Antigone

The Story Behind the StorySurvey of Literature

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The Myth of Oedipus

Laius (King of Thebes) and Jocasta (Queen) conceive a child.

Laius consults the Oracle at Delphi for a prediction of the future

The Oracle predicts that a son born to Laius and Jocasta will kill his father and marry his mother.

If you were the parent of this soon-to-be-born child, what would you do?

OMIGOSH!

When the son is born, Laius and Jocasta attempt to avert their fates: They drive a rivet into the child’s ankles They give the child to a servant and

instruct him to abandon the baby on Mt. Cithaeron.

What do you think of these parents’ attempt to avert fate?

A Guilty Conscience intervenes The servant cannot abandon the child to

die, so he gives the child to a shepherd who carries it to Corinth.

The child is raised by the King and Queen of Corinth, who name the baby Oedipus (means “swollen foot”).

When Oedipus is a young man, he begins to think “I need a life…”

He consults the Oracle. What do you think the Oracle predicts for him?

Fate averted again (or not)

Oedipus leaves Corinth to avoid his awful fate.

On the journey, he meets a man who rudely forces him from the road.

In retaliation, Oedipus pulls the man from his chariot and kills him.

What do you think of Oedipus’ action here?

Oedipus travels to Thebes…

Thebes is under seige of the Sphinx. Oedipus saves the day. Oedipus receives the throne of

Thebes (the Queen is the bonus). All goes well for 20 years.

Does a country need a strong leader? Do you think Oedipus was a strong/good leader? Why of why not?

Where Antigone comes in… Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus

and Jocasta She has three siblings:

Ismene, sister Polyneices, brother Eteocles, brother

Antigone, Ismene live with their uncle, Creon, King of Thebes

As Princess of Thebes, what kind of life does Antigone enjoy? Think about everything!

Prior to the story of Antigone (before the play opens)

In a fight for control of the throne of Thebes, Eteocles and Polyneices kill each other on the field of battle.

Because Polyneices raised an army against Thebes, Creon brands him a traitor.

He accords Eteocles full burial honors; but not Polyneices…

The characters of the drama

Antigone (daughter of Oedipus) Ismene (her sister) Creon (their uncle, the brother of

Jocasta) Eurydice (your-id-i-see) wife of Creon Haimon (son of Creon & Eurydice) Teiresias (Tie-ree-see-as) a blind

prophet