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Antigone
The play 'Antigone' is at least 2,440 years old. Still timely nevertheless are its main concerns over what to do about a bad law and how far to go for the sake of love or justice. Contributors typically ask and answer questions about the play's author, characters, imagery, literary devices, plot, and relationship to other plays of the same themes or time period.
3,361 Questions
His own evasive actions against a horrible fate cause Theban King Oedipus' misery. Specifically, Oedipus grows up considering himself the much beloved only son of King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth. Then he's hears the rumor that he isn't the biological son of his parents. He's confused further by his parents' lack of cooperation in answering his understandable questions.
So Oedipus tries to find out the truth from the Delphic Oracle. But his reactions quickly go from confusion to horror. The Oracle tells him of his unenviable fate to kill his father and marry his mother.
Oedipus tries to avoid the playing out of such a ghastly fate by running away from home. But he isn't thinking straight. He visits the Oracle because of his questions over adoptive versus biological parents. Yet when he learns about the prophecy, he forgets about his questions and just accepts the fate as applicable to the Corinthian monarchs.
He runs off to Thebes. But there's a crossroads between Delphi and Thebes. At the crossroads, he allows himself to be drawn into a fatal street brawl with a man who's old enough to be his father and whom he resembles. Once in Thebes, he allows himself to marry, and have children with, a grieving royal widow who's old enough to be his mother and whom he may or may not resemble in certain features or mannerisms.
It's a nightmarish example of the playing out of fate despite, and most ironically because of, the free will actions of the affected individual.
Who is the static character in 'Antigone'?
Antigone is the static character in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. -- 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, a static character does not change. Theban Princess Antigone is the only main character who never budges from what she believes, does, says and thinks. She is that way in the course of the play, and Creon characterizes her as always being the same and unchanging foolish self since birth. In contrast, all the other main characters are dynamic in that they undergo changes in behavior and beliefs.
Well i mean this question could go either way, to some extent yes he was because he asked for himself to be exiled and casted away from the land. He also ripped out his eyes because he was so disgusted and possibly guilty? you decide on that one, but at the same time should he feel guilty i mean was it his fault he was placed in the forest to die and that the gods already determined his life so its not like he mint to u know.
Is Antigone admirable and good?
yes
QUESTION: Aristotle reportedly said that this play did not fit his definition of a tragedy. Many people observe that Antigone did not learn anything from her experiences and claim that Creon was too mean to be a fit tragic hero. If Antigone is the heroic protagonist of the play, in what sense is she heroic? Is she saintly, or does she have flaws? Does a protagonist have to be free of flaws for us to admire her?
RESPONSE:
If Antigone is the heroic protagonist of the play, in what sense is she heroic? She is heroic in the sense that she chose her own destiny. She did not allow the King or anyone else to make decisions for her. That in itself is heroic. When everyone else was scared to death of Creon, she spoke her mind, and did not back down from him. She even told him that he was the only one who felt that her giving her brother a proper burial, was a crime, and that no one dared speak up for her because they were terrified of his wrath. "I should have praise and honor for what I have done. All these men here would praise me were their lips not frozen shut with fear of you. (Bitterly) Ah the good fortune of kings, licensed to say and do whatever they please!" Her loyalty to her brother was also admirable. She was determined to give him a proper burial, even if it meant the death of her.
Is she saintly or does she have flaws? She definitely has flaws. First of all, she is the product of an incestuous relationship, not to say that makes her flawed, but it most definitely takes her out of the running of being considered saintly. Second of all, she values the opinion of the dead, more than she does of the living. That is obvious when she states, "But I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy. I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he is to me. It is the dead, not the living, who makes the greatest demands: we die forever". Let's also mention the fact that she is engaged to her cousin, Haimon, who ends up killing himself over his love for her. She knew that death was imminent once she decided to go against Creon wishes. She chose death, even though she had a sister and a fiancé, who loved and adored her. Haimon loved her so much that he even went up against his father, the King, someone whom he also felt very deeply for. He goes to her defense against his father, and when Creon shouts, "Every word you say is for her!" Haimon replies quietly with, "and for you. And for me. And for the Gods". He was torn between the women that he loved, and the love and admiration he had for his father. In the end, his love for her was so overwhelming that he took his on life.
However, in life, she could have cared less about his love for her. If she did, then her loyalty to the dead would not have gotten the best of her. She is further flawed by the fact that she contradicts herself, albeit, unknowingly, when she responds to Creon's statement, "An enemy is an enemy, even dead". Antigone's reply was, "It is my nature to join in love, not hate". If that really was the case, then she would have thought better against committing an act that guaranteed her death, when her sister and fiancé loved her dearly. It was a form of suicide from the very beginning, and suicide in my opinion, is done when one hates him or herself. Some of Antigone's flaws also included caring more for her deceased brother, than she would have had it been her deceased child. She states in the play that she would not have reacted the same way had it been her husband or her child. But because it was her brother, and both of her parents were dead, she felt obligated to carrying out the ritual herself. Her reasoning for not doing the same thing for her child was that she could always have another child to replace the dead one. In my opinion that is a major flaw, or maybe it's a lack of maternal instincts, I'm not sure. If I am willing to die for a dead brother, then I sure as heck will be willing to die for my own child! She is flawed even more because of the fact that she pretty much disowned her sister, because her sister valued the rules and laws that governed them. She turned real nasty real quick when her sister, her closest living relative, tried to convince her to not go against the king. "Go away, Ismene: I shall be hating you soon, and the dead will, too."
Which brings me to the last question; does a protagonist have to be free of flaws for us to admire her? The answer to that is NO! I most definitely admire Antigone, even with all of her flaws. She is to be commended for being courageous and strong, and she reminds me of myself. It's something I would have done, only, I probably would have been more careful not to get caught. However, I love the way she stands up to the King. She lets him know that he is still inferior to the Almighty God. When asked how she dared to defy his law, she responds with, "It was not God's proclamation. That final Justice that rules the World makes no such laws. Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal laws of God. They are not merely now: and shall be, operative forever, beyond man utterly". She lets Creon know, that his sentencing her to death was nothing special, and that in fact, she welcomed it! "I knew I must die, even without your decree: I am only mortal. Can anyone living, as I live, with evil all about me, think Death less than a friend"? I can totally empathize with her here, when her life has been nothing but heartache after heartache. She even states that "the blasphemy of my birth has followed me". She is referring to the fact that her mother, Jocasta, and her father, Oedipus, were not only husband and wife, but mother and son. Her parents had four children before finding this out, and when the truth was revealed, her father/brother, blinded himself. Her mother, as her sister mentions in the play, commits suicide, which is not hard to believe seeing as how her daughter eventually imitated her. The curse of the family continued when both of her brothers killed each other. One brother got a "proper burial", while the other was left out to rot in an open field, which is the basis of this story. This particular brother, Polyneices, ended up being the dearest to her heart, as you can tell by one of her final statements before being carried away to her doom: "O tomb, vaulted bride-bed in eternal rock, soon I shall be with my own again where Persephone welcomes the thing ghosts underground: and I shall see my father again, and you, mother, and dearest Polyneices-dearest indeed to me, since it was my hand that washed him clean and poured the ritual wine: And my reward is death before my time!"
Yes, Antigone is flawed, but still admired. She is the true tragic hero of this very sad story. She died way too young after suffering a life filled with tragedy and heartache. However, her death was her own doing. She stood strong, and never backed down from what she felt most strongly about, which was her love for the dead. I feel so sorry for her sister, who understandably wanted to die with Antigone, rather than to live her life alone. In the end, I wondered what happened to her. Hopefully, she was able to live a more content and peaceful life, than that of her dead family members.
Why does the chorus make fun of Antigone?
The chorus does not make fun ofAntigone. It warns her about the danger of going against Creon.
How did Antigone the goddess die?
Antigone was the great great great great great granddaughter of the sea god Poseidon. But she wasn't called a goddess. Instead, she was called Princess, as the daughter of Theban King Oedipus and Queen Jocasta. She was supposed to have died by stoning or by being walled up in a remote cave. She indeed was walled up in a cave. But not too long afterwards, she committed suicide by hanging herself with her own halter.
What is a way of best explaining Ismene's refusal to help Antigone bury Polyneices in 'Antigone'?
Fear, practicality and survivalism are ways in which Ismene's refusal to help Antigone bury Polyneices best can be explained in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban Princess Ismene does not favor burying her brother Polyneices since that burial is forbidden by her uncle King Creon's recent edict of non-burial. She undoubtedly is younger than her more assertive sister, Princess Antigone, who already is engaged to be married. That youth makes Ismene understandably hesitant about risky endeavors. But at the same time a surprising practicality negates her inexperience and young years.
What is Antigone's social status in 'Antigone'?
Second only to the nuclear royal family is Antigone's social status in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone is the daughter of disgraced Theban monarchs Oedipus and Jocasta. But she is the direct maternal and paternal descendant of Cadmus, Thebes' founder and first king. She is fiancée and first cousin of Prince Haemon, only surviving child and heir apparent of Theban King Creon.
What is Creon's death sentence for Antigone?
his punishment for her is for her to be stoned to death.
In ode 1 what opinion does the chorus express about the importance of law in society in Antigone?
If the laws are broken, the city is broken.
He was exiled from Thebes in order to stop the plague that was destroying the city. The Delphic Oracle said that the city would only be free of the disease once the one who killed the last king (Lias) was thrown out of Thebes.
What does Oedipus learn about laius' death?
That Laius was his father and he killed him, and married his mother Jocasta.
What is Ismene's interest in 'Antigone'?
In the play 'Antigone', Ismene's interest is survival. She is a survivalist who finds security in respect for her perceived place in Theban society and in obedience of the current laws of the city. She sees her place as different from men, whom she defines as stronger and more capable of ruling as leaders. In contrast, she sees the role of women as weaker and more capable of obeying as followers. She finds it more important to be in good standing with earthly powers and royal laws than with the gods and divine laws. Additionally, Ismene wants a circumspect lifefar away from censure, controversy, and scandal. She in fact is traumatized by the scandals of her parents and her brothers. Her father unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. The knowledge results in his own blinding, and in his wife's suicide. Ismene's twin brothers are the royal successors to their parents. But they further scandalize Thebes with their incapability to get along and share power. They end up killing each other, from opposing sides on a battlefield that pits Thebans against Thebans and Argives.
That the one thinks that mortals all answer to the gods and that the other thinks that the king is answerable to no one is the struggle between Antigone and Creon over the notion of ruling and being ruled by oneself in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone accepts the gods as the ultimate authority in life and death. In contrast, her uncle King Creon considers himself the ultimate authority over Thebes. He is correct in considering himself the gods' earthly representative in Thebes. But he is incorrect in thinking that makes him answerable to no one but himself.
Eteocles and Polyneices were the twin sons of Theban King Oedipus. They succeeded to the throne of Thebes once their father had been disgraced for having killed his own father and king, and for having married his own mother. But neither one of the sons held the Theban throne for long. The brothers were supposed to alternate years in a power sharing arrangement. But Eteocles decided not to share, and had his brother banished from the city. Polyneices promptly launched an invasion, with the help of the Argives into whose royal house he had married. Both brothers were killed in the fight on Theban soil. Their uncle Creon then became King of Thebes. But the throne ultimately ended up in the hands of Polyneices' descendants.
Who are all of the characters in 'Oedipus Rex'?
The complete list of characters in 'Oedipus Rex' includes Oedipus, a priest of Zeus, Creon, Teiresias, Jocasta, a messenger, a herdsman, and the chorus of Theban elders. Theban King Oedipus is the husband of his own mother, Theban Queen Jocasta. Creon is Jocasta's brother, and both the brother-in-law and the uncle of Oedipus. Teiresias is a blind prophet.
What precipitates the climax in 'Oedipus Rex'?
Theban King Oedipus is asked by his brother-in-law and uncle Creon, 'Didst thou wed my sister?' This question precipitates the climax, which is the great turning point in a drama. The play's climax is Oedipus' deciding that Creon needs to die. That's the great turning point, because previously Creon, Jocasta, and Oedipus have been friends. With Creon's question and Oedipus' decision, the two become enemies. The enmity will benefit only Creon, who takes over the throne of Thebes. It will destroy Jocasta, who commits suicide; and Oedipus, who loses his job, blinds himself, and goes into beggarly exile.
How does Antigone represent youth?
Antigone represents youth in her idealism, her passion, and her selflessness. She thinks that she can defend her beliefs and live without compromise. She doesn't realize that life in the real world is a seesaw balance between the individual's dreams and the society's demands. Antigone also thinks that righteousness makes right. She doesn't realize that the most successful changes often are made slowly. Neither does she realize that irritating insects may be trapped more easily and readily by sugar than by honey. Her intensely passionate belief in the rightness of her cause leads her to not mince words. In so doing, she insults her sister, Ismene. And she disrespects her uncle and future father-in-law, Theban King Creon. She demands respect for her actions and beliefs, but doesn't return the respect to others. Additionally, Antigone has all the ardent selflessness of youth caught up in life and living. Her heart bleeds for those whom she loves and against whom she witnesses injustice. She has none of the cautious trappings of the older and wiser who thnk beyond their own generation.
What role does Hades play in 'Antigone'?
It is a critical role that Hades plays in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Hades is the God of the Underworld of the afterlife. He influences Theban Princess Antigone's decision to respect the divine will over a royal edict. Antigone explains that she will spend far less time in Thebes than in the Underworld. She decides that she therefore must act during life in a way that guarantees her Hades' welcome and a happy reunion with her family in death.
== == * A mother complex (really nothing wrong with it) is women who mother other people besides their own children (or they may not have children.) They are "just there" for people, are kind, understanding, perhaps rush around and cook up good meals when a person or persons are around. When I met my husband and was dating him we would go water-skiing on weekends with a group of 12 other people. After water-skiing we would come back to my then boyfriend's house and his mother would cook up a huge meal (out of thin air) of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. 16 people sat around that large farm-like kitchen table and ate a delicious dinner and we laughed and cajoled with each other and that house was filled with warmth and love. I considered myself lucky and thought of her as my 2nd mom. She treated all of those 12 people as good as she treated my husband and his other 4 siblings. We all loved her for it and it was easy to nickname her "mom." Don't consider a mother complex a bad thing. If one is a mother to someone other than her own children she should also respect they are individuals and just be there when that person needs them, but other than that give wise advice and push the person to stand on their own two feet and grow. Doing everything for your own children or other people and not letting them grow is smothering and holding that person back. * Another Side To A Mother Complex: If someone is frequently inclined towards mothering, then that person most likely has a "positive mother complex", which was formed in response to the relationship she had with her own mother. Before understanding what a mother complex is, one must understand what a complex is. Every person has both a mother and a father complex, and each can be negative or positive. As a person grows up, every experience with his or her mother or father, whether positive or negative, is "stored" in association with the image of the parent. In other words, somewhere in the unconscious mind there is an image of the mother and father, and depending on the early experiences of the parents, those images will each be "surrounded" by a collection of positive and negative emotional charges. If a female has a positive experience overall with her mother, then her inner mother image will be surrounded by mostly positive emotional charges. Such a woman would then have a positive mother complex and would most likely be comfortable with mothering.
What is a complication of Haemon being engaged to Antigone in 'Antigone'?
That it becomes a question of what the betrothed couple will do is a complication of Haemon being engaged to Antigone in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban Princess does not act as though she has anyone's welfare to care about other than herself and dead family members. Her sister, Princess Ismene, insists that Antigone and Haemon are very much in love. But Antigone never mentions Haemon.
How old is Antigone when she dies?
Antigone may be no more than 15 years old when she dies. But that's just a guess. The play 'Antigone' in fact gives no information as to the age of the main character of the same name. But in ancient Greece, betrothal arrangements tended to be made in the childhood, if not the infancy, of the future bride and groom.
