ALL YOU NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT
ANTIGONE
Power Point by: Kristin Doyon
Sophocles (496 B.C.E.—406 B.C.E.)
-The Greek playwright Sophocles was responsible for several
improvements in the presentation of drama. His tragedies (plays in
which characters suffer because of their actions and usually die) rank
him among the greatest Greek classical dramatists.
-In 468 B.C.E. Sophocles defeated the famous playwright Aeschylus
(525–456 B.C.E. ) in one of the drama contests common at the time. He
gained first prize more than any other Greek dramatist. He was also
known for being friendly and popular. From 443 to 442 B.C.E. he
served the Athenian empire as imperial treasurer, and he was elected
general at least twice. His religious activities included service as a
priest, and he turned over his house for the worship of Asclepius (the
Greek god of medicine) until a proper temple could be built. For this
he was honored with the title Dexion as a hero after his death.
Sophocles had two sons, Iophon and Sophocles, by his first wife,
Nicostrata. He had a third son, Ariston, by his second wife, Theoris.
Courtesy of: http://www.notablebiographies.com/Sc-St/Sophocles.html
Oedipus Rex (429 B.C.E.)
Oedipus Rex (429 B.C.E. ), which many have considered the greatest
play of all time, is not about sex or murder, but man's ability to
survive almost unbearable suffering. The worst of all things
happens to Oedipus: unknowingly he kills his own father, Laius, and
is given his own mother, Jocasta, in marriage after he slays the
Sphinx. When a plague (a bacteria-caused disease that spreads
quickly and can cause death) at Thebes forces him to consult an
oracle (a person through whom a god is believed to speak), he finds
that he himself is the cause of the plague. Sophocles brings up the
question of justice—why is there evil in the world, and why does
the man who is basically good suffer? The world is orderly and
follows natural laws. No matter how good or how well-meaning
man may be, if he breaks a natural law, he will be punished and he
will suffer.
Family Feud
-The title character in Antigone (442–441 B.C.E. ) is a young princess
whose uncle, King Creon, has forbid her to bury her brother
Polynices. Her brother, in attempting to seize the throne from his
brother Eteocles, killed Eteocles in a fight and also died himself.
Antigone has been interpreted as showing the conflict between
devotion to family and devotion to the state.
The Purpose of The Chorus
-For modern readers, the Chorus may be the most alien element of
the play. Greek drama was not meant to be what we would consider
"naturalistic." It was a highly stylized art form: actors wore masks,
and the performances incorporated song and dance. The Chorus
delivers much of the exposition and expounds poetically on themes,
but it is still meant to represent a group of characters. In the case of
Antigone, the Chorus is constituted by the Theban elders, old and
powerful citizens of the city who watch and comment on the action.
It interacts with the actors, and in Antigone the Chorus intercedes
at a crucial point near the end of the play.
Tragic Hero
Aristotle: "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own
downfall."
The following is a summary of Aristotle’s basic ideas regarding the
tragic hero:
1. The tragic hero is a character of noble stature and has greatness.
This should be readily evident in the play. The character must
occupy a "high" status position but must ALSO embody nobility and
virtue as part of his/her innate character.
2. Though the tragic hero is pre-eminently great, he/she is not
perfect. Otherwise, the rest of us--mere mortals--would be unable
to identify with the tragic hero. We should see in him or her
someone who is essentially like us, although perhaps elevated to a
higher position in society.
Tragic Hero
Aristotle: "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own
downfall."
• 3. The hero's downfall, therefore, is partially her/his own fault,
the result of free choice, not of accident or villainy or some
overriding, malignant fate. In fact, the tragedy is usually triggered
by some error of judgment or some character flaw that
contributes to the hero's lack of perfection noted above. This
error of judgment or character flaw is known as hamartia and is
usually translated as "tragic flaw" (although some scholars argue
that this is a mistranslation). Often the character's hamartia
involves hubris (which is defined as a sort of arrogant pride or
over-confidence).
• 4. The hero's misfortunate is not wholly deserved. The
punishment exceeds the crime.
Tragic Hero
Aristotle: "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own
downfall."
• 5. The fall is not pure loss. There is some increase in awareness,
some gain in self-knowledge, some discovery on the part of the
tragic hero.
• 6. Though it arouses solemn emotion, tragedy does not leave its
audience in a state of depression. Aristotle argues that one
function of tragedy is to arouse the "unhealthy" emotions of pity
and fear and through a catharsis (which comes from watching the
tragic hero's terrible fate) cleanse us of those emotions. It might
be worth noting here that Greek drama was not considered
"entertainment," pure and simple; it had a communal function--to
contribute to the good health of the community. This is why
dramatic performances were a part of religious festivals and
community celebrations.