SOPHOCLES’

ANTIGONE

What is a TRAGEDY?tragedy[traj-i-dee] trag·e·dynoun, plural -dies. 1. a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tragedy

Rules of a tragedy as set forth by Aristotle

-TIME: 24-hour time period-PLACE: One setting-ACTION: One HERO, one plot-DOWNFALL: the hero meets catastrophe-EPIPHANY: the hero realizes their FLAW and why they must die-REVERSAL: The opposite of what the hero intends ends up happening-HAMARITIA: the TRAGIC FLAW that leads to the hero’s downfall-CATHARSIS: viewed release or emotion, fear, or pity seen by audience-HUBRIS: pride and arrogance before the gods

ANTIGONE could quite possibly become the CRAZIEST episode

of Jerry Springer… Ever.

-Supposedly orphaned man unknowingly kills his king father and takes his queen mother as his wife-Sleeps with mother and has four children: 2 boys & 2 girls (who apparently come out normal)-Figures out that he has killed his father and has been sleeping with his mother and GOES CRAZY-Jabs out his own eyes-His two sons fight over who will become king-They both die-The two sisters are left with one breaking the law and consequently being sentenced to DEATH

http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=antigone

Here are issues that arise in the play.

What is your opinion?

We should never, under any circumstance, break the law.

You should do anything for your family, even if it means putting your own safety at risk.

People should always do what they feel is the right thing to do, even if it isn’t accepted by others.

Women shouldn’t fight in the military or be allowed to be in dangerous situations where their lives are at risk.

Love that people feel for their partners will always be stronger than the love they feel for their parents/siblings.

Men can speak more freely, and are taken more seriously, than women.

Sometimes, a person may have the ability to sense, or dream about, what is going to happen in the future.

Nothing is worth dying over.