SOPHOCLES (496-406 B.C.) Antigone I. Introduction Antigone is a Greek dramatic play tragedy by Sophocles. Sophocles was born into a wealthy family (his father was an amour manufacturer) and was highly educated. Sophocles’ first artistic triumph was in 468 BC‚ when he took first prize in the Dionysian theatre competition over the reigning master of Athenian drama‚ Aeschylus. Sophocles wrote the three Theban plays‚ a collection that has survived for centuries‚ and for good reason. One of these
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Antigone Antigone deals with the conflicts arising from three demands made upon the human psyche: the demands of religion (Zeus); the demands of the state (Thebes); and the demands of human instincts (Aphrodite). Characters like Antigone represent how firm beliefs and a strong sense of religion can impact an individual’s thoughts and actions. When Antigone was put before King Creon to defend herself she says to him “But all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded
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Antigone 1. The action of the play begins immediately with a conflict between Antigone and Ismene. What is the conflict? Antigone wants Ismene to help her bury her brother but Ismene is afraid of death and says they are only women and says she doesn’t want to die with everyone hating her. 2. Antigone and Ismene are strongly contrasted in this scene. What can you tell about their characters? Antigone is a leader and wants to do the right thing. Ismene
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Antigone Life has a way of becoming complicated. Problems between friends‚ foes‚ and even family members develop everyday for people of all walks of life. It is part of human nature to disagree‚ cause conflict and fight for what we believe in even if that means stepping on someone else’s toes along the way. Aristotle had thoughts on complication dating back to 335 B.C when he wrote Poetics- the earliest surviving work of dramatic theory. In it he analyzed tragedies and theorized that every tragedy
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prominent play named Antigone; the third of the trilogy. Even though one would usually think that ancient Greek theater is dull‚ one can learn a lot about themselves while reading them. While reading this story myself‚ I found that I correlate to the main character herself‚ Antigone. The character intrigued me; for we think and speak similarly. After finding this‚ I kept discovering more and more connections between the two of us. Separating into three different categories‚ Antigone and I are similar
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The Excitement of Antigone Sophocles manages to make internal events as exciting as external events in the play Antigone. Family and religion are sensitive subjects to this day and increase the excitement of events that wouldn’t be exciting otherwise. By emphasizing family affairs and religious beliefs‚ Sophocles makes internal and psychological dealings as exciting as they would be given external sources. The struggle between people is intensified when there are family relations and brings
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Who is Antigone? Antigone’s reliance on gods gives her the strength and perseverance to object the state’s power. Throughout the tragedy‚ Antigone displays a series of emotions as she is challenged to her mindset and what she believes is right. Due to her reverence towards the gods‚ Antigone was capable of burying Polyneices regardless of the consequences the state provides. This allowed the challenging of Creon’s power which set the plot of the whole tragedy. Antigone believes that her duty towards
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Despite tradition‚ Sophocles chose a woman to lead his story. Strong willed and quick witted‚ Antigone proves to be a loyal sister and pure wife. Antigone is noble of birth. Her hamartia is she shows hubris‚ a classic tragic hero trait‚ when telling Creon‚ “And I‚ whom no man’s frown can frighten‚ Am far from risking heaven’s frown by flouting these‚ I need no trumpeter from you to tell me I must die‚ we all die anyway.” (210) She takes on the role of her better‚ a man. When she buries he brother
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someone they see as inferior to them‚ they usually feel obliged to preserve their power through displaying their dominance. Thus‚ when Creon‚ in Sophocles’ Antigone‚ is disobeyed by a woman‚ he feels the need to inflict punishment to not only her‚ but also the people connected to her. Throughout Scene II‚ although Creon is notified that Antigone was the caught trying to bury her brother‚ he seems to be doubtful of the possibility. Even when she is questioned and “den[ies] nothing‚” he does not
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The play “Antigone‚” by Sophocles displays an interesting storyline in which the main characters Antigone and Creon undergo various obstacles due to their actions. Throughout the play‚ Antigone attempts to secure a respectable burial for her brother Polyneices. By choosing to protest and defy Creon’s rule‚ Antigone unquestionably breaks the law. However‚ her defiance does not seem like an act of civil disobedience against injustice because Antigone was acting in her own self-interest when considering
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