Antigone

Sophocles (c. 496 B.C.E. - c. 406 B.C.E.) wrote the tragedies "Antigone" and "Oedipus Rex."

Specifically, the ancient Greek dramatist claimed as his hometown Colonus. Nowadays, Colonus is part of the Greek capital city of Athens. But back at the time of Sophocles', Colonus was known as the place where tragic Theban King Oedipus died and was buried.

One who decides all matters great and small and who demands obedience is a good ruler in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Creon believes that a ruler rules alone, over all things and all people. It is a sign of weakness and ineffectiveness to seek and be influenced by other opinions. It is a sign of strength and effectiveness to be obeyed, without comment or even clarifying question.

That she gives her life for a cause is the reason why Antigone is a martyr in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Antigone decides that she must take action against a royal edict. That edict denies to disloyal Thebans god-given rights of all Thebans to below-ground burials. The disobeys the royal edict, obeys the divine law, and is punished with death by live burial and starvation. She gives her life for the cause of divine law and the burial of her brother Polyneices and therefore dies a martyr's death.

Witness to Oedipus as a devoted father, sympathy for the suffering of an entire family, and lack of criminal intent and immoral design are the purposes served by the appearance of Antigone and Ismene in the Exodus of "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. -- 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon begins the play as a role model of personal happiness and professional success for his people. By the end of the play, he is found to be his father's killer, his mother's husband and his children's half-brother. That his criminal acts and immoral actions are committed without intent, premeditation or prior knowledge is supported by his loving interaction with his daughters, the Princesses Antigone and Ismene.

Antigone's passion, Ismene's fear, Creon's arrogance and Haemon's devotion are the personal qualities that contribute to the conflict in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, it is Theban Princess Antigone's passionate commitment to her family, the gods and Theban traditions that lead her to break her uncle King Creon's non-burial edict. Ismene's youthful fearfulness makes her refuse to help her sister break the law. As a result, Polyneices' body is left above ground and obviously partially buried instead of in the more protected below-ground position of out of sight out of mind. Creon's arrogance makes him sensitive to personal and professional slights. As a result, he does not back away from applying the death sentence in the face of Antigone's blatant disrespect. Finally, all hope for a pardon or a lesser sentence is lost with Haemon's devoted attachment, which becomes more and more hopelessly offensive and less and less effectively defensive in his conversation with Creon, his father and Antigone's judge.

Antigone and Eurydice curse Creon in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon issues a non-burial law, exposes his nephew Polyneices' body to ravaging weather and scrounging wildlife, breaks his son Prince Haemon's engagement to Princess Antigone, whom he arrests and sentences to death. For all of the preceding reasons, Antigone curses Creon with the same amount of evil. This curse is augmented by that of Queen Eurydice, Creon's wife and Antigone's intended mother-in-law. Eurydice blames Creon for the earlier deaths of their other children and for the recent suicides of Antigone and Haemon.

Because he expects low life in the pay of cowardly enemies, Creon is surprised that Antigone is arrested in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, guards tell Theban King Creon about the burial of Polyneices' body. Creon states that he has enemies who are too cowardly to break the law but wealthy enough to bribe someone else to do the deed. He therefore expects someone poor and unprincipled, not someone royal and with convictions, to be arrested.

That she is a child who suffers but who is not known to do great things is the reason why Antigone is not the tragic hero of the play "Oedipus Rex."

Specifically, a person who is tragic meets with a bad end. A person who is heroic is capable of doing great deeds. The job description matches Antigone's father, Theban King Oedipus, in the play "Oedipus Rex" and herself in the play "Antigone".

Three (3) generations before the Trojan War is when Oedipus is King of Thebes in the play "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. -- 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Oedipus' grandson Thersander lives at the time of the Trojan War. Various dates are given to the timing of that war. But one of the convincing dates is just before 800 B.C.E. The reason for this date is the friendship between Trojan hero Aeneas and Dido of Carthage, an actual, real-life historical person from around 800 B.C.E.

It is to her last earthly presence among them that Antigone begs the people of Thebes to bear witness in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone is processing to the remote cave where she will be buried alive. She calls for the Theban people to remember her last presence with and last trip from them. She also asks for them not to forget the last sunlight that she sees and feels before being sentenced to darkness.

How there can be any unused up suffering left is what Antigone wonders in the first lines of "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone believes that she and her sister, Princess Ismene, know suffering as the daughters of cursed King Oedipus. She does not imagine how there can be any grevious experience left for them to undergo. But then she hears of her uncle King Creon's decree of non-burial of the disloyal Theban dead.

Acceptance of responsibility is Antigone's reaction to being charged with her crime in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone makes two decisions at the beginning of the play. She will obey divine will by burying her brother Polyneices even though that act is forbidden by her uncle King Creon's edict of non-burial of the disloyal Theban dead. She will take responsibility for her act in not doing it secretively and in not contecting its mandatory death sentence.

Yes, Antigone has regrets in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone expresses regret that she leaves life unmarried and childless. She indicates that the bonds of married and family life take precedence over other ties. In the absence of husband and children, she has to defend the rights of parents and siblings. She indicates that spouses and children can be replaced but that siblings cannot be since both her parents are dead.

Contributing to the unfurling tragedy is the role that choices play in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon chooses to issue an edict that denies to the disloyal Theban dead their god-given rights as Thebans to below ground burials. His niece, Princess Antigone, chooses to offend Creon by breaking his law, burying her disgraced brother Polyneices and getting sentenced to death. His other niece, Princess Ismene, chooses not to help her sister Antigone and thereby makes it so that Polyneices is given a partial instead of a below ground burial.

Foreign robbers kill Laius according to Jocasta in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Queen Jocasta tells her second husband Oedipus that her first husband Laius is killed by foreign robbers in a foreign land. Her information comes from an eyewitness account by her most trusted servant. That servant and the guilty are the only survivors of that fatal attack on Laius and his five-member escort party.

Assertive and independent versus cowed and timid is the contrast between Antigone and Ismene in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone does not mince actions or words. She knows what she desires and does not care what anyone else thinks. In contrast is her younger sister, Princess Ismene. The scars from her parents' humiliating overthrow and her father's miserable exile run deep. She screams at the sight of her own shadow and can think of nothing other than avoiding the equivalent of a hollering or a spanking from her uncle, King Creon.