Aristotle's Definition of a tragic
hero:
1. Comes from nobility
2. Tragic Flaw
3. Undergoes a Reversal of Fortune
4. Has a Downfall
5. Recognizes his mistakes
Tragedy
• Tragedy is meant to reaffirm the fact
that life is worth living, regardless of
the suffering or pain that is part of
human existence.
• Tragedies are about people in conflict
with the universe.
Tragedies are always about spiritual conflicts, never about every
day events.
The Oedipus Myth
 The Greek playwright
Sophocles wrote 3
tragedies about the
royal family of Thebes, a
city in Northeastern
Greece.
 The tragedies include:
Oedipus the King,
Oedipus at Colonus, and
Antigone.
Abandoned at Birth
 Oedipus was abandoned at birth by his parents,
Theban King Laios and his wife, Iocaste.
 A fortuneteller said that the infant would kill his father
and marry his mother.
 Trying to avoid this fate, the couple had a servant,
who was supposed to kill the baby, take Oedipus to a
mountaintop to be left.
 The servant felt sorry for the baby
and gave him to a childless couple
in a distant city.
 The couple never told the baby that
he was adopted.
 When he was an adult, he traveled
to Thebes where he killed a man
not knowing that he was Laios.
 After several other daring
adventures, Oedipus becomes the
hero of Thebes.
A Royal Marriage
 Iocaste, now a widow, agreed to marry the champion.
 The couple lived happily, and raised four children of
their own.
 Then a plague befell the city.
 During the investigation of the plague, Oedipus learns
the facts about his birth.
 In horror, Icoste kills
herself, and Oedipus
blinds himself.
 Icoste’s brother, Creon,
takes full control of
Thebes.
 Creon allows one of
Oedipus’ children,
Antigone, to lead
Oedipus into exile where
he died.
A Daughter Mourns
 Antigone, her sister Ismene,
and her brothers Eteocles and
Polyneices were deeply troubled
about their background.
 The curse that befell Thebes
caused Oedipus to fulfill his own
prophecy and to condemn his
sons to kill each other for
control of Thebes.
Order Restored
 By the time the play Antigone opens, Creon has restored
some order to Thebes.
 The civil war between Eteocles and Polyneices ended
because they killed each other in combat.
 Eteocles had supported Creon so he was buried with
honors.
 Polyneices rebelled against Creon so Creon ordered for
his body to be left unburied to rot.
Antigone’s
decision to
disobey this
order is
central to
the play!