Sophocles: Family vs. Authority In the Greek tragedy Antigone‚ Sophocles demonstrates that family takes prevalence over authority. Throughout the play each character is put into a situation where they have to choose what matters more to them: family or authority. Although the characters who choose family all die‚ the character who consistently chooses authority over all else suffers the most. The fate that each character meets depending on their choice reflects on Sophocles’ personal feelings towards
Premium Sophocles Oedipus Oedipus at Colonus
both brothers argued over whom deserved the right to become the king‚ they decided to duel for the throne. Because of this dual‚ both brothers killed each other and now the question is who should rightfully become the next in throne. Antigone‚ by Sophocles was a story about a young woman‚ Antigone‚ who betrays her own uncle‚ Creon‚ to bury her brother. After reading this short play‚ I believe that Antigone was right to bury her own brother’s body. I believe that Antigone is correct in burying her brother
Premium Sophocles Oedipus Creon
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King was considered by Aristotle to be the faultless model of a tragedy. The reason Aristotle considered Oedipus the King to be matchless was due to the fact that it flawlessly adhered to his stringent criteria of an effective tragedy. In Aristotle’s The Poetics he describes how Oedipus the King meets his principles of dramatic composition by its use of a complex plot‚ simultaneous discovery and reversal and finally the character of Oedipus (291). Aristotle’s principles of
Premium Oedipus Sophocles Oedipus the King
Clark 1 The play Oedipus The King begins with the king and queen of Thebes‚ Laius and Jocasta. Laius was warned by an oracle that his own son would kill him and that he would marry his mother‚ Jocasta. Determined to reverse their fate‚ Laius pierced and bound his newborn sons feet and sent a servant away with him with strict instructions to leave the child to die on the mountain of Cithaeron. However‚ the servant felt badly for the infant and gave him to a shepherd who then gave the child to Polybus
Premium Oedipus Oedipus the King Sophocles
Reagan in 1981. The decision between fate or free will is a very popular subject. When people hear those word they think. Religion is a very big factor in whether people choose fate or free will. The play "Antigone"‚ by the ancient Greek writer Sophocles in 442 B.C.E.‚ has a great example about the dispute between fate or free will. Although the play does have more than one theme or moral to it the fate or free will theme stands out. This play shows the way the ancient Greeks felt about fate or free
Premium Free will Determinism Metaphysics
Sophocles’ The Three Theban Plays (King Oedipus‚ Oedipus at Colonus‚ and Antigone) are three tragedies depicting a shift beyond the beliefs of predetermination to the liberties of choice. Throughout the plays‚ the tragic hero‚ Oedipus unveils the truth behind the murder of his father‚ King Laius and the penalties that follow; consequently‚ Sophocles capably applies human characteristics to Oedipus to appeal at a broader spectrum. Sophocles utilizes vibrant imageries throughout these plays that uncover
Premium Sophocles Oedipus Oedipus the King
his own decisions and actions or something the gods have meant to happen from the very beginning? According to Carel (2006)‚ the concept of free will and fate did not even exist in the Greek culture during the 5th Century BC Athens--the time when Sophocles wrote Oedipus Rex. The concept of the gods was something of a "constant" or a way of living to them. Everything that happens in their life is somehow intertwined with either the power or the
Premium Oedipus Sophocles Oedipus the King
Sophocles’ Antigone is still relevant in the world today. The characters in this play are very relatable. One characteristic that often shows up is hubris‚ which is also known as pride. Because many people can relate to Creon’s hubris‚ Sophocles’ Antigone is still relevant today. In Antigone‚ Creon’s hamartia is his pride‚ which can more accurately be called hubris. For example‚ Creon says‚ “Who is the man here‚ / She or I‚ if this crime goes unpunished?” (Sophocles Scene 2‚ 82-83) In this quote
Premium Sophocles Oedipus Oedipus at Colonus
search without once thinking of the consequences. This can be described as the human condition. What is the human condition? Through his interpretation of the Theban legend‚ Sophocles (c. 496 BCE – c.406 BCE) explores the human condition thoroughly‚ suggesting the universe provides a pattern that humans subconsciously follow. Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex (Rex translates into King in English) portrays three enduring themes of the human condition through humanity’s
Premium Oedipus Oedipus the King Sophocles
Sophocles and Euripides have provoked audiences for centuries to question what constitutes ‘justice’. Watching the various events onstage‚ spectators are led to ask if a definitive form of justice exists in these plays‚ or whether notions of justice in a world such as mankind’s are absurd. Furthermore‚ by presenting cases where ‘justice’ is claimed to be enacted by a character or force (generally the gods)‚ the playwrights encourage speculation as to whether the punishments delivered are reasonable
Premium Sophocles Oedipus Oedipus at Colonus