Oedipus Rex and Antigone
Characters:
Oedipus:
The central character in Sophocles’ plays known as the Oedipus Cycle. He was left to die as a child by his father Laius
because an oracle predicted that Laius’ son would kill him and then marry his mother. Oedipus was rescued and raised by the king of
a neighboring city. Oedipus was known for his great intelligence and wisdom although he fails to realize the truth about his past.
Creon:
Linked to Oedipus by marriage, he is seen as a potentially great, but unwilling substitute for Oedipus. He returns in Antigone
and has become increasingly similar to Oedipus. He goes from being a great man in the first part of the cycle and becomes a tragic
loss in the last part.
Teiresias:
A blind wise man and seer that repeatedly hints about Oedipus’ past and to the fact that Oedipus already fulfilled the
prophesy he had run away from. He is repeatedly ignored by Oedipus and later Creon ignores the soothsayer’s warnings about the
downfall of Thebes.
Iocaste:
Iocaste is mother and wife to Oedipus and the sister of Creon.
Antigone:
She is the daughter of Iocaste and Oedipus. In addition, she maintains a greater degree of honor and dignity throughout her
many appearances in the Oedipus Cycle. Her most important appearance is as the protagonist of Antigone.
Ismene:
She plays a position that is in opposition to Antigone and exists to show the honor and courage of her sister.
Haimon:
He appears in Antigone with his original purpose being to marry Antigone.
Plot Summaries:
Oedipus Rex:
Thebes is struck with a plague and so Oedipus travels to Delphi to ask the oracle what Thebes did to anger the gods. He
learns that the former king Laius’ killer must be brought to justice and so Oedipus has all available people help to search for the killer.
Teiesias tries to help Oedipus, but does not give the king a satisfactory reply; he told Oedipus that he was the murderer. Oedipus, not
being very happy with the accusation beings to insult both he seer and Creon and accuse them of treason. After speaking to Iocaste,
he learns that he very well may have killed Laius and fulfilled the original Delphic prediction. Oedipus delves into his past and
discovers who he really is and that he did kill his father and marry his mother. By the time, he learns the truth Iocaste has killed
herself and so Oedipus pries out his eyes and begins to wander the countryside.
Antigone:
The final part of the Oedipus Cycle focuses around Creon’s fall from grace and Antigone’s responses to his actions. Her
brothers fought and killed one another in a bid to control Thebes. The attacker Ploynices is left to rot on the battlefield on orders from
Creon and Antigone goes alone to properly bury her brother. A sentry catches Antigone and Creon condemns her to death. Haimon
tries to defend Antigone and speaks out against Creon, but Creon ignores his son. He seals Antigone in a cave and leaves her to die,
but soon after Teiresias speaks to Creon about the wrath of the gods and Creon goes to free Antigone. She is found dead hanging and
Haimon attempts to kill Creon but dies on his own sword. Upon hearing, the news of his death Creon’s wife kills herself and Creon
must live with his grief.
Themes:
Blindness to the truth:
Oedipus is often told by Teiresias the truth about his past, but the king ignores the seer and focuses his attentions elsewhere.
He refuses to acknowledge anything that could potentially implement him in the death of the former king Laius. Oedipus’ name refers
to the swollen feet he has because of them being pierced when Laius left him to die. Even during the recounting of the story of the
“lost son”, he refuses to see any references to himself.
Free Will:
Sophocles: Oedipus Rex
Main Characters:
Oedipus- son of Laios and Iocaste, father of Antigone (Iocaste is the mother), main
character whose was prophesied at birth that he would kill his father and marry his mother.
Laios- former King of Thebes, father of Oedipus (whom kills him as prophesied)
Creon- King of Thebes after Polyneices and Eteocles die, brother of Iocaste
Teiresias- Blind wise man and prophet
Iocaste (Jocaste)- wife of Laios until killed by Oedipus (her son), then became Oedipus’ wife, mother of Antigone (with Oedipus)
**Don’t forget the Chorus’s role in the drama**
Plot:
The play, Oedipus Rex, follows the life of Oedipus after he realizes who he is. After a plague affects Thebes over a long time,
Oedipus seeks the murderer of Laios, in order to free the people from the plague. The irony behind Oedipus’ actions and unawareness
is the foundation for the play.
Themes:
Irony (dramatic) is a major component to this play as well as mistaken/true identity. Oedipus Rex can be applied to any question
referring to a great tragedy, and/or the fall of man and power. (The search to find one’s self?) Morality is also an issue in the play.
Quotations:
P17 “How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be/ When there’s no help in truth!...”
- Teiresias
P22 “… You mock my blindness, do you?/ But I say that you live, with both your eyes, are blind:/ You can not see the wretchedness
of your life,…” -Teiresias
P32 “You do wrong/ When you take good men for bad, bad men for/ good./ …In time you will know this well:/ For time, and time
alone, will show the just man,/ Though scoundrels are discovered in a day.” – Creon
*P41-44 Oedipus remembers his past*
P51 “Why should anyone in this world be afraid,/ Since fate rules us and nothing can be foreseen?/ A man should live only for the
present day.” – Iocaste
*P73-81 Oedipus’ closing speeches*
Sophocles: Antigone
Main Characters:
Antigone- daughter of Oedipus and Iocaste, sister to Polyneices and Ismene, the fiancé of
Haimon
Ismene- daughter of Oedipus and Iocaste, sister to Antigone
Eurydice- wife of Creon
Creon- King of Thebes after Polyneices and Eteocles die, brother of Iocaste
Haimon- son of Creon, engaged to Antigone
Teiresias- Blind wise man and prophet
**Don’t forget the Chorus’s role in the drama**
Plot:
After the death of Oedipus’s sons, Eteocles and Polyneices (they killed each other in battle), Creon (taking to the throne)
decides to bury Eteocles while Polyneices is not to be buried or mourned since he “broke his exile.” Antigone wants to bury her
brother regardless of his actions, and tells her sister Ismene to help her by stating, “And now you can prove what you truly are:/ A true
sister, or a traitor to your family (190).” Creon finds out that Antigone tried to bury her brother and decides to let Ismene live while
Antigone dies. Teiresias warns Creon to bury Polyneices so that his son, Haimon, would not die. When Creon decides to bury
Polyneices, it was too late. Antigone already hung herself, Haimon then kills himself, and at this news Eurydice kills herself.
Themes:
There are a few themes that really stand out in Antigone. Betrayel is one of the most important themes since Antigone does
not want to betray her brother by letting him go without a burial. Dramatic irony and tragedy are also crucial to the play, so questions
that ask for a discussion on dramatic irony or a great tragedy can be answered using Antigone. Pride and power are main themes in this
play since Creon does not want to look weak to his people by letting a “traitor” get a burial. Creon’s pride results in the death of his
family.
Quotations:
P191 “For what his own search brought to light, his eyes/ Ripped out by his own hand…” -Ismene discussing her father’s, Oedipus,
fate
P192 “It is the dead,/ Not the living, who make the longest demands:/ We die forever…”
-Antigone
P197 “No one values friendship more highly than I; but we must remember that friends made at the risk of wrecking our Ship are not
real friends at all.” –Creon
P202 “A fortune won is often misfortune.” –Creon
P210 “All these men here would praise me/ Were their lips not frozen shut with fear of you.” –Antigone
P218 “The reasonable thing is to learn from those who/ can teach.” –Haimon