1. ANTIGONE by Sophocles A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

2. SOPHOCLES  497/6 BC-406/5 BC  AN ANCIENT GREEK TRAGEDIAN  THE MOST FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHT AT AT THE TIME  HIS MOST FAMOUS WORKS ARE THE THEBAN PLAYS  123 PLAYS; 7 SURVIVE  EMPHASIS ON HUMAN CONFLICT RATHER THAN WITH GODS

3. 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  Although Antigone is the 3 rd play, it was actually written first!

4. ANCIENT GREECE THEBES

5. 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

6. OEDIPUS THE KING (OEDIPUS REX)  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 PARENTS, HE FLED CORINTH

7. OEDIPUS THE KING, CONT. (OEDIPUS REX)  ON HIS JOURNEY, HE ENCOUNTERED A GRUMPY MAN AT 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-OF- WAY FEUD (OOPS!), OEDIPUS WAS NAMED KING OF THEBES  HE, OF COURSE, MARRIED THE EXISTING QUEEN What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?

8. 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 4 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. AND NOW… ANTIGONE!