Rank the following principles according to their

importance to you. Give the most important a 1

and the least important a 6.

_______ Loyalty or obligation to family

_______ Obedience to civil law

_______ Adherence to religious and/or moral law

_______ Protection of personal dignity

_______ Freedom

_______ Protection of community or nation

Sophocles Born in (495-405 B.C)

At 28 ~ ready to compete in the City Dionysia

In his first competition, Sophocles took first prize.

More than 120 plays followed. He won eighteen first prizes, and he never fail to take at least second.

Sophocles' masterpiece, Antigone, possibly the first of the surviving plays written, is the story of a passionate young woman who refuses to submit to earthly authority when it forbids a proper burial for her brother Polyneices.

Illustrating the rival claims of the state and the individual conscience, Antigone is an excellent example for the modern social dramatist.

GREEK

Ω ΤΕΚΝΑ, ΚΑΔΜΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΛΑΙ ΝΕΑ ΤΡΟΦΗ,ΤΙΝΑΣ ΠΟΘ' ΕΔΡΑΣ ΤΑΣΔΕ ΜΟΙ ΘΟΑΖΕΤΕΙΚΤΗΡΙΟΙΣ ΚΛΑΔΟΙΣΙΝ ΕΞΕΣΤΕΜΜΕΝΟΙ;

ΠΟΛΙΣ Δ' ΟΜΟΥ ΜΕΝ ΘΥΜΙΑΜΑΤΩΝ ΓΕΜΕΙ,ΟΜΟΥ ΔΕ ΠΑΙΑΝΩΝ ΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΕΝΑΓΜΑΤΩΝ. 5

ΑΓΩ ΔΙΚΑΙΩΝ ΜΗ ΠΑΡ' ΑΓΓΕΛΩΝ, ΤΕΚΝΑ,ΑΛΛΩΝ ΑΚΟΥΕΙΝ ΑΥΤΟΣ ΩΔ' ΕΛΗΛΥΘΑ,

Ο ΠΑΣΙ ΚΛΕΙΝΟΣ ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ ΚΑΛΟΥΜΕΝΟΣ.ΑΛΛ' Ω ΓΕΡΑΙΕ, ΦΡΑΖ', ΕΠΕΙ ΠΡΕΠΩΝ ΕΦΥΣ

ΠΡΟ ΤΩΝΔΕ ΦΩΝΕΙΝ, ΤΙΝΙ ΤΡΟΠΩ ΚΑΘΕΣΤΑΤΕ, 10

ΔΕΙΣΑΝΤΕΣ H ΣΤΕΡΞΑΝΤΕΣ; ΩΣ ΘΕΛΟΝΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΜΟΥ ΠΡΟΣΑΡΚΕΙΝ ΠΑΝ. ΔΥΣΑΛΓΗΤΟΣ ΓΑΡ ΑΝ

ΕΙΗΝ ΤΟΙΑΝΔΕ ΜΗ ΟΥ ΚΑΤΟΙΚΤΙΡΩΝ ΕΔΡΑΝ. 

ΙΕΡΕΥΣΑΛΛ' Ω ΚΡΑΤΥΝΩΝ ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ ΧΩΡΑΣ ΕΜΗΣ,ΟΡΑΣ ΜΕΝ ΗΜΑΣ ΗΛΙΚΟΙ ΠΡΟΣΗΜΕΘΑ 15ΒΩΜΟΙΣΙ ΤΟΙΣ ΣΟΙΣ. ΟΙ ΜΥΔΕΠΩ ΜΑΚΡΑΝ

ΠΤΕΣΘΑΙ ΣΘΕΝΟΝΤΕΣ, ΟΙ ΔΕ ΣΥΝ ΓΗΡΑ ΒΑΡΕΙΣ,ΙΕΡΗΣ, ΕΓΩ ΜΕΝ ΖΗΝΟΣ, ΟΙΔΕ Τ' ΗΘΕΩΝ

ΛΕΚΤΟΙ. ΤΟ Δ' ΑΛΛΟ ΦΥΛΟΝ ΕΞΕΣΤΕΜΜΕΝΟΝΑΓΟΡΑΙΣΙ ΘΑΚΕΙ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΕ ΠΑΛΛΑΔΟΣ ΔΙΠΛΟΙΣ 20

ΝΑΟΙΣ, ΕΠ' ΙΣΜΗΝΟΥ ΤΕ ΜΑΝΤΕΙΑ ΣΠΟΔΩ.ΠΟΛΙΣ ΓΑΡ, ΩΣΠΕΡ ΚΑΥΤΟΣ ΕΙΣΟΡΑΣ, ΑΓΑΝ

ΗΔΗ ΣΑΛΕΥΕΙ ΚΑΝΑΚΟΥΦΙΣΑΙ ΚΑΡΑΒΥΘΩΝ ΕΤ' ΟΥΧ ΟΙΑ ΤΕ ΦΟΙΝΙΟΥ ΣΑΛΟΥ,

ΦΘΙΝΟΥΣΑ ΜΕΝ ΚΑΛΥΞΙΝ ΕΓΚΑΡΠΟΙΣ ΧΘΟΝΟΣ, 25

ΦΘΙΝΟΥΣΑ Δ' ΑΓΕΛΑΙΣ ΒΟΥΝΟΜΟΙΣ

ENGLISH

Ismene, sister, mine own dear sister, knowest thou what ill there is, of all bequeathed by Oedipus, that Zeus fulfils not for us twain while we live? Nothing painful is there, nothing fraught with ruin, no shame, no dishonor, that I have not seen in thy woes and mine.

And now what new edict is this of which they tell, that our Captain hath just published to all Thebes? Knowest thou aught? Hast thou heard? Or is it hidden from thee that our friends are threatened with the doom of our foes?

Greek Tragedy

• Most Greek tragedies are built on legends and myths that the audience is familiar with

• This tragedy is based on the legend of the family of Oedipus

• Oedipus was the doomed king of Thebes who unknowingly killed his own father and married his mother

Before reading Antigone,

You must first understand the story

leading up to it.

Oedipus’s parents were the King of Thebes ~ Laius and Queen of Thebes ~ Jocasta

After oracle warning, Laius put a lead spike through the infant’s feet and left to die on a mountainside.

Found with “swollen feet” ~ hence the name Oedipus

Oedipus grew up went to an oracle and found out that he would kill his father and marry his mother, so he left, thinking that his adopted parents were the ones the oracle spoke about.

Upon his journey to Thebes, he met a group of travelers, got into an argument and killed the group, excluding one person who got away.

At that point, he killed his father, but he did not know it yet……

What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening?

The answer is: a man.

A man is a baby in the morning of his life and he crawls on four feet. He is an adult in the noon of his life and he walks on two feet. But when he is old, in the evening of his life, he walks with a cane, on three feet.

(This would be true of women, too, but the Greeks told it about men only).

When Oedipus answered the riddle correctly, the

Sphinx was so upset that she killed herself. Oedipus went on into Thebes. When he got there, the Thebans

were upset because somebody killed their king, Laius. But they were happy to hear that Oedipus figured out the riddle of the Sphinx. So they made Oedipus their

new king. As part of becoming the new king,

Oedipus married the queen, Jocasta.

Together, Oedipus and Jocasta had 4 children

Polyneices (polly-NICE-ees)

Eteocles

Antigone (ann-TIG-oh-nee)

Ismene (iss-MAIN-eh)

Laius -----Jocasta

Menoeceus

Creon --- Eurydice

Oedipus

Polyneices

Eteocles

Antigone

Ismene

Haemon

And then he discovered the truth……

Tiresias confronts Oedipus

As a result, Oedipus went to kill Jocasta but found her dead. Then he pierced his eyes out and was lead out of Thebes into exile by his two daughters.

Then it was set that Eteocles and Polyneices would rule Thebes, by alternating every year. Eteocles ruled first, and by the end of his year, he would not give up his rule.

Both brothers killed each other in battle. Then Creon, Jocasta’s brother, became the ruler. His first ruling set that no one could touch or bury Polyneices as he brought an army against Thebes and Eteocles would have an honorable burial. This is where Antigone’s story begins…

Characters

• Antigone – daughter of Oedipus - rebellious• Ismene – daughter of Oedipus – good girl• Creon – king of Thebes – Oedipus’ brother• Haemon – Creon’s son – engaged to Antigone• Eurydice – wife of Creon• Teiresias – blind prophet• Eteocles and Polyneices – dead sons of Oedipus

who were supposed to inherit the throne of Thebes

Summary Background Information

• After Oedipus found out his misfortune, he blinded himself and went into exile.

• There, his daughters (Antigone and Ismene) took care of him until his death.

Summary Background Information

• When Oedipus died, he left his throne to his two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices.

• They decided to share the throne every other year.• Eteocles got to reign the first year and banished

Polyneices during his reign.• Polyneices was furious and got an army from

Argos together to attack Thebes.• Both brothers died in attack, and the throne was

left to Creon (their uncle).

We Begin…

• Creon is left to restore order in Thebes

Conflict (leads to rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution):

• He orders a proper soldiers burial for Eteocles, while Polyneices’ body remains unburied (a huge insult)

• Antigone defies her uncle’s order and buries her brother, Polyneices

• Ismene refuses to help Antigone

Themes

• The tragic clash between civil and moral law forms the basis of this heroic tragedy.

• We also have the themes of: families torn apart by political differences, loyalty to one’s family, gender bias, protection of personal dignity, freedom, protection of community or nation, and observance of religious law.

As you read…

• Think about these themes and principles. Which of them might you be willing to fight for or willing to uphold if it meant making a sacrifice?