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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
What is the climate in Thebes at the time of 'Antigone'?
That Thebans are ashamed of their royal house, depressed over the recent civil war and fearful of the futureis what the climate is like in Thebes at the time of "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Thebans live with the shame of not knowing that beloved Theban monarchs Oedipus and Jocasta are in an albeit unknowing incestuous relationship and that Oedipus also is the killer of his father and royal predecessor, King Laius. They feel depressed over the recent civil war over the Theban royal succession
How does Creon show he is guilty of pride?
He realizes that everyone is dying that is close to him and they have shown that it was his fault for not listening.
What do the city elders look forward to in 'Antigone'?
It is to current tasks that the city elders look forward to in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, the chorus of Theban elders indicates that they do not know what will happen to disgraced Theban King Creon. They note that they need to take care of pressing matters of the here and now. They observe that future tasks will be done in good time and that Creon's fate is a matter of future concern. This observation reflects the fact that punishment is determined by the gods, not mortals.
What does Creon accuse Teiresias of wanting to do to him in 'Antigone'?
To turn him into a target is what Creon accuses Teiresias of wanting to do to him in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban King Creon feels defensive about his edict denying to Theban traitors the god-given rights of all Thebans to below ground burials. Teiresias observes that Creon's edict is responsible for a pestilential environment, polluted altars and wrathful gods because of unburied Theban bodies. Creon responds that Teiresias and other disgruntled Thebans just find it easy to try to blame the king for everything that goes wrong in Thebes.
How does Antigone see Ismene's decision not to disobey the king's order in 'Antigone'?
That she is blasphemous, cowardly selfish and unworthy is the way in which Antigone sees Ismene's decision not to disobey the king's order in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone cannot stand idly by while her brother Polyneices' body is disfigured and dismembered by weather and wildlife. She criticizes her sister Princess Ismene for being cowed by their uncle King Creon's illegal edict of non-burial of the disloyal Theban dead. She describes Ismene as disrespecting their family as well as the gods and traditions of Thebes.
What happens when Oedipus arrives at Colonus in 'Oedipus at Colonus'?
That he recognizes it as his place of death is what happens when Oedipus arrives at Colonus in "Oedipus at Colonus" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Oedipus arrives at Colonus just outside Athens. He attempts to rest in a grove that is sacred to the Furies of fate. Area residents make an effort to shoo away the disgraced Theban king. But Oedipus recalls the one positive part of a three part prophecy: he will die a special death in a place sacred to the Furies, his death will bring luck to the area and its people.
To what fable does Haemon refer in 'Antigone'?
"The Oak and the Reed" is the fable to which Aesop (ca. 620 B.C.E. - 564 B.C.E.) refers in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban Prince Haemon argues for flexibility versus rigidity in personal happiness and professional success. He gives the examples of boat sails being adjusted to the winds and of tree branches moving with the wind. In the fable to which Haemon refers, the rigid oak is blown over in a storm that the reed survives by going with the flow.
