Antigone

It is the sentry that catches Antigone burying her brother and brings her in front of Creon in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon issues an edict of non-burial of the disloyal Theban dead. He has sentries posted to make sure that the exposed bodies remain unburied. His niece Princess Antigone is caught burying and anointing her brother Polyneices in direct disobedience of the edict, for which the punishment is death.

The story of Oedipus is the myth upon which "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.) is based.

Specifically, the myth of Oedipus tells of the curse on the Theban royal house and of the curse's particular impact on Theban King Oedipus and his family. The gods are intent upon destroying that house, but the curse basically ends with Princess Antigone, Oedipus' daughter and half-sister; the family of King Creon, Oedipus' brother-in-law and uncle; and the ultimate triumph of the Argive/Theban line of Polyneices, Oedipus' son and half-brother, over that of Eteocles, Polyneices' twin brother.

Try to end a fight between Oedipus and Creon, sendfor the eyewitness to Laius' murder, receive the news of the Corinthian messenger, try to talk Oedipus out of the interview of the two shepherds, and kill herself are what Jocasta does in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban monarchs Jocasta and Oedipus are in the middle of a murder investigation into the long-ago mysterious death of Laius, Jocasta's first husband. Oedipus gets into a fight with Creon, his brother-in-law and royal colleague. Jocasta tries to end the fight by separating the two and sending for the sole eyewitness to Laius' murder. While waiting, Jocasta learns from a Corinthian messenger that Oedipus' presumed father is dead. During the eyewitness' interview, Jocasta tries to stop the information-gathering process. She realizes that Oedipus is her own son and Laius' killer and kills herself because of that knowledge.

No, Ismene is not the protagonist in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Ismene is one of the main characters since she has a name and interacts with the other main characters. But the protagonist is the main character around whom the play's action revolves. That description fits Ismene's sister, Theban Princess Antigone.

Sophocles and Jean Anouilh are two playwrights who each wrote a play titled "Antigone."

Specifically, the earlier version is by ancient Greek playwright Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.). His play is suspected to have been written around 442 B.C.E. French dramatist Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (June 23, 1910 - October 3, 1987) wrote his play about the ancient Theban heroine in 1942.

Thirteenth-century Thebes the day after the last battle in the first civil war over the Theban royal succession is geographical and temporal setting of "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, all onstage action takes place outside the main entrance to the Theban royal palace. The events occur in the course of the day after the final battle in the first civil war over the Theban royal succession. They most likely happen about 25-30 years before the Trojan War (1194 B.C.E. - 1184 B.C.E.), to which Theban Princess Antigone's nephew Thersander is contemporary if not a participant.

Antigone, Creon, Haemon and undoubtedlyIsmene have tragic flaws in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone is reckless in speech: she says what she thinks, but is not interested in contrary convictions and opinions. King Creon is stubbornly arrogantin that he thinks that he can get away with contradicting a divine law. Prince Haeman, Antigone's husband-to-be and Creon's son, disrespects his father and his sovereign: this is offensive to the gods and to mortals in ancient Greece. Finally, Ismene's fate undoubtedly is tragic, if nothing else from the fact that she just disappears from the character interactions after just two brief appearances. Her tragic flaw is fear, which makes her not back up Antigone when it may make a difference and support her when it is too late.

Where Oedipus is going to die is the theme of "Oedipus at Colonus" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Oedipus lives and relives on a daily basis the dreadful prophecy that results in his personal and professional disgrace. But he makes a stop at a grove near Colonus outside Athens. There, he remembers that the prophecy is not all bad. Indeed, the prophecy reveals that Oedipus will die a special death and that his burial place will give luck to its location.

Outside the royal palace of Thebes is the setting when the play "Antigone" begins.

Specifically, the scene takes place in the open space before the front entrance to the royal palace. The time is daybreak. The first two characters that the reading and viewing audiences meet are Theban Princesses Antigone and Ismene, orphaned daughters of the tragically incestuous previously reigning royal couple and nieces of current Theban King Creon.

Haemon's defense of Antigone and the choral odesare my favorite parts of "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, it is educational and entertaining to read the choral odes. The odes lead the audience through cultural and historical elaborations of and parallels to offstage and onstage events. Additionally, Theban Prince Haemon modernizes the play in his realistic defense of Antigone, his beloved first cousin and bride-to-be.

His foolishness in issuing and enforcing a law that contradicts divine will is Creon's downfall in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon crafts a law that leaves disloyal Theban dead bodies unburied. The law is in conflict with the divine will that according to Theban traditions guarantees below ground burials to all Thebans. The gods rule in life and death so Creon is on a collision course with his own fateful downfall the minute that he issues his edict.

Sending Creon to consult the oracle at Apollo's shrine is the step already taken by Oedipus to deal with the plaque in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. -- 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Oedipus shows himself to be an effective, informed, sensitive ruler. He knows of the current pestilence in Thebes and anticipates that Thebans will ask for his help. When they do, he hopes to have an answer by way of the oracle's information.

Her son's death and her husband's blame in that death are the reasons why Eurydice kills herself in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Prince Haemon is the last surviving child of Queen Eurydice and King Creon. He is engaged to his first cousin, Princess Antigone, whom his father sentences to death for violating an unpopular law that contradicts divine will and thwarts Theban traditions. Antigone commits suicide rather than die walled up in a remote cave. Haemon commits suicide rather than live without Antigone. Finally, Eurydice commits suicide rather than live one second more with the husband whom she blames for the deaths of all of their children.

Bury the dead from the recent battle over the crown of Thebes is what Teiresias advises Creon to do 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 identifies Thebes' most recent problem as fighting birds not lending themselves to ritual sacrifice and interpretation of divine will. He identifies the cause as birds and dogs eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the yet unburied dead. He therefore identifies the solution as burial of the dead in line with what Antigone tries to do with her disgraced brother Polyneices and in compliance with divine will and Theban traditions.

Ancient Greece is the country in which the play "Oedipus the King" is set.

Specifically, the play's author Sophocles (c. 496 B.C.E. - c. 406 B.C.E.) sets the opening scene outside the royal palace of Thebes. It is clear that he means the ancient Greek city, not the ancient Egyptian place name. One way that Sophocles makes this clear is by having the characters and the chorus refer to other places in Greece, such as Corinth and Delphi. The characters and the chorus also reference names from ancient Greek mythology, such as Cadmus and Zeus.

Creon's intentions are good in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon has good intentions when he issues his edict of non-burial of the disloyal Theban dead. He hopes to discourage people from rebelling when they see that their bodies will be denied god-given below ground burial rights if they do so. The problem lies in his thereby contradicting divine will, denying cherished Theban traditions and fostering division when he needs to promote healing and community.

Eteocles and Polyneices are Antigone's dead brothers in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Eteocles and Polyneices are the eldest of the four children of disgraced Theban monarchs Oedipus and Jocasta. They are twin brothers, of whom Eteocles is the elder. They end up killing each during the last, decisive battle in the recent civil war over the Theban royal succession.

That she agrees with the gods that once a Thebanalways a Theban is why Antigone does not view herself as a traitor in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone believes in her city, her family and her gods. She therefore does not fixate on what side a Theban is on in the first civil war over the Theban royal succession. She is just glad that the conflict is over and wants both the disloyal and loyal Theban dead to have their god-given rights as Thebans respected for below ground burials. But that is not the way that her vindictive uncle, King Creon, sees things.

That marriage and children may have influenced a different choice and that devotion to the gods is what kills her are what Antigone uncharacteristically says in her final scene in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone initially only speaks of feelings for the family into which she is born. She likewise mentions the gods in terms of unquestioning respect. But just before her live burial, Antigone indicates that having a husband and children may have kept her from fighting for Polyneices' burial rights. She also declares that prioritizing divine over royal will is the cause of her death sentence.