Antigone

Love is what the third ode is about in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the third ode begins at the end of the conversation between Theban King Creon and his son Prince Haemon. It ends just before Princess Antigone, the object of Haemon's love and of Creon's hate, processes to her live burial in a remote cave outside Thebes. It identifies love as the cause of a mortal's greatest feelings of glory and worst feelings of rivalry as well as the assistant in the workings of divine will and prophesied fates.

It is after Teiresias' prophecies and during his conversation with the chorus leader that Creon changes his attitude in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Teiresias the blind prophet cautions that what goes around comes around. The mourning and suffering that all Thebes experiences over the unburied bodies of the disloyal Theban dead is heading towards the royal household. Theban King Creon maintains his insulting, threatening treatment of Teiresias until the latter leaves. Then Creon reveals to the chorus leader how shaken he is by Teiresias' prophecies. The chorus leader suggests a change in attitude and policy, which Creon actually carries out.

It is by describing her vulnerability and cooperativenessthat the sentry's speech creates sympathy for Antigone in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the sentry likens Antigone finding Polyneices' body exposed once more to a mother bird finding her chicks taken from the nest. He mentions her devotion to carrying out burial procedures and funeral rites as best she can. He stresses that Antigone does not put up a fight or make his job any harder than it already is.

The surviving slave ultimately can draw on knowledge that will ruin the life of the Queen whom he respects. He's a former shepherd whom Jocasta entrusts with the killing of her three day old son. The killing of a child is deemed far less heinous than the killing of one's father and sovereign in ancient Greece. And that's exactly what the child's fated to grow up to do, and more.

So when all the pieces of informaton from the surviving slave are put together, Oedipus also stands to lose all that he cherishes in life: his wife, his sense of self, his reputation, his possessions, his job, his home, and his family. The reason lies in the person that, albeit unknowingly, he really is: a murderer of father and king, and a sex offender with his own mother.

The direct descendants of the founder and first king of Thebes is what is meant by the House of Cadmus. The city's founding dates back to 2,000 B.C.E., when Cadmus leaves his hometown of Tyre, Phoenicia. He's the son of King Agenor; the grandson of Poseidon the sea god [and therefore the great nephew of Zeus the king of the gods]; the great grandson of Cronus and Rhea on his father's side, and of Oceanus and Tethys on his mother's side; and the great great grandson of the world's first parent and single mother, Gaia.

Theban Queen Jocasta and Theban King Creon are the great great great grandchildren of Cadmus through the founder's daughter, Princess Agave. Theban King Oedipus is the great great great grandson of Cadmus through the founder's son, Theban King Polydorus.

In the aftermath of the cycle of three Oedipus plays, it's the line of descent through Oedipus' and Jocasta's son Polyneices that triumphs. Polyneices' son Thersander takes over the Theban throne and gains a good reputation that's continued by his direct descendants. For example, Thersander's great great great grandsons become the ancestors of the Kings of Sparta.

Practically, proactively and sympathetically is the way that Oedipus reacts to the priest's words in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Oedipus tells the priest of Zeus that he already knows about and sympathizes with the sufferings of his people from the effects of the pestilence. Even before meeting with the priest, he takes the immediate, practical, proactive step of contacting the oracle.

Pestilence is the new calamity brought by Creon to Thebes according to Teresias in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, birds consume the blood and flesh of the unburied bodies of the disloyal Theban dead. They drop pieces of bloody flesh on the altars, which are left an oozing, smelly mess. They so pollute the altars that divine will cannot be interpreted as well as the streets that pestilence threatens all Thebes. These calamities trace back to Theban King Creon's refusal to honor for the unburied bodies of the disloyal Theban dead their god-given rights as Thebans to below-ground burials.

That she is practical but fearful and young are reasons why Ismene says that impossible things should not be tried at all in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Ismene acts like a young person who is used to dealing with limited options doled out by a domineering authority figure. Sheknows exactly how far she can go before that authority figure makes things intolerable. She therefore operates within a safe range of behavior choices and always is mindful of her very real fears.

That she is the main character and carries out great deeds despite the unfortunate turn that her life takes is the reason why Antigone is considered a tragic hero in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, a hero tends to be the main character, hold great powers, and do great deeds. That hero is tragic when the character's life takes an unfortunate turn or has an unfortunate end. The descriptions fit Theban Princess Antigone. Her actions decide the course of all other actions, she does the great deed of burying her brother Polyneices, she gets sentenced to death and she hangs herself rather than draw out her death by live burial and starvation.

It is with disrespect, insults and threats that Creon reacts to what Teiresias says in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Creon dislikes what his royal advisor, Teiresias the blind prophet, says to him about Antigone, pestilence and Polyneices. Teiresias mentions that divine will cannot be interpreted because altars are polluted with human body parts consumed by ritually sacrificed birds. Teiresias observes that the body of Creon's nephew Polyneices needs to be buried and that Creon's niece Antigone needs to be free from her live burial in a remote cave. Creon verbally pummels Teiresias with insults of being bribed to give false information and sabotage royal rule.

That he deserves it as his brother and as a Thebanand that it is divine will are Antigone's arguments to Creon about burying her brother in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone believes in the old ways of cherished traditions, divine will and family ties. She feels that the gods must be obeyed since they rule life through codes of conduct and customized fates for all fates. She is convinced that her brother Polyneices must be buried because that it is his fate as a Theban to whom the gods guarantee a below ground burial and proper funeral rites.

It is not relevant to compare Antigone to thehero-impersonator in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, a hero-imperonsator is an individual who looks like a hero, quacks like a hero, walks like a hero, but is not a hero. The hero impersonator may be a main character who does great deeds and has great powers, but lacks the heroic flaw, impact or selflessness. Antigone's life story represents that of a main character who does the great deed of burying her brother, has the great power to inspire an entire people to her cause and lives to defend her gods, her people and her people's most cherished traditions.

Death is what happens to Antigone's and Ismene's parents in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, disgraced Theban monarchs Oedipus and Jocasta are the parents of the Princesses Antigone and Ismene. Jocasta commits suicide when she realizes that her second husband, King Oedipus, is her son from her first marriage to King Laius. Oedipus dies after blinding himself and living in exile.

That he likes to interact directly and openly with his people and keep them informed is what the line "Speak out to all" reveals in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. -- 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the statement is Theban King Oedipus' answer to Creon, his brother-in-law and royal colleague. Creon offers to go inside and in private tell Oedipus about the results of his visit to the oracle at Apollo's shrine. Oedipus prefers to have his people hear the news now instead of later.