Report of Antigone Essay Example

Report of Antigone Paper Being the third, yet first written, of Sophocles Theban tragic myths, Antigone was written in or around 441 B. C. The setting of Antigone occurs in the palace of Thebes. Thebes is ruled by Creon, whose sister, Jocasta, was the wife and mother of infamous Oedipus Rex. Oedipus was King of Thebes until he expelled himself from the kingdom, leaving his children Polynices, Ismene, Eteocles, and Antigone, along with the throne, in Creons care. The two brothers Polynices and Eteocles die as opposing fighters in a war for the throne. Creon declares that since Polynices brought about he war, he will not have the honorable and traditional burial that his brother has been granted. Rather, his body and remains will be left for the vultures and wild dogs to tear apart. Defying Creons rules, Antigone takes it upon herself to give her brother a proper burial. Antigone expresses her desire to Ismene, who declines Antigones request in help; she carries out the respectable ceremony by herself. Back at the palace in Thebes, Creon is notified by a guard that Polynices body has been buried. Creon demands that the lawbreaker be brought to him and punished. We will write a custom essay sample on Report of Antigone specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Report of Antigone specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Report of Antigone specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Not too long after Creons order, Antigone is brought to the palace with the guard, having been found weeping at Polynices grave. Antigone proudly takes responsibility in having carried out her brothers burial. Antigone is to be punished for her crime. Haemon, Creons son and Antigones fianc? ©, tries to persuade Creon into reconsidering Antigones fate. Instead Haemon ends up angering Creon and losing his trust; Antigone will still be punished. Haemon vows that he will never see his father again. After Antigone is lead away to be imprisoned in a cave, a blind and wise prophet named Teiresias visits Creon and warns him of his possible fate. Because of his unjustness, Creon will lose one child for leaving Polynices body unburied, and for wrongly imprisoning Antigone. This prophecy comes to pass when Haemon commits suicide after finding Antigone hanging by a noose in the cave. Along with this, Creons wife also kills herself. Pertaining to the thesis, or theme, of this story, I feel that the meaning is Justice. Antigone refuses to obey Creons law, even while knowing the consequences. She stood firm and atoned for her actions because they were what she believed in. Though its arguable if she was wrong or not, she accepted the consequences in full. When being trialed by Creon, Antigone states this: And what law of heaven have I transgressed? Why, hapless one, should I look to the gods any more, what ally should I invoke, when by pity I have earned the name of impious? Nay, then, if these things are pleasing to the gods, when I have suffered my doom, I shall come to know my sin; but if the sin is with my Judges, I could wish them no fuller measure of evil than they, on their part, made wrongfully to me. From this I interpreted that she had seen no wrong in her doings. Creons law isnt what she believed to be that of the righteous gods and that their Judgment is what atters most. Since the beginning of the book, it was questioned whether Creons declaration the kingdom for the throne, but another thing to consider is whether everyone, including Polynices, is entitled to be properly taken care of after death. But I cherish good hope that my coming will be welcome to my father, and pleasant to thee, my mother, and welcome, brother, to thee; for, when ye died, with mine own hands I washed and dressed you, and prepared drink-offerings at your graves; and now, Polynices, tis for tending thy corpse that I win such recompense as this. Not only were Antigones defiance in burying her brother unheard of, but so was the fact that she was a rebelling woman. Women were expected to obey and have little to no rights. To be so disobedient and free willed may have been threatening to Creon and his position in authority. Similar acts of rebellion and courageous women can be seen in history. Women such as Susan B. Anthony, who supported the right for women to vote, have similar attributes to Antigone. Susan believed that all women were equal to men, and she knew the Justice in that being true. Along with Susan B. Anthony is a woman named Rosa Parks, who saw that it was unjust for African Americans to be unlawfully required to sit at the back of the bus, while white- skinned people were not. Rosa addressed this problem by sitting at the front of the bus and refusing to move when asked. Throughout the whole story, Antigone is keen on doing what is Just. In the end, when Antigone has accepted her fate, she declares: It seems fair to me to die doing it must please those below a longer time than people here, for there I shall lie there forever Bibliography Antigone; Sophocles- Prestwick House, Inc. ; 2005 edition (December 1 , 2005) Page 40

Free Essays on Drama

The following paper will present aspects of two fictional plays compared to a non-fictional play, The Laramie Project. The Glass Managerie and Death of a Salesman are both fictional works, but are reflections on the difficulties of life. An author of a fictional play text uses plot, setting and characters to create imagery and influence the reader's response on how the author wishes the reader to perceive a situation. An author can present his or her work to a reader or audience by descriptions of any settings, detail of weather, characters stereotypical of society and color association. The author has an opportunity to be creative in his descriptions of characters. Characters have certain features that all contribute to the 'characters profile'. Their profile can be built up using many methods as was done in . Each of the main characters have a meaning to their name. For example, Willy Loman has connotations of a man who has lost hope in life due to his mundane occupation and pursuit of the American Dream. He maintains a low, depressed mood throughout the play. Characters can also represent stereotypes of society from their attitudes and behavior. In the play, The Glass Managerie the author presented the characters as stereotypical of society with the female role of doing all the cooking and cleaning and the male role of relaxing and having a good time while telling his wife what and not to do. Arthur Miller deliberately makes him out to be a fool for the pure reason to emphasizes his purpose - mock American society. Willy is wound up in his idea of being 'well liked' success, the materialistic version of the dream. By doing this, miller creates a character that appears to be a pathetic character whom the audience pity and feel for. Miller holds compassion for Willy. Willy has dreams that are self deluding Willy clings to the idea of making... Free Essays on Drama Free Essays on Drama Drama, a five letter word that is used worldwide, everyday. It is a way of communicating a point, a thought, an opinion, an idea, an event†¦through acting and taking on a different role. Drama can be molded and shaped to transform the mind. It causes awareness and in doing that, it brings forth controversy, as a result of allowing people to see more than one side to the story. Look at drama as a tool, a way to make learning exciting and entertaining, allowing students to become participants rather than passive listeners. Augusto Boal, author of Theatre of the Oppressed, references theatre as a weapon, a way of opening the doors to its spectators, and increasing their awareness of a situation, seeing it at an angle in which they may have never acknowledged before. Drama and its history show the steps different cultures took in modifying its meaning and purpose and further explaining the foundation that these cultures laid down to make drama what it is today. Drama as seen in today’s society, highlights some specific events that demonstrate the variety of ways theatrical shows are performed throughout the world and how these performances impact the audience. Augusta Boal once said, â€Å"Theatre is a weapon, and it is the people who should wield it.† There is little evidence that can concretely show how drama evolved in the first place. Researchers strongly consider that the basic concept travels as far back as the cavemen. It is a strong possibility that cavemen would center themselves around a campfire, each taking turns reenacting the events of a hunt from that day. Researchers believe this gradually took on a more ritualistic meaning and incorporated chanting, dancing and some early forms of music. These enactments were assumed to bring good luck for the hunt of the following day. Although these conclusions are not factually based, historians pungently feel that due to limited means of communication through languag... Free Essays on Drama The following paper will present aspects of two fictional plays compared to a non-fictional play, The Laramie Project. The Glass Managerie and Death of a Salesman are both fictional works, but are reflections on the difficulties of life. An author of a fictional play text uses plot, setting and characters to create imagery and influence the reader's response on how the author wishes the reader to perceive a situation. An author can present his or her work to a reader or audience by descriptions of any settings, detail of weather, characters stereotypical of society and color association. The author has an opportunity to be creative in his descriptions of characters. Characters have certain features that all contribute to the 'characters profile'. Their profile can be built up using many methods as was done in . Each of the main characters have a meaning to their name. For example, Willy Loman has connotations of a man who has lost hope in life due to his mundane occupation and pursuit of the American Dream. He maintains a low, depressed mood throughout the play. Characters can also represent stereotypes of society from their attitudes and behavior. In the play, The Glass Managerie the author presented the characters as stereotypical of society with the female role of doing all the cooking and cleaning and the male role of relaxing and having a good time while telling his wife what and not to do. Arthur Miller deliberately makes him out to be a fool for the pure reason to emphasizes his purpose - mock American society. Willy is wound up in his idea of being 'well liked' success, the materialistic version of the dream. By doing this, miller creates a character that appears to be a pathetic character whom the audience pity and feel for. Miller holds compassion for Willy. Willy has dreams that are self deluding Willy clings to the idea of making...