Antigone

That this is exactly according to plan and that she accepts responsibility for her act the moment that she decides to carry it out is the reason why Antigone is not ashamed when she has to go before Creon in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone decides that she will break her uncle King Creon's law. She knows that her civil disobedience carries a death sentence. She takes responsibility for her act and its punishment.

Devoted to family but older and more determined versus younger and more vulnerable is a way to compare and contrast Antigone and Ismene in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban sister Princesses Antigone and Ismene love the family into which they are born. They cling to their memories of domestic bliss and public adulation before the great fall of their parents, disgraced King Oedipus and Queen Jocasta. But Antigone benefits from her older years and is more courageous, daring and determined in her defense of family and feeling.

Loyalty, obedience and respect is what Creon expects from a good son in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon demands loyal support for him as Prince Haemon's father and sovereign. He expects unquestioning compliance with his every word and law. He requires respectful attitudes, gestures, tones and words in all familial and royal interactions.

That ultimate authorities collide in their rightful demands for obedience is the way in which Antigone represents the tragic collision of right against right in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone complies with the measures of divine law and Theban tradition. But this compliance is on a collision course with royal law. Royal law illegally makes Antigone's point of obedience an example of disobedience within the royal law.

"The good Creon" is an example of verbal irony in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the phrase verbal irony describes an expression that is the opposite of what the speaker thinks and that therefore has a meaning that contradicts its literal definition. The description fits Theban Princess Antigone designation of her uncle King Creon when she speaks with her sister Ismene about the edict of non-burial of the disloyal Theban dead. Antigone practices her religion and does not consider Creon at all good for denying to the disloyal Theban dead the god-given rights of all Thebans to below ground burials.

Come up with an unjust edict, deny assistance, give a partial burial twice, hand over a law breaker, help a defendant, issue a death sentence, make a recommendation, offend a prophet and a relative, reverse a policy, terminate life and turn into an emotional wreck are what the characters do in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon comes up with an unjust edict for whose violation he sentences his niece Princess Antigone to death. Princess Ismene does not help her sister Antigone bury their brother Polyneices, but then claims that she did in an effort to share blame or lessen punishment. Antigone gives her brother two partial burials before she is captured by guards and escorted to trial and sentencing under her uncle King Creon. Teiresias the blind prophet, Prince Haemon and the chorus leader make efforts to dissuade Creon, who responds with insults and threats. Consequently, Antigone, Haemon and Queen Eurydice take their lives in quick succession. Creon turns into an emotional wreck when he finds himself in time to reverse his non-burial edict but not in time to prevent the suicides of family members.

Oedipus of Colonus kills a stranger who subsequently turns out to be his father and sovereign, Theban King Laius, in the play "Oedipus Rex."

Although not originally written as such, this play is considered the first of three dramas in the Theban trilogy by Colonus-born Athenian playwright Sophocles (496 B.C.E. - 406 B.C.E.). The second drama is "Oedipus at Colonus," in which Oedipus dies a natural death after a humiliating and miserable exile. Just before the beginning of the third drama, "Antigone," Oedipus' sons, Theban Kings Eteocles and Polyneices, kill each other on the battlefield outside their hometown of Thebes.

No, Creon does not let Antigone bury anyone in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon issues a royal edict by which his enemies are denied god-given rights of all Thebans to below-ground burials and funeral rites. Creon makes no distinction between King Adrastus' Argive invaders, whose dead are expected to be left unburied since they are not Theban, and Polyneices' Theban supporters, who traditionally find their burial rights respected since they are considered Theban in life and death regardless of what they do in life. Creon therefore refuses to let anyone bury anybody other than loyal Theban dead.

Leadership is the principle that Creon explains concerning a ruler first being able to rule his own house in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the term leadership describes the ability to rule a group of people. It is a principle that comes out particularly in Theban King Creon's interactions with the chorus and with his son Prince Haemon. Creon looks at leadership as coordinating control over his family life with domination of the cultural, economic and political life of his people.

Yes, "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.) is an example of Greek tragedy.

Specifically, the play is written by an ancient Greek dramatist of the fifth century B.C.E. It is structured according to the rules of ancient Greek drama in having all action take place in one onstage location within the time period of one day. It is intended to be a tragedy because it tells the story of Theban Princess Antigone, who gives her life for her family, her gods and her people's most cherished traditions.

That Creon's son will die, that Creon's people will hate him and that Creon's household will be one of mourning and regretare Teiresias' prophecies in the play "Antigone" by ancient Greek playwright Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, in Episode 4, Teiresias the blind prophet explains that the outcome of the recent battle over the crown of Thebes continues to affect parents of sons who as allies of the invading Argives are left above ground instead of being accorded the divine guarantee of proper, Theban-style burials. The gods do not forgive or forget disrespect to and disobedience of their clearly expressed will regarding Thebes and Theban dead. So as with Thebes so goes Creon: The sorrow that goes around from the loss of a child and the disrespect to the dead comes around as the suicide of Creon's only remaining child and as his complete undoing personally and professionally.

That it is she who defies him and his law is what Antigone makes clear to Creon in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone does not deny or diminish her civil law breaking activities. She lets her uncle King Creon know how accomplished she feels about burying her brother Polyneices, disobeying the unjust edict of non-burial and expecting punishment in full from someone she so dislikes and disrespects.

That he wants to go back home and that he needs to be listened to are the statements that Teiresias makes when he respectively arrives in "Oedipus Rex" and "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Oedipus aims for Teiresias the blind prophet's insights into King Laius' killer. Teiresias promptly asks to go back home since he will have to accuse Oedipus of being Laius' killer. He has similarly upsetting comments to make to Oedipus' royal successor, King Creon. He must let Creon know that the current pestilence is rooted in a recent royal edict that contradicts divine will and Theban traditions. He prepares for the difficult charges by insisting that he must be listened to.

No, Creon does not die in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the play ends with Theban King Creon being led away from his people and into the Theban royal palace recesses. Creon is sputtering about his punishment. He is told that there are more pressing matters to attend to at this moment than that.

Yes, Oedipus becomes King of Thebes after stopping the terrorism of the Sphinx. The monster forces all those entering and leaving the city to answer a seemingly unanswerable question. Before Oedipus, no one knows the answer. No answer or a wrong answer means becoming the Sphinx's next meal.

Oedipus alone figures out the answer as a human being. Specifically, it's a human in the crawling baby stage that crawls on fours in the morning [of life], a healthy adult that goes about on twos in the afternoon, and an elderly person being said to go around on threes what with the use of a cane in the evening [of life].

The Sphinx is so taken aback by Oedipus' unexpected victory that she throws herself over a cliff. The entire city welcomes Oedipus inside. Everyone is happy to introduce him to Jocasta, their beautiful and recently-widowed queen. So Oedipus quickly becomes the Queen's husband and the city's King.

Yes, there are pictures of the characters in the tragedy of "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the ancient Greeks appreciated such art forms as mosaics, pottery and sculpture. All three such forms lent themselves well to the illustration of entertaining and instructive situations from the vast cultural and literary heritage of ancient Greek. Among the most admired and famous numbered a bowl depicting the fate of Theban Princess Ismene, disgraced King Oedipus' youngest daughter. It showed that she was killed by Tydeus, brother-in-law of her brother Polyneices.

Above ground and under a layer of dust and then below ground are the ways in which Polyneices is buried in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Polyneices' body is supposed to receive a below-ground burial and proper, Theban-style funeral rites. But his uncle, Theban King Creon, issues a royal edict by which Thebans who die attacking their hometown are denied their god-given rights to below-ground burials and funeral rites. Princess Antigone, Polyneices' sister, therefore decides to break the law and bury her brother. But she can only give her brother a partial burial, by which the body is covered with a layer of dust and anointed with sacred liquid from a special ewer. Ultimately, Creon approves a below-ground burial for Polyneices once he realizes that the suffering that he so heartlessly inflicts on Thebans is coming back to him.

That she is going to deliberately disobey a royal edict that carries a death sentence is what Antigone tells Ismene that she will do in the opening scene of "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. -- 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon issues an edict against the proper, Theban-style mourning and burying of the disloyal dead. With that edict, he justifies burying his loyal nephew Eteocles and not burying his disloyal nephew Polyneices. But Creon's niece, Theban Princess Antigone, plans to disobey the non-burial law and give her brother Polyneices the same respect in death as her brother Eteocles.

Traditional culture dominated by personal ties and the gods versus the impersonality of the modern state is what is represented about society in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone represents pre-modern society in which family ties and divine will determine the lives and deaths of all. In contrast, King Creon represents the modern state. He symbolizes the impersonal, smooth functioning of a government in which the family and the gods have no role.