The classical stories of Oedipus The King and Sundiata tell the tale of two epic heroes who must seek out and fulfill their own unique destinies. Although the themes of fate and destiny play a major role in the lives of Oedipus and Sundiata, both...
I believe that the Thebans have such a high opinion of Oedipus for several reasons that are revealed throughout Sophocles’ Oedipus The King. The first of these things is Oedipus’ strength of character and clear devotion to the city of Thebes and its people. Oedipus...
In his play Antigone, Sophocles portrays the character of Creon in a multitude of ways but particularly as proud and uncompromising. Because he is ruler of Thebes, many of his actions drive and shape the course of the drama. Significantly, it is also through the...
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus is a play about one man’s actions, both intentional and unintentional, and the necessary punishment for those actions. Regardless of whether he was manipulated by the gods or self-motivated, Oedipus must take responsibility for his deeds and their consequences. His reaction to...
Creon is the leader or person of status in the play, “Antigone” by Sophocles.The writer could clarify the thesis statement and make it more specific. His status was the new king of Thebes right after the previous kings Laius and Oedipus had fled. As the...
Antigone travels to WWII France No doubt, the most famous theatrical version of Antigone is the Greek original. Sophocles dramatized Antigone’s choice and fate first, but he certainly was not the only playwright to see that Antigone’s story is choice material for social and political...
Antigone and Ariel as Tragic Heroes A tragic hero includes someone who is of noble birth, has great qualities and flaws, has a fatal flaw, has a tragic downfall, gets physically or spiritually wounded, is more self aware in cause, and is felt pity from...
Many people balance the individual, community, and divine differently according to their values. In the tragedy Antigone by Sophocles, Creon is the King of Thebes. Creon balances individualism his own way based on his own morals instead of what others may consider as right or...
As a kind of collective character onto itself, the Chorus in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex assumes multiple functions and qualities that, together, effectively blur the lines between the private and public spheres of the drama. Evidenced in the text by their roles as observers and instigators,...
In Sophocles’ play Antigone, Creon is the tragic hero, because he comes from a noble position, is brought down by a tragic flaw, and faces consequences greater than deserved. Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your...
Introduction: The word “feminism” was first officially coined by French socialist Charles Fourier to be used to describe equal rights and social standing for women in the 1890’s. Throughout time, the meaning has changed, but the underlying principles have remained the same. Even before the...
Frank Kermode writes in his book The Genesis of Secrecy “We are most unwilling to accept mystery, what cannot be reduced to other and more intelligible forms. Yet that is what we find here: something irreducible, therefore perpetually to be interpreted; not secrets to be...
In Sophocles’ play Antigone I believe that Creon is the tragic hero because he is brought down by a tragic flaw and faces consequences greater than deserved. Throughout the play Creon was creating problems which led to what he had to face at the end....
Throughout Antigone, Creon maintains complete confidence in his belief that, in order to prevent anarchy and chaos, the rule of a king must be obeyed even it contradicts proper morals and/or the will of the gods. The decisions that he makes in an effort to...
In Oedipus The King, Sophocles tells the tale of a man from a foreign land that champions his way to the throne of the city Thebes. As the play progresses, the audience learns that this foreign man, Oedipus, is in actuality, a native Theban. Oedipus,...
In Antigone, Antigone perseveres through all her hardships and decisions with her morals and set of values. Antigone throughout the play is noticed to transform from being stubborn and underestimated to courageous and open-minded. This would eventually lead to her death, but she dies with...
Until the very end of Oedipus the King, Oedipus retains his steadfast belief in the absolute efficacy of reason and logic, basing all decisions and actions solely on these golden principles. However, as the plot runs its course, the reader can observe that this obdurate...
In a mythological world of oedipus the king, the truth is rarely pure and never simple. The motif of the truth is expedited in theme of the willingness to ignore the truth throughout the drama, through characters trying to unveil the truth about the murder...
In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon makes reference to an “alliance of spears” as a metaphor pertaining to the necessary allegiance a society has to its ruler. Initially he feels his authority must be proven as absolute and in an act of hubris he attempts to prohibit...
Translations of Sophocles’ play are generally interpreted in one of two ways, ‘Oedipus Rex’, meaning Oedipus the King, or ‘Oedipus Tyrannus’, meaning Oedipus the Tyrant. The exact distinction between the two titles is undefined, though through the lens of Socrates’ five characterizations of the soul,...
Since ancient times, literature has showcased characters who embody the essence of heroism, standing as exemplars of virtues such as bravery, determination, and inspiration. Conversely, the concept of the tragic hero introduces a complex figure whose downfall is as compelling as their initial rise. In...
Introduction It is not often in Greek myth or tragedy that a woman is portrayed as a tragic hero. However, Sophocles makes the hero of his Antigone, the third and last play in the theme of Oedipus’ life, a woman. And though this is out...
In Sophocles’ play Antigone, Kreon, the warrior King may overrule Antigone, a mere woman’s, struggle for political power, but can he match Antigone’s resistance in a fight for political authority? Political power in a state rises from the presence of a force that exerts dominance....
In ancient Greece, women contribution to society was very minimal. Their rights were fewer compared to those of men. Confined to their homes, the role of women in Ancient Greece was bearing and raising children. In Antigone written by Sophocles, Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus...
The theme of recognition plays an important role in Homer’s The Odyssey and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. Two key recognition scenes are that between Odysseus and Penelope and that between Oedipus and Jocasta. Many differences can be found between the two, and although they are...
The Athenian tragedy Oedipus Tyrannus by Sophocles is very clear about the fate that awaits the king from the day he enters the world. The choices he made as a way to escape the prophecy about his life, did very little to make him avoid...
The trio of classic Greek texts, The Last Days of Socrates, Antigone, and The Eumenides all strike a contrast between public and private morality. In each work one person carries forth an unpopular action that he alone believes in, and must later justify the result...
The genius of Sophocles’ Oedipus Plays is enriched through the many levels of interpretation that can be explored by each individual reader. One major area left open for interpretation is sight. It is divided into two categories, “physical” sight and “non-physical” sight. Physical sight is...
Introduction Sophocles’ play, Antigone, expresses a journey of tragedy, nobility, and virtue through the actions of the tragic hero. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, depicts one of high nobility, who experiences a tragic downfall due to their ignorance and blinding pride (Aristotle, 1996)....
The “Golden Age” of Greece is notorious for its many contributions to the creative world, especially in its development of the play. These primitive performances strived to emphasize Greek morals, and were produced principally for this purpose. Antigone, by Sophocles, is typical. The moral focused...
“Fortune is not on the side of the faint-hearted.”
“One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.”
“The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.”
“You can kill a man but you cant kill a idea.”
Date
c.496 BCE - 406 BCE
Activity
Sophocles, with Aeschylus and Euripides, is one of classical Athens’s three great tragic playwrights. The best known of his 123 dramas is Oedipus the King.
Works
Sophocles is thought to have written over 100 plays, but only seven fully survive today: Ajax, Antigone, Trachinian Women, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. Trackers, a satyr play, exists only as a 400-line fragment.
Influence
Sophocles is credited with diverging from the typical format of a tragedy: he increased the number of speaking actors, increased the number of chorus members, and used painted scenery. He also made an impact on Aristotle, who references Oedipus Rex numerous times in his book Poetics.
Quotes
“Leave me to my own absurdity.”
“You must remember that no one lives a life free from pain and suffering.”
“Yes it will be a grace if I die. To exist is pain. Life is no desire of mine anymore.”
