Antigone

Eteocles and Polyneices become the Kings of Thebes at the end of 'Oedipus Rex'. They're the twin sons and heirs of their father and half brother, Theban King Oedipus. They're supposed to alternate years of rule in a royal power sharing arrangement.

But Eteocles ends up refusing to give up the throne to Polyneices when his year ends. He forces Polyneices into exile. But Polyneices marries into the Argive royal house. He therefore comes back with a joint force of disgruntled Thebans and invading Argives. His quest to reclaim his royal rights ends in Argive defeat and the deaths of him and his brother.

Some fifteen to twenty (15-20) years before the action of the play "Oedipus Rex" Oedipus is considered to have freed Thebes from the Sphinx.

Specifically, ancient Greek playwright Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.) gives no dates or times for the events before and during the action of the play. But Oedipus indicates that he is not worried about what will happen to his twin sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, who are already grown up. Based upon what is known about eligibility to take over the throne, which both of his sons could and would do, the general notion is that defeating the Sphinx, marrying Theban Queen Jocasta and becoming King of Thebes happened in Oedipus' life about 15-20 years before his fall from grace as a killer and sex offender.

Answer #1

He portrays him as a puppet of fate. He does everything in his power after finding out about this prophesy to escape it. Somehow it still manages to come true.

Answer #2

Sophocles [496 B.C.E.-406 B.C.E.] portrays Theban King Oedipus as a man of free will who considers himself and therefore becomes a puppet of fate. For example, it's Oedipus who makes a critical decision upon hearing what he thinks are his biological parents described otherwise by a drunkard. It's Oedipus who decides to leave home without telling his parents, and find out what the Delphic Oracle has to say. It's Oedipus who decides not to go back home and tell the people whom he loves as parents of the non answer that the Oracle gives to his question. It's Oedipus who decides to respond in kind to the violence of a man similar to him in appearance and old enough to be his father. It's Oedipus who decides to marry a woman old enough to be his mother. It's Oedipus who decides to blind himself in response to finding dead Theban Queen Jocasta, who is his mother and his wife. And it's precisely at that point that Oedipus takes the final stand that his life is the fulfillment of a horrific fate that's beyond his control, and not the result of poor decision making

Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Plato's Allegory of the Cave are similar in that they both have reoccurring themes of blindness and sight.

In Oedipus, the prophet Teiresias is literally blind, but is figuratively able to see better than Oedipus because he knows about the prophecy behind the king's past. (the prophecy being that Oedipus married his mother and killed his father.) Although Teiresias makes several attempts to convince Oedipus of his true lineage, the pompous king refuses to accept this truth and accuses him of lying. Eventually, Oedipus realizes this and his wife Jocasta is unable to bear the truth that was suddenly revealed. Her inability to cope with such a traumatic event causes her to commit suicide. Once Oedipus realizes what he has done, he blinds himself so he would not be able to see the results of his unholy deeds, and is ashamed to see his children, as well as the hardships and pain he had put his family through.

On the other hand, Plato's literary work discusses and fully embraces the quote "ignorance is bliss" while introducing the theme of blindness as a prisoner faces a wall in a cave that only portrays shadows from a fire of what is happening in the outside world. Sight comes in as the prisoner is suddenly released and let out into the world. (Darkness represented lies and falsity/ Light symbolized the truth, reality, and enlightenment) The prisoner is disoriented and hurt at first because he was drastically forced out of the darkness of the cave and into the sunlight. He then was able to see actual detailed images of the shadows that he was previously confined to viewing, but when he decided to try and explain this newfound discovery to other prisoners who were chained in the cave, they denied it. Despite his efforts to attempt to share the truths of reality with others who had been deprived of this experience, they doubted him because they refused to believe that all they had seen was a lie. This shows that the truth is sometimes difficult to accept.

Teiresias, the blind prophet parallels the prisoner's character in that they were both enlightened by the truth, but then were doubted while trying to divulge the truth to others who were proven to be unknowledgeable. This may have resulted because people sometimes choose what they want to believe and have a hard time accepting that all that they had ever known was truly a lie. Another aspect of Oedipus Rex that relates to The Allegory of the Cave was when the truth of Oedipus marrying his mother was uncovered. Both Jocasta and Oedipus are unable to bear this sudden revelation and are startled and caught off guard. (similar to the way the prisoner was when he was thrust out into the light of reality.)

Make his life miserable is what Creon tells Oedipus to do if he finds out Creon lies to him in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Oedipus accuses Creon, his brother-in-law and royal colleague, of conspiring with Teiresias the blind prophet to grab all the royal power for himself. Creon is unsuccessful in getting Oedipus to allow him a self-defense. But he manages to get in the oath that he is telling the truth and that he deserves the worst if he is not.

That she is brave, compassionate and determined is what can be told of Antigone's character from the strong contrast with her sister in the prologue to "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone demonstrates bravery in heading on a collision path with her formidable uncle, King Creon. She exhibits compassion in not wanting to leave her brother Polyneices' body above ground and exposed to disfigurement and dismemberment by ravaging weather and scrounging wildlife. She manifests determination in holding to her decision despite her sister Ismene's persuasive reasons to abandon the task.

No, British character actor Peter Bull [March 21, 1912-May 20, 1984] didn't narrate a film about 'Oedipus Rex' in the 1950's. But Canadian actor Roland Bull [b. June 16, 1930] did participate in the 1957 version of 'Oedipus Rex' by Sir William Tyrone Guthrie [July 2, 1900-May 15, 1971].

A narration is the telling of a story. In the case of 'Oedipus Rex', that story is told strictly by the characters in the episodes, and by the chorus in the odes. The 1957 film version began with one of the actors giving background. But the credits didn't identify which of the masked actors he was.

Thespis is not a character in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Thespis is the world's first known actor. He lived in ancient Greece during the sixth (6th) century B.C.E. The play "Antigone" was not written until the following, fifth (5th) century B.C.E. It is one of only seven surviving plays by the ancient Greek dramatist Sophocles. It is guesstimated to have been written around 442 B.C.E.

That he is in the wrong is the reason that Antigone gives Creon for disobeying his orders in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone breaks a royal edict issued by her uncle, King Creon. The edict conflicts with divine law and Theban tradition. Antigone explains that she breaks Creon's law because he is in the wrong and that she observes divine law because the gods rule.

Twelve (12) people make up the chorus in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the chorus draws its membership from the most accomplished, elderly and respected of Theban citizens. They form a support group for the reigning king. They provide entertainment through their dances and songs as well as instruction through their explanations of offstage, onstage, parallel and past events.

Depressed, penitent and suicidal is the type of person that Creon is at the end of "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, disgraced Theban King Creon is depressed because he hits rock bottom personally and professionally. He is disliked by everyone, including himself. He is penitent because he recognizes himself as offensive to gods and mortals for denying Thebans god-given rights. He is suicidal because no one and nothing remains from who and what gave meaning to his life.

Polyneicesis buried by Antigone because he is her brother and she wants to be able to look him in the face in the Underworld of the afterlife in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, divine law guarantees below-ground burials and funeral rites to all Thebans. Polyneices' body is left above ground and exposed to the weather and wildlife because of an illegal edict by his uncle, Theban King Creon. Antigone decides to break the law, bury her brother, and count on being accepted instead of shunned by her family in her post-mortem existence.

That she is in the right and that he is in the wrong is the way in which Antigone explains her actions to Creon in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone disobeys a royal edict in order to obey a divine law and cherished Theban tradition. She defends her actions as respect for divinely expressed will since the gods rule in this world and in the Underworld of the afterlife. She criticizes her uncle, King Creon, for issuing an edict that denies to Thebans he perceives as enemies the below ground burial rights that the gods promise to all Thebans. She asserts that she is in the right for respecting the gods and that Creon is in the wrong for blaspheming divinely expressed will.

That of the experienced, respected elders of Thebes is what the old men's view is in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the chorus is made up of Theban elders, one of whom is the designated leader. The chorus applies its considerable education, experience and expertise to entertaining the audience, interpreting the interactions, and summarizing the action. The chorus does not interfere with the interactions among the characters even though they give their opinions. Chorus opinions almost invariably start out on the side of the status quo.

That she is the main character is the reason why Antigone is the protagonist in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the protagonist is the main character around whom the play's action revolves. The protagonist is heroic in doing good deeds. This describes Antigone, who is both the main character and the principal female character. She does good deeds, because she respects her family, the gods and Theban traditions.