1. ANTIGONE by Sophocles
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

2. 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

3. 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!

4. ANCIENT GREECE
THEBES

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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?

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. AND NOW…
ANTIGONE!