Conflict, Climax and Resolution in Sophocles Antigone Essay

Conflict, Climax and Resolution in Antigone Sophocles’ tragic drama, Antigone, presents to the reader a full range of conflicts and their resolution after a climax. In Antigone the protagonist, Antigone, is humble and pious before the gods and would not tempt the gods by leaving the corpse of her brother unburied. She is not humble before her uncle, Creon, because she prioritizes the laws of the gods higher than those of men; and because she feels closer to her brother, Polynices, than she does to her uncle. The drama begins with Antigone inviting Ismene outside the palace doors to tell her privately: â€Å"What, hath not Creon destined our brothers, the one to honoured burial, the other to unburied shame?† Antigone’s offer†¦show more content†¦Ismene, in parting, accuses Antigone of foolishness in her bold plans: â€Å"Go, then, if thou must; and of this be sure,-that though thine errand is foolish, to thy dear ones thou art truly dear.† Ismene, one might say, is â€Å"humble and pious† to the king first and to the gods secondly. Creon is introduced into the drama, the antithesis of humility and piety; he replaces Eteocles as ruler in Thebes: â€Å"I now possess the throne and all its powers, by nearness of kinship to the dead.† Creon explains to the elderly Thebans of the chorus the rationale behind the new edict regarding Polynices, which stipulates: â€Å". . .it hath been proclaimed to our people that none shall grace him with sepulture or lament, but leave him unburied, a corpse for birds and dogs to eat, a ghastly sight of shame.† No sooner has the edict been promulgated than a guard reports to the king that the edict has been violated: â€Å"The corpse-some one hath just given it burial, and gone away,-after sprinkling thirsty dust on the flesh, with such other rites as piety enjoins.† The character of the king immediately acquires another dimension – a suspicious aspect which thinks erroneously that money is involved in the violation: â€Å"Tis by them, well I know, that t hese have been beguiled and bribed to do this deed. Nothing so evil as money ever grew to be current among men.† The guard exits with the intention ofShow MoreRelated Sophocles Antigone - Antigone and Creon, the Powerful Protagonists1244 Words   |  5 PagesThe Two Protagonists of Antigone In the classic model of dramatic structure, two characters move the action of the play from introduction to climax to resolution with their conflict. One of these characters is the protagonist; the other is the antagonist. The protagonist is generally regarded as the good guy, and the antagonist is the bad guy. In Sophocles play Antigone, the lines between protagonist and antagonist are blurred. In the Greek tradition, the title character is the protagonistRead More Structure in Sophocles Antigone Essays1944 Words   |  8 PagesStructure in Sophocles Antigone  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Aristotle in his Poetics (chap. 7) says: ?[L]et us now discuss the proper structure of the plot, since this is the first and most important thing in tragedy? (1033). M. H. Abrams says that ?almost all literary theorists since Aristotle have emphasized the importance of structure, conceived in diverse ways, in analyzing a work of literature? (300). The matter of the structure of Sophocles? Antigone is a subject of varying interpretation among literaryRead MoreEssay on Antigone - The Tragic Flaw2238 Words   |  9 PagesAntigone - The Tragic Flaw  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚           Antigone, Sophocles’ classical Greek tragedy, presents tragic flaw as the cause of the destruction of Creon, the king of Thebes. This essay examines that flaw and the critical perspective on it.    Robert D. Murray, Jr. in â€Å"Thought and Structure in Sophoclean Tragedy† gives the perspective of the Greek audience, and thereby the reason why there has to be a tragic flaw in Sophoclean tragedy: â€Å"A Greek of the fifth century would, of course, haveRead MoreOedipus Tyrannus, A Tragic Hero. Summary: . Context. Oedipus1391 Words   |  6 Pagesarrival from rituals performed in the worship of the Greek God Dionysos (Cartwright, 2013). Author’s information: Sophocles The author of Sophocles was born to a wealthy amour manufacturer, just outside of Athens Greece around 496BCE. Sophocles was one of the three greatest ancient Greek tragedians know in his ear, the other two were; Aeschylus and Euripides. For almost 50 years Sophocles won the most awards for playwrights in the Dionysia dramatic competitions in the city-state of Athens, he was mostRead Moretheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesï » ¿ANTIGONE KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING This tragedy is set against the background of the Oedipus legend. It illustrates how the curse on the House of Labdacus (who is the grandson of Cadmus, founder of Thebes, and the father of Laius, whose son is Oedipus) brought about the deaths of Oedipus and his wife-mother, Jocasta, as well as the double fratricide of Eteocles and Polynices. Furthermore, Antigone dies after defying King Creon. The play is set in Thebes, a powerful city-state north of Read MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagesthat confronts a contemporary social problem with the intent of changing public opinion on the matter. Henrik Ibsen popularized this form in plays such as Hedda Gabler. * ï‚ · Tragedy: A serious play that ends unhappily for the protagonist. Sophocles’ Antigone is one of the best-known Greek tragedies. * ï‚ · Tragicomedy: A play such as Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale that mixes elements of tragedy and comedy. * One-act play: A play consisting of a single act, without intermission and running usually