Sophocles

The constant question of; Is there a higher power? If there is a higher power is it more powerful than man? Questions that have been left unanswered for centuries and that continue on into today. When looking at Sophocles’ Antigone, there are multiple ideas on the notions of law, law of man and law of the divine. Though there are opinions as to which of the two is the most powerful, the text supports the divine law as being the most influential law in the characters’ lives. Consequences the…

Antigone is thus: a sibling choosing to follow her heart over the law and a man who chooses the law over his family. There is never a time when choosing between loved ones and the law is simple, but compared to each option, which is more essential? Sophocles uses the Chorus’ commentary, in addition to Creon and Antigone’s equally justified viewpoints, to empathize how familial love and civil duties are equally important. In the recently war torn Thebes, Creon steps up as a leader, playing the…

Sometimes men find it hard to break free from their mothers. The tragic play, Oedipus the King by Sophocles, has a complex and interesting set of events that revolve around Oedipus and his relationship to his parents. Oedipus is a young king who is facing many galling challenges both mentally and physically. He becomes aware of a terrible curse that has fallen upon Thebes, that will only be lifted if the murderer of Laius, the former king, is prosecuted. Oedipus commits to the discovery and…

Sophocles, of Athens, is remembered as one of the most successful “innovative playwrights” (Encylopedia) of his time. Some refer to him as the “master of tragedy” (European Graduate School 1) and he is also credited to providing insight to the political and social aspects of Greek life. Prior to his rise to fame, Sophocles had an interesting background which is believed to have an effect on his later writings and observations. He was a prior politician, priest, and military leader. In his piece,…

Athenian Principles The Classical Age of Ancient Greece otherwise known as the Golden Age (ca. 480-430 B.C.E.), became the most creative period in the history of the world. A play called Antigone by Sophocles’, reflects the cultural values and characteristics of the Golden Age. The Golden Age of Greece featured civic pride in the society, a firm belief of realism and idealism, and a strong, tenacious patriarchal system and these qualities are shown in Antigone. After conquering the Persian…

is a key component to a tragedy in Greek times. In the festival of Dionysus, the use of hamartia played a key role in the production of tragic plays that enhances the audience experience in establishing morals and ideals in many different ways. Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a key example of this, a play about the unfortunate destiny bestowed upon Oedipus. During the play, Oedipus attempts to flee from his destiny that he will marry his mother and kill his father. The dramatic irony where…

Gender Bias in Antigone In Sophocles ' Antigone, gender biases are quite prevalently used to portray the inequality between men and women in a misogynistic society. Sophocles used the major conflict between Kreon and Antigone to demonstrate this ideology. Kreon, who was Antigone’s uncle and the ruler of Thebes, would not listen to her reasoning simply because she was a woman. To this effect, the community viewed Antigone as a rebellious, headstrong woman for the same reasons. However if she…

short story, essay or play has a specific theme or message the author tries to have readers understand. Theme is an important thing for authors to push as it gives the reader a stronger and lasting impression. In Oedipus by Sophocles the theme of blindness is used. Sophocles uses blindness in a couple different ways. Although some characters suffer from blindness others become blind to the truth. Tiresias suffers from blindness as he is the blind prophet. Oedipus has the physical ability to see…

Throughout the play of Antigone, Sophocles emphasizes Antigone’s unexpected masculinity, her determination to correct a wrong, and her defiance of the patriarchal system led by Creon in order to show that society is hostile to deviant females. When Antigone takes the role of executing the burial of her brother’s body, she is unexpectedly assuming masculine traits, as Ancient Greek women were not the first ones to bury their loved ones, and is receiving societal backlash when she does so. When…

Sophocles’ Gender Rules In Antigone, early on it becomes evident that Antigone has a bold and unapologetic character. This characterization is automatically different from the presumed thought of well-known women of the time. Most Greek dramas feature wives who have very few lines and cater to their husbands every need. There are few women depicted in Greek drama able to stand on their own as Antigone did. The sense of feminine inferiority was alive and well in Ancient Greece, as in much of the…