Antigone

by: Sophocles

Sophocles

• Born around 496/5 BC to a noble family in Colonus (now Athens)

• Excelled in music and gymnastics• Held public office in Athenian Democracy

• Plays written about human destiny and divine justice

• Themes of innocence, equity, and mercy• His ideas for plays came from other plays

“Tale of Thebes”

• Changes to play structure attributed to Sophocles:– Addition of a third actor– Increase the number of Chorus from 12 to 15– Gave Chorus more subordinate part while reducing the

number and length of choral roles– Introduced scene painting– Abandoned the trilogistic form. Rather than 3 plays

with connected plots, he had 3 plays with unconnected plots

• Died at age 90 in 406 BC• Only seven complete plays have survived:

Antigone Oedipus RexElectra AjaxTrachiniae PhilocletesOedipus at Colonus

Cast of Characters

Antigone

• Main character and Heroine• Sister of Ismene, Polyneices, and Eteocles. • Makes wise decisions based on morality and

integrity

Ismene

• Sister of Antigone, Polyneices, and Eteocles• Makes choices based on selfish reasons and

fear.

Eurydice

• Aunt of Antigone, Ismene, Polyneices and Eteocles

• Queen of Thebes after Jocasta

Creon

• Uncle to Antigone, Ismene, Polyneices, and Eteocles

• King of Thebes after Oedipus

Haimon

• Love interest for Antigone.• Son of Creon

Teiresias

• Blind Prophet• Tells the future of the other characters

A Sentry

• A guard

Chorus

• A group of 12 - 15 men who speak as one voice

• They provide narration and a voice of reason

Greek Tragedy

A Greek Tragedy is a play that emphasizes the downfall of one of the main characters. The cause of the downfall is most often the characters hubris or pride. They are too proud to change their destructive behavior and end up harming themselves and others but the end of the play.

Aristotelian Theory: The Elements of a Greek Tragedy

Unity of Action

• Tragic plots must have a clear beginning, middle and end

• The action should be ordered and continuous, arising through a cause and effect process.

Catharsis

• Events in the play should inspire pity and terror in its viewers.The purification of the emotions by vicarious experience, esp. through the drama

Hamartia

The fault or error which entails the destruction of the tragic hero

Similar to Hubris= excessive pride

Peripeteia

In classical tragedy (and hence in other forms of drama, fiction, etc.): a point in the plot at which a sudden reversal of situation occurs.

Anagnorisis

-Recognition; it was the hero's suddenly becoming aware of a real situation and therefore the realization of things as they stood; a perception that resulted in an insight the hero had into his relationship with often antagonistic characters within Aristotelian tragedy.

Scene of Suffering

• Suffering was viewed as a prerequisite for wisdom

Humpty Dumpty as a Greek Tragedy

• Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

• He is a noble protagonist set perilously in a high place of power

• Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

• Experiences a reversal of situation; he falls from greatness- his tragic weakness is his frailty - a thin shell

• The readers feel pity and terror.

• The egg is cracked. He will never sit on the wall again. He is damaged for ever.

• And the same thing can happen to the reader.

• Go to fast in your car- get a ticket• Get a high yield stock - end up broke• Break the law to get into office, end up

disgraced