Sophocles is an Ancient Greek writer and philosopher, who wrote one of the greatest stories of all tome Antigone. Sophocles is also said to be one of the greatest minds in achievements and times of Sophocles’. Sophocles was born about 496 BC at Colonus in Attica, near Athens and died 406 BC. He lived in the most brilliant intellectual period of Athens. Sophocles, his father, was a wealthy Athenian citizen and gave him a sound education in music, gymnastics, and dancing. He was well known as having a reputation for leaving and esthetic taste. He was well versed in Homer and the Greek lyric poets, and because of his industriousness he was known as the “Attic Bee’’. Do to his youthful beauty, he was chosen to lead the chorus in the Paen …show more content…
Sophocles wrote more than 120 tragedies, only a mear seven have survived. “Plutarch tells us that there were three periods in Sophocles’ literary developed: imitation of the grand style of Aeschylus, use of artificial and incisive style, and use of the best style and that which is most expressive of character. It is only from the third period we have examples of.” The seven tragedies that survive are Ajax 447 BC, Antigone 442/441 BC, Oedipus at Colonus 401 BC, and Tracheniae 437-432 BC, Oedipus Rex as a perfect tragedy. Sophocles made many improvements to plays such as adding scene painting and a third actor. He increased the number of the chorus from twelve to fifteen, and reduced the proportion of the play given to the chorus, thereby accelerating the progress of the action; he also made better tragic masks and made many other technical improvements. A grandmaster in the delineation of characters, he is credited with the invention of the heroic maiden, and the ingenuous young man. Antigone is the young princess who pits herself against her uncle, King Creon. She defies his cruel judgement forbidding the burial of her brother Polyneicess who in attempt to invade Thebes and seize the thrown from his brother Eteocles, slew himself into mortal combat and in turn was slain. Against the pleas of her sister Ismene and her fiancé Haemon. Antigone goes to her death holding to her defiance and buries Polyneicess. The theme of Antigone had enormous
The work was written around 450 BC, a time of high Greek culture where literature and drama were placed at the forefront of society. Sophocles was a key player in this movement, and his plays were performed in a widespread area across ancient Greece and beyond. However, its popularity grew immensely as time went on, especially during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, when the fascination with the arts and the accomplishments
Antigone is a play written by Sophocles and is about a young girl named Antigone who struggles with written laws of her city, Thebes. Her uncle is King Creon and sentences her to death because she decided to bury her brother, Polynices, after it was declared that he deserved no burial. Antigone's sister, Ismene, was too afraid to go along with her. Antigone's fiancé, (who is also
Antigone, written by the Athenian Sophocles, is about a woman named Antigone who lives in a city named Thebes. The play’s plot is based on her attempt to successfully bury her brother Polynices whom perished in a battle with his brother that also assumed the role of
The main characters in Sophocles’ drama, Antigone, are Antigone herself, the play’s tragic heroine and Antigone’s uncle and King of Thebes, Creon. Both characters are ruled by powerful motivations and beliefs; however, they differ from one character to the next.
Throughout the tragedy by Sophocles, the king Oedipus relies on his personal glory to attain long lasting fame and balks when confronted with anything that might shatter this perception that he is the best. While both characters have done marvelous deeds in the past, their inherent arrogance, which is part of the tragic flaw of each of the characters,
Sophocles was a greek poet known for his greek tragedies, stories and plays popular all across Greece, and even have a strong influence on today’s culture. Tragedies, which was such a large form of amusement that men who were actors could get out of military service at the time. Sophocles is prominent for his plays: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. Despite the many plays he has made, the ones being distinguish here are Antigone and Oedipus the King. Antigone and Oedipus were tragic heroes. It is beneficial to know that Oedipus is Antigone’s father and sibling due to him unknowingly marrying his mother, Jocasta, and killing his own father Laius, committing
Biographical information about the author: Born at Colonus, son of Sophilus. Sophocles was a playwright and served as a priest. He had a son with Nicartrata, who was also a playwright. And he also had a son with Theoris. Wrote 123plays but only 7 survived: Ajar, Antigone, Trachinian women, Oedipus Tyrannoss, Electras, Philocetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. Also increased the number of chorus from 12 to 15. Powerful imaged occur in Ajar’s sword, Philocetes bow, and Electras urn. Actions in his play unfold in a more natural way and avoid the expository prologues of his contemporary. The modern concept of tragic drama begins with Sophocles.
Sophocles was born around 496 B.C. In Athens, Greece. Due to the fact that his father was a wealthy merchant, Sophocles had an excellent education. He was elected twice to become a high ranking military officer. He then died around 406 B.C.
To Sophocles the king is not always representative of the people, but acts on his own personal desires and judgments. Sophocles was born in 496 B.C. and from 490 B.C. until 442 B.C. when the first performance of Antigone at the Dionysian theater; there had been many wars in the Greek and Persian history. These ongoing battles would not
"Overview: Oedipus Rex." Drama for Students. Ed. David M. Galens and Lynn M. Spampinato. Vol. 1.
The death of Antigone is truly a tragic episode in the Theban Plays, where she hung herself with a woven linen of her dress. By convention, her death would be characterized with feminine quality. However, Antigone, one of the few female characters in the book, possessed distinguishable female characteristics that are as remarkable as a male hero. Antigone was determined when she made up her mind to bury her brother. She was an agent of her words and took up the risks that accompanied to her deeds. Antigone was very passionate from the beginning to her death and she displayed tremendous courage when facing the death penalty. Moreover, Antigone, as a female individual, confronted bravely with the state and the authority of Creon. Throughout
Sophocles, a famous and renowned Greek dramatist, is the playwright to both the play Oedipus the King and Antigone. Along with Antigone and Oedipus Sophocles had also wrote Electra and Fete. Sophocles wrote many Greek tragedies which are plays in which the main character in the play suffers a tragedy due to some flaw of theirs. An example would be how Oedipus (thinking he is defying a prophecy) murders his father and weds his mother. His flaw was him trying to defy fate if he had not just stayed where he was he would’ve been fine. His works are referred to and taught all over the world in many schools along with colleges; this should give light to how will written his plays are and how
In 441 BC Sophocles was beaten in an Athenian play competition by Euripides. From 468 BC, however, Sophocles won many awards for his dramas and was noticed for his playwriting mind. Sadly, Sophocles life ended near 406 BC at about the age of 90 which was about the time Athens was in the golden age of plays and writings. Although, Sophocles wasn’t in politics or militarily, he was still elected twice to be in high military office. People would remember his contribution to the city and what he has done to change the way of the theatre.
Sophocles was strong he was strong because he played a lot of strong parts. He was loved because many people loved his plays. Next he was inspiring to other people, and made many good quotes. He made this quote that included ; Without labor nothing prospers. One word Frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love I would
For Sophocles the Chorus has yet again a more reduced role, as more actors are introduced into his plays. The focus yet again turns towards dialogue between characters, and away from interaction purely between actor and Chorus. The Sophoclean Chorus is not emotionally separate from the action, it is involved emotively with the story being portrayed, and can show sympathy (and in contrast, hatred) towards the events on the stage.