Introduction to Antigone: a Greek play by Sophocles 442 B.C. 1. Greek Theatre 2. Sophocles 3. Sophocles’ Oedipus

Part One: Greek Theatre

It was first developed in 1200 BC when a group of people began celebrating the god Dionysus (God of poetry, song, drama and wine) The Cult of Dionysus used dancing, singing, etc. as a way of honoring him Later, Greek playwrights used these celebrations to tell stories using a chorus (up to 30 men)

Only men were allowed to “act” in the chorus The “plays” were comical at first to please the god In the 5th Century BC, Thespis added an actor to the chorus, Aeschylus then added another Sophocles added a 3rd main character (actor) to create triangles for plot and to perform the story. The chorus still existed to provide commentary and voice for the “people” in the play; the actors now actually performed the story.

During Sophocles’s time, the plays took on a tragic theme Sophocles is considered to be the father of the Greek Tragedy Tragedy comes from the Greek word “tragoidia” which means “goat-song” because the cult sacrificed a goat before the “play”

Part Two: Sophocles 496-406 B.C.

Wrote 123-125 plays Only 7 were found to this day Born to a wealthy family in Athens, Greece Was an athlete, scholar, businessman, and poet before he wrote his first play

He won at the Festival of Athens 24 times (96 plays in all) He changed the way trilogies were written Before they were dependent upon each other for completion Sophocles wrote plays that went together, but had separate story lines Developed the tragic heroine (women in dominant role)

Wrote Antigone in 442 BC Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) in 407 BC Oedipus at Colonus in 406 BC Plays are performed in this order: Oedipus Rex Oedipus at Colonus Antigone

Part Three: The Tragic History of Sophocles’ Oedipus

Play order: Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) Oedipus at Colonus Antigone

Oedipus was born in the city of Thebes to Laius and Jocasta. Son of cowardly, but royal, parents who sent him off with a servant who had orders for him to be left for dead; the servant gave Oedipus to the King and Queen of Corinth to raise.

The Oracle foretold that Laius would die by his son’s hand. Fast forward after a good childhood in Corinth… Laius’s Grave Again Enter the Oracle… Oedipus leaves Corinth after learning that he will kill his father and marry his mother.

What Happens Next? JOCASTA LAIUS Oedipus, while walking to Thebes, runs into an old man with a gang blocking the road, whom he kills in self-defense. When he gets to Thebes, he wins the battle of logic against the Sphinx guarding the city, is proclaimed a hero and marries a wife. JOCASTA His wife’s name…. The man he killed…. LAIUS

Before Oedipus learns of this… Oedipus and Jocasta have four children, two boys (Polynieces and Eteocles) and two girls (Antigone and Ismene) --- One Big, Happy Family Oedipus becomes King and rules Thebes. And then, a prophet tells Oedipus that his parents in Corinth weren’t his real parents. He decides to find out who his real parents are…

Tragedy Strikes the Oedipus Clan Oedipus finds out that his parents were really King and Queen of Thebes… (the man he just killed/woman he married) Jocasta commits suicide (by hanging) after finding that the servant betrayed her wishes so long ago… Oedipus, after finding Jocasta dead, scratches out his eyes out with the pins from her dress… Creon, Jocasta’s brother, takes over rule of Thebes and Oedipus is cast out of Thebes… After years of roaming Greece blind and poor, Oedipus dies, by rule of the gods, in the city of Colonus.

Tragedy Continues… Oedipus’s sons come to him before his death to find out who should rightfully rule Thebes. Oedipus curses them both for being greedy and asks the Gods to take his life. Soon, Polynieces and Eteocles return to Thebes and fight over who should rule. Polynieces is sent out, while Eteocles stays to guard the city. Polynieces goes to Argos and raises an army to attack Thebes’s seven gates into the city. Eteocles rushes to one of the gates to defend Thebes, where he unknowingly battles his brother…

And so begins the play, Antigone….