Sophocles

On the last page of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the quote “Therefore we must call no man happy while he waits to see his last day, not until he has passed the border of life and death without suffering pain”(Sophocles 108), embodies the moral of the tragic play. Even though Oedipus tries to take control of his free will, he only makes his fate come true. No man is happy until he is at peace, and he is only at peaces when he is dead after that man has suffered in his life. In the play, Oedipus…

In Sophocles’ Play, Oedipus at Colonus, the character of Oedipus is commonly seen as a tragic hero, abused by the gods but ultimately redeeming himself in death. However, he functions more as a sacrifice, linking the demise of his homeland to the rise of his adopted city. His actions show the concept of fate and its power over all mortal beings. When he arrives in Colonus, Oedipus is greeted by a chorus of citizens who, upon learning his name, berate him for coming to their sacred city and…

William-Tyler Aladetan Mrs. Kottke IB English HL A; Hour 7 23 February 2016 Who suffers the greatest tragedy in the novel Antigone? Sophocles a Greek dramatist is one of the three Classical greek tragedy playwrights. Sophocles produced 123 dramas throughout his lifetime and the novel Antigone is the point of focus in this essay. He was able to masterfully create a tragedy where the reader falls in love with the protagonist before his or her demise. Such can be seen in Antigone. As the…

Antigone Revised Essay Imagine having two forces wreaking havoc in your head. Antigone had this same havoc between two forces whenever she wanted to bury her brother, Polyneices. In Antigone, Sophocles uses the forces of appeasing authority and following one’s desires to illuminate the power of fate. Due to Antigone being torn on appeasing authority, the power of fate is illuminated. When Antigone hears the news about Polyneices, the thought of obeying crosses her mind. Antigone, at first, is…

In Sophocles’ tragic play, Ajax, there are several diverse characters who bring varying character traits to the plot. Amongst all of these characters, Ajax, the hero of the play, emerges as a significantly strong character representing greatness, despite his flaws. The plot is centered around Ajax’s demise and the way this is dealt with by these characters in the play. While there are numerous factors that cause Ajax to commit suicide by impaling himself on Hector’s sword, perhaps the goddess…

Responsibility Oedipus the King, a famous tragedy by Sophocles, tells the story of King Oedipus, a man whose entire life is a fulfillment of a prophecy. Unfortunately, Oedipus is unwitting and fulfills the prophecy that entails him killing his father and marrying his mother. Among the major themes in the story is responsibility (Charters and Samuel 67). Despite his ignorance of his role in the tragedy, Oedipus comes out as a responsible man and king who sought to protect his integrity as the…

I have chosen to direct the play Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles. Through this play I want to focus on the themes of limitations on free will along with the willingness to ignore the truth and the feelings of guilt and shame. The prophecy which leads to the banishing of Oedipus by Laius and Oedipus running away from Corinth play a key role in fulfilling the central conflict of the play. The main conflict occurs when Tiresias informs Oedipus that he is responsible for the plague that has fallen over…

The tragic hero of Sophocles’ Antigone is Creon the uncle of Antigone. Creon represents masculine rules, state over family, and the gods who choose his side over anyone else. In doing so he has caused a lot of harm towards the ones he love. Creon actions led many to their deaths because what he was representing. Creon represents the tragic hero in Sophocles’ Antigone through his believes in choosing the state over his own family. Creon chooses the state over his family multiply times and doesn’t…

by renowned tragedian Euripides in 428 BCE, the Ancient Greek tragedy Hippolytus is the ultimate story of betrayal and desire. Euripides’ style of tragedy is often compared to the works of the other two major playwrights of the era, Aeschylus and Sophocles, yet it differs greatly. His writing style is simple and can be communicated in colloquial speech: Euripides was known for taking a new approach to traditional myths: he often changed elements of their stories or portrayed the more fallible,…

that “men are better able to take care of themselves than women” (Nassaar). He believes that his daughters will constantly face “bitterness” and will not be able to “attend” any town events or festivals “without being forced to depart…in tears” (Sophocles exodus.255-258). Even though Oedipus cries over the pain his daughters will feel due to these judgments, his chief concern seems to be that they will not marry. He asks “whom can you ever marry? There are no bridegrooms for you and your lives…