Analytical Questions on Oedipus the King and Antigone - Book Report/Review Example

August 10 Historical Context Greek theater, during the time of Sophocles, started in celebration of the god Dionysus (Denault). Dionysus is the god of “spring and vintage” and he embodied the ability of humanity to go forward and ripen for times of triumphs and to know when to bow low in times of defeat (Denault). The Greeks were then attracted to the delicate balance between free will and submission to the gods. The time period demanded the development of tragic plays that explore fates and the incessant struggles between gods and mortals, while emphasizing that mortals are powerless against their fates or the will of the gods. Sophocles' time was a time of Greek tragedy, where the Greeks were interested in the fates and the conflict between gods and mortals (Denault). Greek plays often involved human tragedy in different forms, but often in the face of suffering downfall, because of humanity's sin of hubris (Denault). Hubris can be seen in both “Oedipus the King” and “Antigone,” because the male heroes ventured beyond their human powers and traversed the wills of the gods. These plays underscored that people can indeed exert a measure of free will, but not in its fullest essence. These plays also emphasize spiritual beliefs in the supremacy of the gods over human destiny and will. No matter how hard people fight their fates, the fates will unfold according to how the gods designed them. In addition, gods rule over humanity and not even the most powerful ruler can reject the orders and customs from the gods. Oedipus tried to change his fate, but he suffered only greater suffering. Creon asserted his power over his city, but by tarnishing the will of the gods in burial rites, he lost all that was truly dear to him, his own son and wife. Thus, the more people insist on controlling their lives, the more they ironically lose control of it. 2.Biographical information about Sophocles Sophocles is known as one of the three great Athenian poets, while the other two are Euripides and Aeschylus. He was born in 496 BCE in the town of Colonus, and during his lifetime, he witnessed the rise and downfall of the “Athenian Golden Age” (Denault). Sophocles was highly popular in Athens, probably because of his patriotism in his youth, aside from being a a famous poet. Aside from being a leading dramatist, he also held several public office positions (Denault). Modern scholars are interested in the individual and complex issues that Sophocles' plays depicted (Denault). Sophocles wrote an approximation of one hundred and twenty-three plays for the Athenian theater, and won first prize in all twenty-four festivals; when he did not win first place, he always won the second place (Denault). Despite his productivity, only seven plays have survived intact: “Ajax,” “Antigone,” “The Women of Trachis,” “Oedipus the King,” “Electra,” “Philoctetes,” and “Oedipus at Colonus” (Denault). In addition, Sophocles made key theater innovations, such as no longer continuing the trilogy tradition, using painted sceneries as background, adding one more to the speaking characters of two, and expanding the chorus from twelve to fifteen men (Denault). 3.Play and Elements of Drama For “Oedipus the King,” the key events are when Oedipus receives the prophecy of Tiresias and when Oedipus learns the truth that he is the killer of his own father. The dialogue between Tiresias and Oedipus is key to the foreshadowing of Oedipus' doom. Tiresias refuses to tell Oedipus the prophecy and asks the latter to stop the search for the killer. This enraged Oedipus who blames Tiresias for being involved in the murder, and so the latter exclaims that it is Oedipus who killed King Laius. Another important event is when Oedipus finally learns the truth. Through a shepherd, he discovers that his father tried to kill him, but Jocasta saved him by having her son brought to the mountainside. When Jocasta hears this, she kills herself. Oedipus wants to kill himself, but when he sees Jocasta is dead, he uses her pins to blind himself instead. He asks to be exiled later on because of his shame. This event underscores the downfall of humanity in the face of their fates. The key events in “Antigone” are the dialogue between Antigone and Creon and between Creon and Haemon. The dialogue between Antigone and Creon demonstrates the dominant personalities of the two. It also shows the ability of women to challenge their rules, which made Creon hate her. For him, he cannot be ruled by any woman. In the dialogue between Creon and Haemon, Haemon is depicted as a young, but wise man. He intercedes in behalf of his loved one, Antigone, not only because he wants to save her, but also to remind his father about the demands of the people for the proper burial rites for Polynices. In both dialogues, Creon demonstrates his hubris, which in the end, also creates a tragic ending for the play. The key events in “Oedipus at Colonus” are the dialogue between Oedipus and Creon and when Oedipus recounts his life to the Chorus. The dialogue between Oedipus and Creon shows that Oedipus does not find himself guilty, but a victim of his fate. Creon, on the contrary, manipulates Oedipus to win the war. It shows the rise of hubris in the person of Creon. The retelling of Oedipus tale to the Chorus emphasizes the Greek tragedy component of interconnecting closely with the audience. This event is supposed to also help readers/viewers think more about Oedipus' fate and determine if he is truly guilty or not for the crimes charged upon him. 4. Characters The main characters for “Oedipus the King” are Oedipus (King of Thebes), and Creon, Oedipus' brother-in-law, and the minor characters are Tiresias and the shepherd. Tiresias is the blind seer, while the shepherd has the key to Oedipus's past. The conflict that Oedipus faces is that the truth will result to his downfall. He remarks in the end: “Yea, if there be an evil worse than all,/It falls on Oedipus!” (Sophocles 1413-1414). This shows that he feels the evil of his doom, which is his own bringing after all. He is also in conflict with other men, because of his hubris. He tells Tiresias: “Art thou so shameless as to vent such words,/And thinkest to escape thy righteous doom?” (Sophocles 372-373). Oedipus does not even consider the possibility of the blind seer's truthfulness and the former immediately wants to assert his power. Creon's conflict is with finding the right murderer: “ In this our land, so said he, those who seek/ Shall find; unsought, we lose it utterly” (Sophocles 116-117). Creon also has conflict with Oedipus who charges him for putting false words into Tiresias' mouth: “Our ruler, Oedipus, accuses me/With dreadful words I cannot bear to hear” (Sophocles 539-540). Creon is hurt to know that Oedipus would even consider him as a traitor. Tiresias' conflict is telling the prophecy and earning the wrath of Oedipus: “It is because I see thy lips speak words/Ill-timed, ill-omened, that I guard my speech” (Sophocles 342-343). The shepherd's conflict is that the truth will hurt Oedipus' reputation: “O man most wretched! what, then, wilt thou learn?” (Sophocles 1191). He is afraid that Oedipus will kill him, if he tells the truth to the latter. The main characters for “Antigone” are Antigone, who is Oedipus' daughter, and Creon, King of Thebes after Oedipus is exiled. The minor characters are Ismene, who is Antigone's sister, Tiresias, the blind prophet, and Haemon, Creon's remaining, living son and bethrothed to Antigone. Antigone's conflict is choosing who to follow: her dedication to her family and the gods or Creon? She reminds Ismene of the righteousness of proper burial: “Count as dishonoured what the Gods approve” (Sophocles 86). She also brazenly tells Creon that she would rather follow the gods than a mortal ruler: “Nor did I deem thy edicts strong enough,/Coming from mortal man, to set at naught/The unwritten laws of God that know not change” (Sophocles 496-498). Antigone shows remarkable determination for a woman. Creon also shows that no woman would bind him: “...While I live, at least,/A woman shall not rule” (Sophocles 592-593). This shows that as a ruler, he has become autocratic and patriarchal, he would allow no one to change his mind, only because he is the ruler. Creon also conflicts with the gods and his people. In an argument with Haemon, his son tells him: “The men of Thebes with one accord say, No” (133). The major characters of “Oedipus at Colonus” are Oedipus, the exiled former king of Thebes, Creon, who is the new King of Thebes, and Theseus, who is King of Athens. The minor characters are Antigone, Ismene, Polynices, and Etocles, all children of Oedipus. Oedipus has conflict with his sons, who do not treat him with respect. He curses them: “Then may the gods ne'er quench their fatal feud,/And mine be the arbitrament of the fight...” Oedipus is also in conflict with Creon, who wishes to use his remains for his own self-interest: “Then never shall they be my masters, never!” He does not want people who treated him unkindly to benefit from his death. Creon's conflict is with Oedipus, because he exiles him them wants him back: “O listen to me, luckless Oedipus, Come home! The whole Cadmeian people claim/With right to have thee back, I most of all...mourn for thy misfortunes...” But this is just a pretension for Creon. Creon changes from a sympathetic ruler to a ruthless one: “One of thy daughters is already seized,/The other I will carry off anon.” Theseus has a conflict with following Oedipus or his people: “Say on, I wait full knowledge ere I judge.” Unlike Creon who is conniving and full of lies, Theseus respects Oedipus and earns the latter's respect: “Fear not for me; I shall not play thee false.” Antigone is in conflict with Creon, after Ismene is captured: “Ah, woe is me! where shall I fly, where find/Succor from gods or men?” She is asking for the gods to intervene, because man has sought to hurt her and her family. Ismene honestly reveals the rivalry between her brothers to Oedipus and Antigone: “This is no empty tale, but deadly truth,/My father; and how long thy agony,/Ere the gods pity thee, I cannot tell.” Ismene is broken over the news but prefers the truth to lies. 5.Setting The setting of “Antigone” mostly happens in the palace of Thebes, where Creon made and implemented his decrees. This setting shows the seat of power of man. At the same time, when Antigone and Haemon challenge Creon's ruling, it shows the power of ordinary citizens to fight autocratic regimes. They exert their will upon the will of a powerful ruler. Hence, the same setting includes the downfall of a proud ruler. The setting of “Oedipus the King” is Thebes, where Oedipus rises and falls. Thebes is the symbol of power for Oedipus. This is where he is made king and loved by all. Later on, when the truth arises, he falls to his doom and earns the derision of his people. The setting remarks on the impossibility for humans to overturn their fates and the vulnerability of high positions in life. The setting of “Oedipus at Colonus” is Colonus, which is near Athens, and Athens. The role of the setting is to show the transition of powers from Thebes to Athens. It demonstrates that whoever follows the gods earn good fortune, while those who disobey them will fall to defeat. 6.Structure The structure of “Oedipus at Colonus” starts at the entrance of Oedipus and Antigone at Colonus. Action rises when Ismene brings bad news about Creon and her brothers to Oedipus and Antigone. The climax is the dialogue between Polynices and Oedipus. Falling action happens when Oedipus dies and resolution happens when Antigone and Ismene weep for their father. The significance of the organization is that it shows the rise and fall of the sons of Oedipus and the transformation of Oedipus from outcast to hero. The structure of “Oedipus the King” is that it starts with the plague that falls on Thebes and how Oedipus promises to avenge Laius' murderer. Action rises when Tiresias foretells that Oedipus killed his father. The climax occurs when the shepherd arrives and reveals the truth. The resolution is the death of Jocasta, Oedipus' blinding of himself, and his exile. The structure is crucial to the tragic rise and fall of a great man. The structure of “Antigone” starts with Antigone's dialogue with Ismene, where the former persuades the latter to bury their brother Polynices. Rising action occurs when Antigone provides burial rites to Polynices and when she admits her actions and defies Creon in her dialogue with him. Climax occurs when Antigone hangs herself, then Haemon kills himself, and then Eurydice claims her life too. The resolution is that Creon learns his mistakes, but it is too late. The structure also depicts the rise and fall of an autocratic ruler. 7.Diction and Language The effect of diction and syntax on the language of the key characters is that they depict the social class and position of the speakers. For instance, Oedipus, as King, speaks with power, which Creon also does. But as fallen human beings, their diction changes to humility. Language also affects minor characters, such as the language of the soldiers in “Antigone,” whenever they speak with Creon. Diction and language also affect the events by increasing tension and improving the characterization of the characters. For instance, the language rivets the events as action rises and climax is reached, as in the death of Antigone and the subsequent two suicides that follow. Diction also impacts how major characters respond to their downfalls, like when Oedipus learns that Jocasta kills herself, and when Creon discovers two bodies await him in the palaces. Diction and language impact themes of hubris and fates, by expressing how the Chorus and other characters believe in the strength of fates over humanity's will. Language, for instance, changes when Oedipus realizes his misdeeds. His diction shows his fall from hubris. 8.Tone Sophocles uses changes in tone to demonstrate the conflicts among characters. For instance, in “Antigone,” Antigone has direct conflict with Creon and the change in tone of Creon, from being ruler to petulant male antagonist, shows the latter's emotional immaturity. He tells Antigone: “...While I live, at least,/A woman shall not rule” (Sophocles 592-593). He does not even justify his action by the righteousness of his act, but by the idea that he cannot yield to a woman. Another example is in “Oedipus the King”, where there is conflict between Tiresias and Oedipus; the former exclaims to the latter: “This man whom thou art seeking out with threats,/As murderer of Laius, he is here,/In show an alien sojourner, but in truth/A home-born Theban...” (Sophocles 476-480). Sophocles also uses changes his plays' tone to delineate the struggles within and the accept of defeat. In “Antigone,” Creon says: “Best boon, my life’s last day. Come, then, oh, come/ That nevermore I look upon the light” (Sophocles 1516-1517). This change in tone shows his acceptance of his mistakes. 9.Literary Devices Examples of concrete details in “Antigone” are when Creon says: “Him I decree that none should dare entomb,/That none should utter wail or loud lament,/But leave his corpse unburied, by the dogs /And vultures mangled, foul to look upon” (Sophocles 233-236) and Antigone says: “His body burial, or bewail his fate, /But leave it still unsepulchred, unwept,/ A prize full rich for birds that scent afar/Their sweet repast” (Sophocles 29-33). These details demonstrate the ugliness of unburied human beings; by not burying them, they are turned into animals' prey. Imagery can be seen in “Oedipus at Colonus,” when Ismene tells Oedipus: “But now some god and an infatuate soul/Have stirred betwixt them a mad rivalry/To grasp at sovereignty and kingly power.” She is referring to the souls that have been stirred to rivalry, instead of sibling love. Figurative language is present in “Oedipus the King,” when Creon tells Oedipus: “For to thrust out a friend of noble heart,/Is like the parting with the life we love” (Sophocles 640-641). This simile compares a broken friendship with a broken life. Irony can be discerned from “Oedipus the King,” when the situational irony is Oedipus vows to kill Laius' murdered without knowing it is him. Situational irony also occurs when Antigone kills herself before Creon does, thereby making herself the master of her fate. Verbal irony is also present when Tiresias says that he might be blind but so he is Oedipus: “My blindness, that thou seest, yet dost not see/Thy evil plight, nor where thou liv’st, nor yet” (Sophocles 437-438). There is also situational irony in “Oedipus at Colonus,” because the shamed Oedipus redeems himself in the end, but only upon his death. 10. Symbols/Motifs Dark and light in “Oedipus at Colonus” stand for the contrast between Oedipus' blindness and his dark days, while the light that claims his body represent his redemption from his misdeeds. These symbols of dark and light impact the meaning of following the fates, instead of fighting them. Sight and blindness in “Oedipus the King” show the difference between blindness of the eyes and blindness to the truth. Tiresias might be blind, but he is open to the truth. Oedipus has been blind to the signs of truth all along; he is the one “living in the dark” (Van Stee 18). Creon is also blind in “Antigone,” because he does not see the sagacity of Antigone's actions for her brother. The symbol of hanging in “Antigone” is that Creon's opponent has died, but in reality, he is the one who will die a greater death. He is alive, but all the people that will give meaning to his existence are all gone. Hence, when Antigone hangs herself, she paradoxically hangs the end of Creon's life. The darkness of the cave also stands for Antigone's “live entombment” (Foti 85), because of her resistance to a powerful ruler. 11Themes The theme of “Antigone” is hubris, where a mortal ruler has deemed himself higher than the gods and the rule of his people, which results to his ultimate downfall. Creon wants to prove that he is King, by making decrees that he cannot bend, whatever the circumstances might be. He does not consider the will of the gods and his own people, which makes him an autocratic ruler. He also feels hubris over women and the gods. He feels he is beyond the spiritual rites of his people and the wisdom of women. The theme of “Oedipus the King” is the strength of fates over people's will. People can seek to change their fates, but no mortal can overpower what the gods have designed. Laius wanted to change his destiny, but ironically, this reinforced his destiny to die by his son's hands even more. Since Oedipus did not personally know him, he ended up killing his father. Oedipus also wanted to change his fate by heaping claims on Creon and Tiresias. Instead, he receives the truth and blinds himself for the blind man that he is inside. The theme of “Oedipus at Colonus” is the power of fates over humanity, where Oedipus' sons suffer deeply from not respecting their father. It does not matter how much people want to fight their destinies. In the end, what is written shall be. Furthermore, another theme is hubris, because Oedipus' sons did not learn from his life. They also remained blind to power and the fates. 12. Memorable Quotes A memorable quote from “Oedipus at Colonus” is from Oedipus, when he says: “Poor help to raise an old man fallen in youth.” He is saying that even when the gods try to uplift him, his youth is already squandered away by guilt and remorse. Another quote is from Antigone in “Antigone”: “Nor did I deem thy edicts strong enough,/Coming from mortal man, to set at naught/The unwritten laws of God that know not change” (Sophocles 496-498). She asserts her will and the will of the heavens and undermines the will of a mortal ruler. One more memorable quote comes from “Oedipus the King,” when Oedipus says: “But for mine own, will I dispel this curse;/For he that slew him, whosoe’er he be,/Will wish, perchance, with such a blow to smite/Me also. Helping him, I help myself” (Sophocles 144-147). He wants to kill Laius' killer, when he is the killer himself and this is one of greatest ironies in Sophocles' plays. Works Cited Denault, Leigh T. The Glory That Was Greece. 2003. Web. 8 Aug. 2011 . Foti, Veronique M. Epochal Discordance: Holderlin's Philosophy of Tragedy. New York: State U of New York P, 2006. Print. Sophocles. Antigone. Web. 8 Aug. 2011 . ---. Oedipus the King. Web. 7 Aug. 2011 . ---. Oedipus at Colonus. Web. 7 Aug. 2011 . Van Stee, Ethard Wendel. This I Need to Know: The Descent of the Western Literary Tradition. Nebraska: Iuniverse, 2004. Print. Read More