Sophocles Use of Social Commentary in Antigone - 1334 Words

Art has the power to reach people across space and time. Although artists primarily use creative media to disseminate their ideas and emotions to a contemporary audience, great art has the ability to reach whoever appreciates it no matter their origin. In Antigone, Sophocles does this by creating a fictionalized Thebes in which he reflects upon the politics, religion, and societal norms of his own world. He creates a ruler, Creon, whose tyrannical actions serve to promote the merits of democracy and criticize the contemporary government. He also creates a protagonist, Antigone, who challenges the validity of the social structure while upholding ancient traditions. This social commentary allows Sophocles to connect with his both the†¦show more content†¦In this way, Sophocles presents the universal consequences of unresponsive and unaccountable government, whether led by Creon or Pericles. This analysis of both timeless issues and current political conditions would have helpe d Antigone to reach its audience. Sophocles also reaches his audience by using Antigone to defy societal norms and promote social change, while upholding other cultural traditions. From the start, she is presented as a strong and stubborn character with little regard for the authority of the established government. â€Å"[H]er intensity of feeling, the single-mindedness of her devotion to her family, her unbending will, her readiness to defy the entire city in the name of what she believes, her involvement with the dead, and her willingness to face death if necessary† (7), all fuel her eventual suicide in the name of justice. Her personality alone is sufficient to spark hostilities. Her civil disobedience takes on another dimension due to her protest of gender roles. Women typically stayed home to cook, clean, and raise the family, while men protected and financially supported the family. Only men participated in politics. Her very public defiance of Creon demonstrates her forward-thinking notions of gender ro les. The dissolution of the boundaries between the male and female worlds creates an ideological conflict between Antigone and Creon. This would make her especially threatening to Creon, who accuses Haimon ofShow MoreRelatedRoles of Women in Antigone1976 Words   |  8 PagesRoles of Women in the Greek Tragedy Antigone Despite the male dominant society of Ancient Greece, the women in Sophocles’ play Antigone all express capabilities of powerful influence and each individually possess unique characteristics, showing both similarities and contrasts. The women in the play are a pivotal aspect that keeps the plot moving and ultimately leads to the catharsis of this tragedy. Beginning from the argument between Antigone and Ismene to Eurydice’s suicide, a male takes his ownRead MoreSummary Of The Brien S. Brien s Antigone Essay2182 Words   |  9 Pagespeace in an unacceptable trade, and Paulin vehemently counters O Brien s arguments. He adopts, as his own, Hegel s view of Antigone, a view in which neither the right of family, nor that of the state is denied; what is denied is the absoluteness of the claim of each, and Paulin continues his attack by applying O Brien s logic to Irish grounds, noting that Here Antigone (i.e. Bernadette Devlin and the Civil Rights movement) becomes respo nsible for all those funerals . This means that the UnionistRead MoreGreek Tragedy By Euripides Medea1646 Words   |  7 Pagestopics as duty, honor, kingship, gender roles, and the other. Greek tragedy authors tend to use their writings as a means of social, political, and religious commentary. Both of the authors we read of, use their characters and the storyline development to test their reader’s moral boundaries. On the one hand, Euripides’ Medea emphasizes Greek thoughts concerning foreigners, and denounces Athenian social bases through his character’s traits and actions. First of all, from a Greeks’ point of viewRead MoreThe Psychological Connection to Oedipus the King1387 Words   |  6 Pagesfirst man? Where do souls go after death?’†¦The second function of myth is to justify an existing social system and account for traditional rites and customs.† Oedipus the King written by Sophocles in 430 B.C. focuses around the second function that Graves noted. The play has been around for centuries, has evoked psychological theories, and will remain a classic. Sophocles has managed to touch on social, ethical, psychology, and more importantly philosophical issues in one play. Perhaps one of theRead More Comedic Violence in The Medea, The Oresteia, and Antigone Essay2353 Words   |  10 PagesComedic Violence in The Medea, The Oresteia, and Antigone      Ã‚  Ã‚   Almost no Greek tragedy escapes the use of violence. The Medea, The Oresteia, Antigone, and other classic works of Grecian tragoidia all involve huge components of violence in many prominent places, and for all of these stories, violent action is an integral part of the play. Medea, especially, is a character worthy of note in this regard; her tumultuous life can be plotted accurately along a path of aggression and passionate fitsRead MoreTheater in Ancient Greece1631 Words   |  7 Pages(Fonseca Web). The prologue of the tragedy served to introduce the circumstances around the play. This would often be in the form of a dialogue where the topic of the tragedy was revealed. This was then followed by a chorus which delivered lyrical commentary in a section known as the parados. Proceeding these introductory performances, the main parts of the play were divided into episodes. These episodes contained dialogue that drove the plot and the events of the play. After every se ction of dialogueRead MoreAn Analysis of Two Key Passages in Antigone2661 Words   |  11 PagesAn Analysis of Two Key Passages in Antigone During the Nazi occupation of France, Jean Anouilh produced an adaptation of Sophocles’ tragedy, Antigone, as a representation of the struggle between those collaborating with the occupants and those resisting them. While it is possible to read Anouilh’s Antigone as a ‘texte de la Resistance’, it can also be interpreted as an apologia for the Nazis’ severe, authoritarian behavior. The two key passages selected are crucial to the development of the playRead MoreLysistrat A Political Satire Written By Aristophanes2014 Words   |  9 Pagesattention to the craziness that had consumed society. It also contributed to the idea of women having a social or political power and, more importantly, having worth and a voice. Although it is impossible to know exactly which social aspects Aristophanes was trying to comment on, through historical documents and contexts, it is clear that statements were made condemning war through the satirical use of subverting gen der norms to reinforce the foolishness in society and fighting. The fighting and devastationRead MoreHistory of Theatre Lesson Notes Essay5401 Words   |  22 Pagesunderstanding of its relationships to the powers that govern its well-being and its own interrelationships (include elements that entertain and give pleasure). Much that is found in ritual, also in theatre (must be actors/directors, both use performing and viewing areas, may use same elements but the distinction between them ultimately depends on their functions). Explain the most significant theories of the origins of theatre: most widely known theory is championed by anthropologists in the late 19th and