ANTIGONE by Sophocles A BRIEF INTRODUCTION SOPHOCLES 4976
ANTIGONE by Sophocles A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
SOPHOCLES § 497/6 BC-406/5 BC § AN ANCIENT GREEK TRAGEDIAN § THE MOST FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHT AT AT THE TIME § HIS MOST FAMOUS WORKS ARE THEBAN PLAYS § 123 PLAYS; 7 SURVIVE § EMPHASIS ON HUMAN CONFLICT RATHER THAN WITH GODS
THE THEBAN PLAYS § CONSISTS OF THREE PLAYS § 1: OEDIPUS THE KING (OEDIPUS REX) § 2: OEDIPUS AT COLONUS § 3: ANTIGONE § CONCERN THE FATE OF THEBES DURING AND AFTER OEDIPUS’ REIGN
ANCIENT GREECE THEBES
4 PARTS TO A GREEK TRAGEDY 1. PROLOGUE: describes the situation and sets the scene 2. PARODOS: an ode sung by chorus as it enters 3. DRAMATIC SCENES/EPISODES: followed by an ode 4. EXODUS: climax and conclusion
OEDIPUS THE KING (OEDIPUS THE KING) § A BABY WAS BORN TO THE KING AND QUEEN OF THEBES § THE ORACLE PROPHESIZED THAT THIS BABY WOULD KILL ITS FATHER AND MARRY ITS MOTHER § IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS, THE KING AND QUEEN BOUND THIS BABY’S FEET AND SENT IT INTO THE WOODS § THE BABY WAS PICKED UP, STILL ALIVE, BY A SHEPHERD OF THE KING AND QUEEN OF CORINTH § THE KING AND QUEEN OF CORINTH RAISED THE BABY AS THEIR OWN AND NAMED HIM OEDIPUS (MEANING “SWOLLEN FOOT”) § OEDIPUS HEARD OF THE ORIGINAL PROPHECY; IN ORDER TO SAVE HIS PARENT, HE FLED CORINTH
OEDIPUS THE KING, CONT. (OEDIPUS THE KING) § ON HIS JOURNEY, HE ENCOUNTERED A GRUMPY MAN AT What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening? A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION. AFTER A RIGHT-OF-WAY ARGUMENT, OEDIPUS KILLED THE MAN § HE EVENTUALLY CAME UPON THE CITY OF THEBES. IT WAS BEING PLAGUED BY THE SPHINX § OEDIPUS ANSWERED THE SPHINX’S RIDDLE AND SAVED THEBES FROM THEIR PLAGUE § SINCE THE KING WAS RECENTLY KILLED IN A RIGHT-OFWAY FEUD (OOPS!), OEDIPUS WAS NAMED KING OF THEBES § HE, OF COURSE, HAD TO MARRY THE EXISTING QUEEN (AKA MOM)
OEDIPUS THE KING, CONT. (OEDIPUS THE KING) § WHILE RULING THEBES, ANOTHER PLAGUE HIT THE CITY § IT WAS RUMORED TO HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL KING’S DEATH WAS NEVER AVENGED § OEDIPUS, LOYAL TO HIS CITY, SOUGHT OUT TO GET REVENGE ON THE OLD KING’S KILLER § IN HIS PURSUIT, HE DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS, INDEED, THE KING’S KILLER § IT WAS ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE KING WAS HIS FATHER—AND YES, HE WAS MARRIED TO (AND HAD 3 KIDS WITH) HIS MOTHER § HORRIFIED—JOCASTA (THE QUEEN) KILLED HERSELF AND OEDIPUS JABBED HIS EYES OUT WITH PINS FROM HER ROBE § JOCASTA’S BROTHER, CREON, THEN BECAME KING OF THEBES AND EXILED OEDIPUS AT HIS REQUEST
OEDIPUS AT COLONUS § OEDIPUS AND HIS DAUGHTERS, ANTIGONE AND ISMENE, WANDER GREECE IN EXILE FOR YEARS § THEY FINALLY STOP JUST OUTSIDE OF ATHENS AND ASK FOR REFUGE FROM THE KING § THE KING AGREES AND IS SOON INFORMED THAT OEDIPUS’ PRESENCE IS A BLESSING AND WHEN HE DIES, IT WILL BRING GOOD FORTUNE TO HIS LAND § CREON, IN HEARING THE SAME NEWS, WANTS OEDIPUS BACK IN THEBES § OEDIPUS’ EVENTUALLY DIES OF OLD AGE AND HIS BODY IS KEPT FROM CREON. UPSET, CREON RETURNS TO THEBES WITH ANTIGONE AND ISMENE
OEDIPUS AT COLONUS, CONT. § MEANWHILE, IN THEBES, POLYNEICES AND ETEOCLES (SONS OF OEDIPUS) BECOME OLD ENOUGH TO RULE THEBES § AFTER A LONG STRUGGLE FOR POWER, ETEOCLES OVERTHROWS HIS OLDER BROTHER, POLYNEICES, AND GAINS THE FAVOR OF THE PEOPLE OF THEBES § UPSET, POLYNEICES LEAVES THEBES AND HEADS TO ARGOS IN ORDER TO COLLECT AN ARMY IN ORDER TO REGAIN POWER § POLYNEICES EVENTUALLY RETURNS AND WAGES WAR ON HIS HOME LAND OF THEBES § THE TWO BROTHERS SIMULTANEOUSLY KILL EACH OTHER IN BATTLE § CREON IS ONCE AGAIN KING OF THEBES
AND NOW… ANTIGONE!
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