Antigone

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.

No, Jocasta has no idea before her marriage that Oedipus is her son in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Queen Jocasta describes her first husband as an older version of her second husband, Theban King Oedipus. She does not consider the two to be father and son since her only child by Laius is supposedly killed in order not to grow up to a miserable fate. When she realizes that Oedipus is her husband's killer, her own son, and her children's half-brother, she kills herself.

It is to a wild eagle that Polyneices is compared in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the chorus describes in biased fashion the civil war that is started because of the denial of Polyneices' legitimate claim to the Theban throne. The members say that Polyneices swoops in proudly for the kill. But momentary triumph turns quickly to defeat for the wild eagle who offends the gods with boasts, insults and screams.

Apprehensive is the way that Antigone's first speech makes the audience feel in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone mentions her disgraced parents, Theban monarchs Oedipus and Jocasta. She refers to the denial to the disloyal dead of god-given rights to all Thebans for below ground burials. She states that burying her disgraced brother Polyneices violates the law and that the punishment is death. Her commentary turns ever more worrisome with each detail, and the audience becomes ever more apprehensive for her fate.

One day is the time span in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the three unities were the dramatic ideal in ancient Greek plays. The term referred to one problem being raised and solved within one place in one unit of time. That meant that all of the onstage action had to take place within one 24-hour period.

That Antigone is the lawbreaker is the reason why Creon is upset at the opening of scene 2 in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the sentinel discovers who is burying and reburying the exposed body of Polyneices. He leads the perpetrator to the royal palace. Theban King Creon sees that the perpetrator is Princess Antigone, his niece and intended daughter-in-law.

King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes were guests at the court of Pelops. While there, King Laius fancied Pelops' young son, Chrysippus, and took sexual advantage of the boy. Enraged by this act of violation, Pelops laid a curse upon the royal house of King Laius that any son borne by Jocasta would kill him.

Years passed, and King Laius and his wife abstained from the marriage bed in fear of the curse, until one night while intoxicated they abandoned caution. When the infant son was born, King Laius pierced his tiny, tender feet with a spear and left him exposed on a distant mountainside to die. But fate soon stepped in for a shepherd found the poor abandoned infant and immediately brought him to King Polybus of Corinth.

Polybus, having no children of his own, adopted the little babe and named him for his damaged feet - Oedipus (swell foot).

Unmarried is Antigone's relationship status in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone is old enough to be engaged to Prince Haemon, her first cousin and heir to the Theban throne. But she breaks a law issued by King Creon, her uncle and Haemon's father, and receives the death sentence. The application of capital punishment effectively breaks the engagement so Antigone moves from unmarried but spoken for to unmarried and available at the time of her death.

"Oedipus Rex," "Oedipus at Colonus" and "Antigone" are the three plays in the Oedipus trilogy by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Sophocles is not thought to have intended the plays as a trilogy. They are so called because they are three in number, they are among the handful of surviving plays from Sophocles' vast output of over 120 plays, and they deal with the Theban royal family. The above-mentioned list organizes the plays into chronological order, not in the order of writing. In actuality, it is thought that the date of writing is around 442 B.C.E. in terms of "Antigone," 429 B.C.E. in terms of "Oedipus Rex" and 405 B.C.E. in terms of "Oedipus at Colonus."

Issue and enforce his laws without the influence of his family and his people are what Creon intended to do as ruler of Thebes in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon wants to do what he considers needs to be done to rule Thebes and keep the job within his own family and descendants. He intends that his choices will not be affected by the will of the gods, the traditions of Thebes or the suffering of his people. He decides to be equally heartless in keeping the disloyal dead from being buried and in executing violators of his law.

The breaking of her engagement, the loss of her life and the respect of her people is how the conflict ends for Antigone in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone is the first cousin and bride-to-be of Prince Haemon, King Creon's son and heir. Creon sentences her to death for burying her brother Polyneices and thereby breaks her engagement to his son. She commits suicide in the dark, isolated, scary cave where Creon has her walled up. But in the process, Antigone gains the admiration and respect of Thebans for defending divine will, the rights of the dead, and Theban traditions.

Ancestry, Haemon, homelands and personality are what Antigone and Creon have in common in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess and King Creon both are direct descendants of Cadmus, Thebes' founder and first king. Both also love Haemon, Creon's son and Antigone's betrothed. The two both originate from Thebes. The niece and uncle share similar personalities in that they each are proud, stubborn and uncompromising.

During the exodus is the point at which Eurydice dies in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the exodus is the play's final scene. It begins with the messenger's announcement to the priest of the suicides of Theban Princess Antigone and Prince Haemon. It ends with disgraced Theban King Creon being led off the stage widowed, jobless, homeless, friendless and childless. In between is the suicide of Queen Eurydice, Creon's wife and Haemon's mother.

That they need the money and that they are intimidated by wealthy power holders are the reasons why Creon accuses people of taking bribes in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon admits that he is not liked by everyone in Thebes. He characterizes his opponents as powerful and wealthy but cowardly. He also describes them as determined enough to seek out people who need money and will do despicable deeds for pay.

Live burial and starvation is Antigone's punishment in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Princess Antigone's crime carries the sentence of death under a hail of heavy, sharp rocks thrown by fellow Thebans. But her uncle King Creon decides to change the form of death. Instead, he has Antigone escorted to a remote cave in which she is walled up with a limited supply of food.

The information from Teiresias, Jocasta and the Corinthian and Theban shepherds are three climaxes in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the term climax describes a turning point that leads to dropping fortunes and rising misfortunes for the hero. Theban King Oedipus' fortunes drop when he is accused by Teiresias the blind prophet of being King Laius' killer. They fall again when Laius' death place per Queen Jocasta is the location of a similar crime committed by Oedipus at about the same time and against similar persons. They hit rock bottom when the eyewitness accounts of the Corinthian and Theban shepherds place his birth in the Theban royal household.

Change his mind in the first interaction and kill him in the second are what Haemon tries to do to Creon in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban Prince Haemon has two interactions with his father, King Creon. In the first, he makes an effort to get Creon to change his stubborn mind about non-burial of the disloyal Theban dead and about the death sentence for Princess Antigone, Haemon's betrothed and Creon's niece. In the second, Haemon tries to run his sword through Creon, whom he blames for Antigone's suicide.

That it is to be expected is the way in which the chorus reacts to Creon's misery in "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, Theban King Creon issues an edict that denies to the disloyal Theban dead their god-given rights as Thebans to below ground burials. He rejects the attempts of Princess Antigone, Prince Haemon and Teiresias the blind prophet to get him to see the error of his ways. The chorus states that the foolishness of mortals in opposing divine will always catches and trips them up.

Monstrous attack, pestilence, pollution and war are what happens to the city of Thebes in "Oedipus Rex" and "Antigone" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, a monstrous Sphinx asks a riddle that no Theban can answer. She therefore can draw on an unlimited supply of freshly killed Thebans for her daily meals. But Oedipus defeats her. He ends such problematic happenings until a pestilence afflicts his city. He follows every lead until he ends the horror of ailing livestock, dying children and failing crops. But shortly after his downfall, a bloody civil war is fought. When he becomes sole king, Creon leaves the bodies of the disloyal Theban dead above ground and exposed to weather and wildlife. His decision opens Thebes up to environmental pollution and plague from unburied body parts and scrounging birds and dogs.