GREEK TRAGEDIES ARE :

-BASED ON COMMON MYTHS THAT ALL GREEKS KNOW

- INVOLVE A TRAGIC FLAW

-A REVERSAL OF FORTUNE IS DEMONSTRATED THAT INVOLVES A PERSON OF NOBLE BIRTH- SITUATION WILL GO FROM GOOD TO BAD TO WORSE....

OEDIPAL COMPLEX: THE ATTRACTION OF A CHILD TO THE A PARENT OF THE OPPOSITE SEX FIRST INTRODUCED BY FREUD TO DESCRIBE CHILDREN'S PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTACHMENTS- DAUGHTERS TO DADS AND SONS TO MOTHERS. BASED ON THE MYTH OF OEDIPUS

ANTIGONE IS STRONG AND AGRESSIVE. ISMENE IS WEAK AND PASSIVE. INITIALLY ISMENE REFUSES TO JOIN IN THE SITUATION BECAUSE SHE IS ONLY A WOMAN AND DOES NOT WANT TO BREAK THE LAW- SHE LATER DECIDES TO JOIN HER SISTER BECAUSE SHE DOES NOT TO LIVE WITHOUT HER

ANTIGONE IS EMOTIONALLY RECKLESS AND STUBBORN. SHE BELIEVES THAT THE GODS' LAWS ARE SUPERIOR TO MAN'S LAW.

ANTIGONE IS THE PROTAGONIST IN THIS STORY BECAUSE SHE DRIVES THE ACTION OF THE STORY AND CREON IS THE ANTAGONIST.

CREON IS ANTIGONE'S UNCLE AND THIS MAKES THE RELATIONSHIP DIFFICULT BECAUSE HE IS ALSO THE KING-  THERE IS CONFLICT AS TO WHICH TIES REMAIN SUPREME -FAMILIAL TIES OR STATE TIES?

CREON'S MAIN TRAGIC FLAW IS THAT HE IS TOO PROUD... HE IS UNMOVABLE AND UNWILLING TO CHANGE HIS MIND WITH REGARDS TO ANTIGONE'S DEATH SENTENCE....

KING CREON'S JOB WAS THAT AS THE TOP MILITARY OFFICER IN THE KINGDOM OF THEBES-ANTIGONE BROKE THE LAW OF BURYING HER BROTHER, POLYNEICES

________________________________ IS BURIED WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS WHILE__________________________ IS BURIED AS A TRAITOR BECAUSE THEY WERE TO SHARE THE THRONE AND WHEN __________________________WAS ON THE THRONE, HE BECAME POWER HUNGRY. THE BROTHER _________________________WHO TRIED TO SEIZE THE POWER, WAS THUS BURIED AS A TRAITOR FOR TRYING TO TAKE HIS BROTHER'S CROWN.

ANTIGONE WILL BE PLACED IN A STONE VAULT ALIVE WITH ENOUGH FOOD AND WATER TO SURVIVE SO AS TO ABSOLVE THE STATE OF HER DEATH.

EXPLAIN THE ACTION OF THE PLAY- THE CHORUS ALSO REPLACES THE ROLE OF THE ADVISERS TO THE KING. THE FACT THAT THEY DO NOT INTERCEDE ON BEHALF OF ANTIGONE IS TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR HELPLESSNESS...

THE ELEMENTS OF A GREEK TRAGEDY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

- INCLUDE A MYTH COMMONLY KNOWN TO ALL GREEKS

-INVOLVES A REVERSAL OF FORTUNE INVOLVING THE DESTINY OF A PERSON OF NOBLE BIRTH- GOES FROM GOOD TO BAD

-THE MAIN CHARACTERS FATE IS SEALED DUE TO A TRAGIC FLAW THAT BECOMES APPARENT IN THEIR CHARACTER

OEDIPUS REX

OEDIPUS AT COLONUS

SOPHOCLES WAS KNOWN AS THE "FIRST SON OF ATHENS"

UNLIKE OTHER KNOWN WRITERS- HE LIVED TO SEE HIS FAME

GREECE WAS AT ITS HEIGHT DURING HIS LIFETIME

LIVED TO BE NINETY YEARS OLD

HE WAS WEALTHY AND HANDSOME.....

ANTIGONE IS CONSIDERED BRAVE BECAUSE SHE STOOD UP AGAINST THE LAW AND TOOK RISKED HER LIFE TO DO THE RIGHT THING- NO WHERE ELSE WAS A WOMAN SO UNJUSTLY ACCUSED ACCORDING TO THE CITY PEOPLE...

HAEMON IS ANTIGONE'S FIRST COUSIN AND FIANCEE- HIS FATHER IS ANGRY BECAUSE CREON FEELS THAT HAEMON HAS CHOSEN A WOMAN OVER HIS FATHER'S WILL- FIND EVIDENCE IN THE TEXT FOR A FREE PASS...

HIS MOTHER IS EURYDICE AND SHE REACTS TO HER SON'S SITUATION BY KILLING HERSELF IN PROTEST OF THE EVENTS THAT HAVE UNFOLDED...

WHEN JOCASTA REALIZES THAT SHE HAS MARRIED HER SON AND HUSBAND'S MURDERER- AS WELL AS PRODUCED FOUR CHILDREN- SHE COMMITS SUICIDE BY HANGING HERSELF...

ETEOCLES

POLYNEICES

ANTIGONE

ISMENE- SHE IS THE SOLE SURVIVOR....

HAEMON IS OUTRAGED AT HIS FATHER AND KILLS HIMSELF NOT BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR ANTIGONE, BUT BECAUSE HE HATES HIS FATHER'S PRIDE- CREON RESPONDS:

"THE TRUTH IS HARD TO BEAR-SURELY GOD HAS CRUSHED ME BENEATH THE HUGEST WEIGHT OF HEAVEN- AND DRIVEN ME HEADLONG A BARABARIC WAY TO TRAMPLE THE THING I HELD MOST DEAR"

THE AUDIENCE IS MOVED BY CATHARSIS FOR KING CREON WHO HAS LOST A SON, HIS NEICE AND DAUGHTER IN LAW

HE GOES TO THE FIELD TO BURY POLYNEICES BUT BY THEN, ANTIGONE HAS ALREADY BURIED HERSELF- HIS SON GOES TO ENGAGE HIM IN A SWORD FIGHT AND KILLS HIMSELF WITH A SWORD- WHAT EVIDENCE OF FORESHADOWING BEFORE THESE EVENTS?

Megareus DIED IN THE BATTLE FOR THEBES (HE FOUGHT FOR HIS COUSIN ETEOCLES)

HE EXCLAIMS THAT REASON IS THE CROWNING GIFT OF MAN- IF ONE DOES NOT BEND WITHIN A STORM, THEN ONE SHALL BE UPROOTED FROM THE GROUND- EXPLAIN IN DETAIL THE OTHER IMAGERY USED- FIND THE SPEECH AND READ....