ANTIGONE by Sophocles A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

SOPHOCLES 497/6 BC-406/5 BC AN ANCIENT GREEK TRAGEDIAN THE MOST FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHT AT AT THE TIME HIS MOST FAMOUS WORKS ARE THE THEBAN PLAYS 123 PLAYS; 7 SURVIVE EMPHASIS ON HUMAN CONFLICT RATHER THAN WITH GODS

THE THEBAN PLAYS CONSISTS OF THREE PLAYS 1: OEDIPUS THE KING (OEDIPUS REX) 2: OEDIPUS AT COLONUS 3: ANTIGONE CONCERN THE FATE OF THEBES DURING AND AFTER OEDIPUS’ REIGN Although Antigone is the 3rd play, it was actually written first!

ANCIENT GREECE THEBES

4 PARTS TO A GREEK TRAGEDY PROLOGUE: describes the situation and sets the scene PARODOS: an ode sung by chorus as it enters DRAMATIC SCENES/EPISODES: followed by an ode EXODUS: climax and conclusion

OEDIPUS THE KING (OEDIPUS REX) A BABY WAS BORN TO THE KING AND QUEEN OF THEBES THE ORACLE PROPHESIZED THAT THIS BABY WOULD KILL ITS FATHER AND MARRY ITS MOTHER IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS, THE KING AND QUEEN BOUND THIS BABY’S FEET AND SENT IT INTO THE WOODS THE BABY WAS PICKED UP, STILL ALIVE, BY A SHEPHERD OF THE KING AND QUEEN OF CORINTH THE KING AND QUEEN OF CORINTH RAISED THE BABY AS THEIR OWN AND NAMED HIM OEDIPUS (MEANING “SWOLLEN FOOT”) OEDIPUS HEARD OF THE ORIGINAL PROPHECY; IN ORDER TO SAVE HIS PARENTS, HE FLED CORINTH

OEDIPUS THE KING, CONT. (OEDIPUS REX) ON HIS JOURNEY, HE ENCOUNTERED A GRUMPY MAN AT A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION. AFTER A RIGHT-OF-WAY ARGUMENT, OEDIPUS KILLED THE MAN HE EVENTUALLY CAME UPON THE CITY OF THEBES. IT WAS BEING PLAGUED BY THE SPHINX OEDIPUS ANSWERED THE SPHINX’S RIDDLE AND SAVED THEBES FROM THEIR PLAGUE SINCE THE KING WAS RECENTLY KILLED IN A RIGHT-OF- WAY FEUD (OOPS!), OEDIPUS WAS NAMED KING OF THEBES HE, OF COURSE, MARRIED THE EXISTING QUEEN What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?

OEDIPUS THE KING, CONT. (OEDIPUS THE KING) WHILE RULING THEBES, ANOTHER PLAGUE HIT THE CITY IT WAS RUMORED TO HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL KING’S DEATH WAS NEVER AVENGED OEDIPUS, LOYAL TO HIS CITY, SOUGHT OUT TO GET REVENGE ON THE OLD KING’S KILLER IN HIS PURSUIT, HE DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS, INDEED, THE KING’S KILLER IT WAS ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE KING WAS HIS FATHER—AND YES, HE WAS MARRIED TO (AND HAD 4 KIDS WITH) HIS MOTHER HORRIFIED—JOCASTA (THE QUEEN) KILLED HERSELF AND OEDIPUS JABBED HIS EYES OUT WITH PINS FROM HER ROBE JOCASTA’S BROTHER, CREON, THEN BECAME KING OF THEBES AND EXILED OEDIPUS AT HIS REQUEST

OEDIPUS AT COLONUS OEDIPUS AND HIS DAUGHTERS, ANTIGONE AND ISMENE, WANDER GREECE IN EXILE FOR YEARS THEY FINALLY STOP JUST OUTSIDE OF ATHENS AND ASK FOR REFUGE FROM THE KING THE KING AGREES AND IS SOON INFORMED THAT OEDIPUS’ PRESENCE IS A BLESSING AND WHEN HE DIES, IT WILL BRING GOOD FORTUNE TO HIS LAND CREON, IN HEARING THE SAME NEWS, WANTS OEDIPUS BACK IN THEBES OEDIPUS EVENTUALLY DIES OF OLD AGE AND HIS BODY IS KEPT FROM CREON. UPSET, CREON RETURNS TO THEBES WITH ANTIGONE AND ISMENE

OEDIPUS AT COLONUS, CONT. MEANWHILE, IN THEBES, POLYNEICES AND ETEOCLES (SONS OF OEDIPUS) BECOME OLD ENOUGH TO RULE THEBES AFTER A LONG STRUGGLE FOR POWER, ETEOCLES OVERTHROWS HIS OLDER BROTHER, POLYNEICES, AND GAINS THE FAVOR OF THE PEOPLE OF THEBES UPSET, POLYNEICES LEAVES THEBES AND HEADS TO ARGOS IN ORDER TO COLLECT AN ARMY IN ORDER TO REGAIN POWER POLYNEICES EVENTUALLY RETURNS AND WAGES WAR ON HIS HOME LAND OF THEBES THE TWO BROTHERS SIMULTANEOUSLY KILL EACH OTHER IN BATTLE CREON IS ONCE AGAIN KING OF THEBES

AND NOW… ANTIGONE!