Antigone, Sophocles and My Perspective on Greek Drama
Antigone, Sophocles and My Perspective on Greek Drama
Born in 495 B.C., Sophocles was to become one of the great playwrights of the golden age. The son of a wealthy merchant, he would enjoy all the comforts of a thriving Greek empire. He studied all of the arts. By the age of sixteen, he was already known for his beauty and grace and was chosen to lead a choir of boys at a celebration of the victory of Salamis. Twelve years later, his studies complete, he was ready to compete in the City Dionysia--a festival held every year at the Theatre of Dionysus in which new plays were presented. In his first competition, Sophocles took first prize--defeating none other than Aeschylus himself. More than 120 plays were to follow. He would go on to win eighteen first prizes. Sophocles' plays are generally very optimistic, full of the spirit of Athens in the classical period. He sees men (and to some extent women) as powerful, creative beings, the masters of the world around them, and the proud creations of the gods.
Sophocles also remembers the terrors of war and barbarism, which can sometimes overcome men and women. He pleads, in his plays, for the triumph of reason over wild emotion and anger. Thus, giving recognition to the play Antigone. Antigone is part of the trilogy of Sophocle’s plays, which starts off with Oedipus Rex. Antigone is an excellent example for the modern social dramatist. Antigone is part of the required reading in high schools and colleges around the country because of it’s involves real life situations and how they deal with them. Antigone’s rebellion against her father is a situation that people of today can live relate to.Antigone is born of the incestuous relationship between Oedipus and his mother, Jocasta. After Oedipus blinded himself, Antigone and her little sister Ismene served as his guides, following him into exile. When Oedipus dies Antigone returns to Thebes where she is surprised with the deaths of her two brothers Eteocles and Polyneices. Creon(King of Thebes) had made the announcement that Polyneices was a traitor and he cannot be buried. Antigone buries Polyneicus despite Creon’s wishes and is condemned to die being buried alive even though she is engaged to his son Haemon. Creon seeks the wisdom from the prophet Teiresias. Teiresias warns Creon that the gods are on Antigone’s side and she is...