Antigone By Sophocles

Background Written by Sophocles Text written in 441 B.C. Third in the Theban Plays Trilogy Written before Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus

DO NOW Think of a time in which you wanted to rebel against authority? Did you follow through with your desires or did you suppress your desires? If so, what were the consequences of you choosing to follow through with your desire? If you chose not to follow through, what caused you to change your mind?

Sophocles

Sophocles His best known plays are the Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone.

Topics Sins of the father are the sins of the child Loyalty Religious v. Political duty Law v. Morality Free will v. Fate Feminism v. Male power structure Individual v. State Conscience v. Law

Cast of Characters Antigone Creon Ismene Eurydice Haemon Teiresias Polynices/Eteocles

Antigone and Creon Protagonist and Antagonist

Antigone and Ismene

Creon

After Oedipus learns the truth and leaves Thebes… His two sons Polynices and Eteocles fight with each other for the right to rule Thebes. Eteocles stays in the city while Polynices with the help of foreign kings, tries to conquer Thebes. The two brothers kill each other in battle and now the king is Creon, their uncle.

As the new king Creon… Decides that since Eteocles stayed in Thebes he should be considered the defender of the city and as such be buried as a hero While Polynices, having sought the help of foreigners, should be considered an enemy of the state and as such Creon orders that he not be buried

Antigone’s choice Creon the king and Theban law says that Polynices is a traitor and as such can not be buried Antigone’s conscience and religion tell her that it is against the law of the gods to leave a corpse unburied, and it is her duty as his sister to bury him

Conscience and Responsibility What are Antigone’s responsibilities? What are her options? What is the price to pay?

Academic Vocabulary Dramatic Irony- when the reader knows more about a situation than the characters in a text do. Tragedy- a story that tells of the downfall of a major character Tragic hero- a superior character that experiences a fall from grace

Academic Vocabulary Tragic flaw- an error or weakness that contribute to a hero’s downfall Archetype- elements that appear over and over again in literature Chorus- a group of characters that comment on the action in a play Choragus-the leader of the chorus

Greek Tragedies Dramatic irony: When the audience knows something that the characters don’t know Fall of Hubris: Hubris is excessive pride. Many tragedies deal with human pride leading to arrogant behaviors that anger the gods. Thus, man must be punished. Fate vs. Destiny: Many tragedies feature characters who try to escape unfavorable prophecies. This is futile, however, as man does not often have the power or luck to change his/her fate as determined by cosmic forces or gods/goddesses.

Characteristics of a Tragic Hero Must have a fall from greatness (either power, wealth, or social standing) Must be an extraordinary person, yet have a tragic flaw Tragic flaw: often a positive character trait that, when taken to the extreme, causes tragedy Must experience a moment of realization that he/she has erred Must suffer greatly due to his/her actions or flaw (often, but not always, this means death)

Warm it Up Explain Antigone’s emotional state during the Prologue and the Parados and why she feels the way she does? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Warm it Up How does Creon show his male sexist nature in Scene 2 when dealing with Antigone and her crime?

Warm it UP Why is Creon so disappointed in Haemon when he confronts him about Antigone’s death sentence? How does this scene further develop the character of Creon?

Warm Up Bruh In Scene 4, Antigone is faced with being sent to her death. How does the character of Antigone present herself as being one who doesn’t accept full responsibility for her actions in this scene. `J

Greek Theater

The Stage

The Stage Three Main Portions of Greek Theatre: Skene – Portion of stage where actors performed (included 1-3 doors in and out) Orchestra – “Dancing Place” where chorus sang to the audience Theatron – Seating for audience

The Parts of a Theater The Skene The large backdrop Could be decorated with scenery Where the action actually took place (hidden) Roof was accessible Originally one door in the center, but eventually had three doors

The Skene

The Theaters Theater of Dionysos Athens Main theater for tragedy 4th century remains c. 20,000 seats Located on side of Acropolis

The Theaters Theater of Epidauros The best-preserved Largest surviving theater Located near Argos in the Peloponnesus Sanctuary of Aesclepius Still in use today

Theater of Epidauros

Greek Masks