Antigone Dramatic Irony

In his play Antigone, Sophocles makes extensive use of religious and cultural allusions in order to develop ideas. Through the use of allusions to Zeus and other moral figures, he reinforces accepted moral standards, heightening the conflict between Antigone’s earthly morals and those of her religion. Sophocles also shows the dangers of hubris through his allusions to the downfall of Niobe, and Creon’s references to Nemesis. The motif of fate within Antigone and the rest of the Theban plays is developed through his allusion to Danae, as well as his references the Oedipal prophecy and to the Fates themselves. Through his use of allusion, Sophocles gives great insight into aspects of the human condition, the moral ambiguities of our world, and

Over the centuries, the concept of fate is constantly being changed to adapt to our current way of living. In modern times the concept of fate is usually connected to the themes of love and romance. However the ancient Greeks recognized fate as an inescapable reality that shaped their lives. The famous playwright, Sophocles, adopts the idea of fate in his plays to control the character’s actions. In both plays, “Oedipus the King” and “Antigone”, the writer uses the concept of fate to show human’s inability to conquer the will of the gods.

In the prologue of the play, Antigone, by Sophocles, Antigone and Ismene (sisters) are debating between burying their late brother, Polyneices, and the consequences they may end up facing. In Antigone’s eyes, family comes before the law of burying a traitor. When disputing between the burial, Antigone says, “...but Polyneices, who fought bravely and died as miserably, - they say that Creon has sworn no one shall bury him…” (Prologue.17-20) Antigone just wants to put her brother to peace, but Creon refuses to allow anyone who tries to ruin the well-being of his new society to be buried. She believes that Polyneices fought just as bravely as their brother, Eteocles, and his spirit deserves to be put to rest instead of lying in the public square.

In Antigone, Creon’s mind is pulled in two opposite directions: His hubris, and, in contrast, his human duty to the gods. His decision to not follow the gods’ decrees and the consequences of that decision are used by Sophocles to remind the audience to stand with the gods.

Greek tragedies often teach readers several valuable lessons, one of which is the catastrophe caused by acting on emotions. Both Oedipus and Antigone experience this as a result of their rash behavior. Even Creon ends up miserable in Antigone due to the change in his behavior. By acting on their emotions, these characters all experience tragic downfalls, while others, such as Ismene and Creon during Oedipus Rex, remain safe due to their prudence and indications of wisdom.

Sophocles tragic play Antigone, in the trilogy Oedipus Rex, presents readers with the perfect example of an Aristotelian tragic hero. Creon’s hubris attitude causes him to be overconfident and very

Throughout the vast history of literature, various concepts have come and gone. The idea of fate or fatalism has been a concept that has survived the test of time. Numerous characters have succumbed to the power of fate and the character of Oedipus from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a prime example of the vast power of fate within literature. Sophocles effectively depicts the wrath of fate as he portrays how Oedipus fell victim to fate and his efforts to disregard fate were futile. Once again fate manages to triumph and displays no character whether king or slave can avoid its gaze.

Both playwrights rely on these literary devices in order to inspire suspense and tension in their audience. In the example of Oedipus, as with most ancient Greek plays, Sophocles’ audience would likely have heard of the plot previously through myths. The exact phrasing of language, however, hints at the details of the play in the future. For example, Teiresias says to Oedipus that “you have your eyes but see not where you are in sin” (482-483). This is a contrast between Teiresias (who is physically blind) and Oedipus (who is physically seeing yet is blinded by ignorance) that is also used to imply Oedipus’ fate later in the plot.

As stated by William Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances.” However, not every actor or actress follows the script given to him or her, and the best example of such defiance is Oedipus. As depicted in Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, Oedipus believes that he has the ability to change his determined future by his own will. Such confidence causes him to exit the stage in the most dreadful, devastating way. Yet, Sophocles, through his use of paradoxical ironies, demonstrates the role fate plays in the sequence of events depicted in the play.

Sophocles ' play “Oedipus Tyrannus” is an enigma. His play includes incest, murder and self-enlightenment all leading into the main theme of fate. Athenians believed that fate is not left up to man, but that is provided solely on the whims of the gods. Because of his dramatic approach to his plays Sophocles was considered one of the most brilliant and creative writers of his time.

Sophocles was born a hundred years before Aristotle and perhaps was not aware that he wrote a near-perfect representation of the tragic form. Almost certainly, however, he was conscious of the dramatic irony he carefully intertwined throughout the plot. Dramatic irony was a tool for Sophocles to advance the notion of the tragic one step beyond the simple fate of the main character. Dramatic irony is a literary technique allowing the audience to know of the character's fate well before such fate occurs. The difference between the audience's knowledge of the tragic circumstances and that of the ignorant characters heightens the depth of the tragedy. The more significant the ultimate sacrifice which the innocent hero makes, the more powerful the message sent to those in

The play, Oedipus the King by Sophocles, bases its plot around dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is a literary device in which the audience is aware of a series of events or characteristics that the characters themselves are not yet aware of. This device was used to shape the tone of the work and furthermore the reader’s reaction to it. In the play, dramatic irony is used to tell the story and affects the reader's perception of the protagonists. These characters especially include Oedipus and Queen Jocasta. The writer depends on dramatic irony to set up the tragedy.

In Jean Anouilh’s version of the play, Antigone, the protagonist, Antigone, is interpreted as a member of the resistance to despotism that parallels the antifascist French resistance against the Nazi occupation. Anouilh’s controversial play was performed in 1944 under Nazi-controlled Paris, so when Antigone sacrifices her life to defy the oppressive ruler Creon, Anouilh makes Antigone not only a heroine, but also a symbol for resistance. Anouilh based his playwright on Sophocles’ version, which was originally written in 442 BC in Ancient Greece. However, Anouilh uses different literary devices such as anachronisms, allusions, similes and symbolism to relate the story to the most disturbing dilemma during his time in the 1940’s. He writes his play to show the importance in joining the French resistance, but he must also make his play acceptable to the controlling Nazis. As such, the play Antigone can be interpreted as a political allegory of Vichy France.

It is plain to see what about the character of Antigone it is that makes this a tragedy. Tragedy is defined as a dramatic composition dealing with a serious or somber theme, and this story fits all these criteria. First of all, it involves a tragic course of events that involved both of her brothers dying and then being completely disrespected even in death. She felt she had to rectify this mistake, even though it was against the law, and the opposition was too great. Because of her attempt to rectify the injustice, even more tragic things happened to her and her family. This is why she is a tragic heroine.

Fate played an important part in the plays and literature of the Greeks as is shown in Sophocles' play