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Analysis of Oedipus Rex and Antigone with respect to Poetics.

By

Samrah Tayyab.

M.phill English.

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Analysis of Oedipus Rex and Antigone with respect to Poetics.

1.Definition of Tragedy:

 “Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain

magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the

several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of

narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its

Catharsis of such emotions. . . . Every Tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which parts

determine its quality—namely, Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, and

Melody.”

Aristotle [384 B.C.E.-322 B.C.E.] would consider 'Oedipus Rex' and Antigone a tragedy.

First, Theban King Oedipus is a hero, because he does great deeds and has great powers

or strength. For example, he delivers Thebes from the beastly, bullying Sphinx. He alone knows

the answer to the Sphinx's unanswerable riddle.

Second, Oedipus is noble He’s the biological son of Theban Royal rulers. On both his parents'

sides of the family, he descends from Cadmus, Thebes' founder and first king around 2000

B.C.E. Additionally; he's raised as the royal heir apparent by character adoptive/foster royal

parents.

Third, Oedipus is tripped up by tragically fatal flaws within his own and personality. For example,

he's so proud that he thinks that he can beat the gods and escape his horrific fate. But the more he

tries to flee from his fate, the closer his flight takes him to it because of his own flawed decision

making .

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Fourth, a pestilence descends upon the city of Thebes. Harvests go bad, livestock die, and more

Thebans die than are born. The reason is the unsolved killing of Laius by Oedipus, who is the

victim's son and subject. Oedipus needs to be purified of his unknowing but nevertheless heinous

crimes. He doesn't go through ritual purification after the killing of father and sovereign. So

Oedipus' pollution becomes the pollution of all Thebes

Fifth, there's a Purification of the hero and therefore of his environment. That purification comes

about through the hero's death, destruction or downfall. The hero commits an offense against the

gods. All offenses must be punished be they the result of  deliberate intent or unknowing action.

Oedipus' cleansing by being identified and punished as the killer likewise becomes the cleansing of all

Thebes.

Sixth, the hero's story is told in verse. sets his play up as lines of verse. The lines don't rhyme.

But the playis clearly a work of poetry, odes and music.

But in antigone the case is much more different. It has two protagonists ,antigone and creon.

Antigone and creon both are from same family. And conflict is between human law and divine

law.

Secondly both are from noble family. Creon is king of that region and antigone is his niece.

Both antigone and creon is tripped by tragically fatal flaws. As antigone’s excessive pride and

creon’s stubbornness.

Thyirdly, there's a Purification of the hero and therefore of his environment. That purification

comes about through the hero's death, destruction or downfall. The hero commits an offense

against the gods. As per described in play Antigone by tieresis that gods are angry with creon.

2. Elements of tragedy:

2.1 Plot.

Plot is the “first principle,” the most important feature of tragedy. Aristotle defines plot as “the

arrangement of the incidents”. According to him;

“The plot must be “a single whole,” with a beginning, middle, and end. It must be

“complete,” having “unity of action.”

By this Aristotle means that the plot must be structurally self-contained, with the incidents bound

together by internal necessity, each action leading inevitably to the next without any

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2.2 Oedipus Rex and plot construction.

Following the traditional structure of Greek plays, it is split into several parts, including the

prologue, parodos, episodes, stasimons, and exodus. Following the unity of time and place,

there are no flash backs, everything takes place in real time, and in one location. The plot is

linear. The play takes place within the space of a few hours. There are parallel moments at the

beginning and end of the play, when Oedipus says “I am Oedipus.”

Oedipus Rex is the finest example from plot construction point of view and it has been envied by

many of the writers. According to Aristotle, the plot of Oedipus Rex satisfies all the requirement

of a good plot in a very nice way and he, in his book “the poetic”, presents Oedipus Rex as a

model tragedy from all dramatic convictions’ point of view. When we analyse critically Oedipus

Rex from plot construction point of view we can say that the first thing which strikes us is its

unusual plot.

Oedipus Rex has an extremely unusual plot. It is the story of a King who is brought down by the

unforeseen consequences of his own oath. From beginning to end it is concerned with the

investigation of some past events. The play unites two parallel problems. One is the detection of

murderer of Laius and the second is the identity of Oedipus himself. The two problems are one in

a way and solving of either of them is like solving the both.

The general pattern of the story is that of finding of a lost one. The theme can be applied at

several levels. We can say that Oedipus finds his parents or Thebes and Corinth discover their

lost prince. This is very old theme. The foundling story has certain set features.

Each of the incidents in this play is part of a tightly constructed cause-and-effect chain. The

plague in Thebes prompts Oedipus to send Creon to consult the oracle of Delphi; the oracle’s

reply that the murderer of Laius must be banished from Thebes prompts Oedipus pronounce a

solemn curse on the murderer and to send for Teiresias. Teiresias states that Oedipus is the

murderer, but since the king knows himself to be innocent (or thinks he knows), he accuses

Creon of plotting with Teiresias against him. The quarrel of Oedipus and Creon brings Jocasta

from the house; seeking to calm down her husband and prove that oracles cannot be trusted, she

tells again of how Laius died. When she mentions that he was killed “at a place where three

roads meet,” Oedipus suddenly begins to suspect that he may indeed have killed the king

without knowing who he was. To settle the matter, they send for the Herdsman who is the only

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survivor of that attack. Meanwhile a messenger arrives from Corinth to inform Oedipus that his

supposed father, King Polybus of Corinth, has died. Oedipus rejoices that he did not kill his

father as the oracle had prophesied but is still worried that he may marry his mother, the

Messenger, seeking to relieve him of this fear, innocently tells him that Polybus and Merope

were not his real parents.

“O, O, O, they will all come, all comes out clearly!”

“…This is what prophets and prophecies are worth! Have no dread of them.”

The proclamation which Oedipus makes about including even himself within the jurisdiction of

the punishment which he announces for those who may harbor or have intercourse with the killer

of Laius.

And it is my solemn prayer That the unknown murderer, and his accomplices.

If such there be, may wear the brand of shame For their shameful act, unfriended, to their

life’s end. Nor do I exempt myself from the imprecation

All the incidents have been arranged very skillfully by masterly hands of Sophocles and it got

praised at every level and it is still considered to be the best plot ever contrived. The plot of

Oedipus Rex fulfills all the pre-requisitions and conviction of dramatic art. It has proper

beginning which can’t be questioned with proper proceeding to suitable middle leading to climax

and catastrophe. It has various levels of meaning which can never be exhausted. In fact, there is

something mysterious about this play which is really inexplicable. Even from the purely

technical point of view, Oedipus Rex is a marvel. Its plot-structure remains unrivalled. Its

characterization as well as patterning of character is superb. It admirably maintains suspense in

spite of the fact that its plot is well-known.

2.3 Antigone and plot construction.

For the plot of Antigone, Sophocles drew material from the familiar legends of Oedipus, the

King of Thebes, and also from an earlier play by Aeschylus called Seven Against Thebes.

The plot of a Greek tragedy usually consisted of five parts: the prologue, the Parodos, the five

Epeisodia (episodes), the five stasima and the Exodus (or epilogue). Sophocles follows the

conventional pattern of plot construction with very little deviation from the norm.

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The Prologos (literally ‘fore-word’) forms the prologue to the actual play. It is the part

preceding the first entrance of the Chorus and usually consists of a monologue (or dialogue)

setting forth the subject matter of the tragedy and the basic situation from which it starts. In early

Greek tragedies, the Chorus entered first and performed this function of exposition. Sophocles

prefers a later method in Antigone, by making Antigone reveal her decision to bury Polynices to

her sister, Ismene.

The Parodos is the second segment of the plot and refers to the song (and stylized movements or

dance) which accompanies the first entrance of the Chorus on stage. The opening Chorus song

serves a purely expository function in Antigone.

These two initial segments of the plot are followed by five major “Epeisodia” or episodes. In

these scenes, one or more of the three central actors took the major and minor roles, along with

the Chorus..

In Antigone, the first episode concerns Creon’s announcement to the Chorus of Theban elders

that he has forbidden the burial of Polynices. It also includes the arrival of the watchman who

informs Creon of the perfunctory night burial of Polynices by an unknown hand. Creon lashes

out at him and accuses him of conspiring in this act.

The stasima (plural for “stasimon”) were expressions of emotion evoked by the preceding

episodes, given mainly by the Chorus and serving as interludes between episodes. The first

stasimon follows the first episode: the Chorus sings a song in praise of the human race and of the

state. The second episode follows, during which one sees Antigone, captured by the watchman,

being brought before Creon to face trial and punishment. This episode constitutes the climax of

the play and proves the great strength of Antigone’s character.

This great scene of confrontation is followed by the second stasimon which begins: “Blest is the

life that never tasted woe.” It mentions the evil fate tormenting the house of Cadmus. In the third

episode, Creon is confronted by his son, Haemon, who is betrothed to Antigone. The father-son

conflict provides a secondary agon (debate) in the play, following the primary agon between

Antigone and Creon in the second episode. Appropriately, the third episode is followed by the

third stasimon, whose theme is love:

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“Love unconquered in fight.”

In the penultimate episode of the play, Antigone is led to her tomb. This scene evokes profound

pity for her, as well as awe at her impending fate. Her exit is covered by the fourth stasimon,

which tells of the tragic fate suffered by mythical Greek figures before Antigone:

“Even Danaë’s beauty...”.

In the fifth and final episode, Tiresias, the prophet, warns Creon against displeasing the gods.

Here, the “peripeteia,” or turn in the nature of events, takes place when Creon does a complete

about- face and decides to spare Antigone’s life and to allow for Polynices’ burial. There is also

a moment of “anagnorisis” for Creon as he begins to understand that he must bow to the power

of fate:

“Oh! it is hard. But I am forced to this/ Against myself. I cannot fight with Destiny.”

The fifth stasimon is a dithyramb in honor of the god, Bacchus. The Chorus prays to Bacchus,

hoping that he will rescue Thebes from its present crisis.

The exodus or final scene follows the final (fifth) stasimon. In this scene, the messengers bring

news of Haemon’s and Antigone’s deaths. It presents the denouement of the tragedy. Eurydice,

Haemon’s mother, commits suicide and Creon is left alone to mourn his fate. The leader of the

Chorus recites the last lines of the play as part of the Exodus and articulates the moral of the tale.

Thus, in Antigone, Sophocles remains strictly within the bounds of the norms of classical Greek

tragedy as far as plot construction is concerned.

3. Character.

3.1 Element of character in Oedipus Rex:

There are four major characters: Oedipus, Tiresias, Jocasta, and Creon. The chorus also has a

large role. There are six minor characters. The major characters are more complex than the minor

ones, but Oedipus is the most developed. There is not enough time for any of the characters to

change their personalities drastically, though Oedipus is shocked when he makes his important

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realizations. The character’s traits are revealed through how they act and behave. Oedipus: 30-

35, proud, rash, brave; strong but limps. He bears a physical deformity, showing that he is not as

god-like as he thinks he is at the beginning of the play. He makes decisions quickly and is eager

to carry them out; he thinks the decisions he makes are logical, but often forgets the importance

of being able to think clearly. Quick action was a mark of Athenian society, and thus imbuing

that same personality trait of Oedipus, and having it be one of the elements that lead to his

downfall, likely instilled fear in the heart of Athenian audiences that the traits they valued would

be the ones that destroyed them. He is smart, and enjoys feeling more clever than others.

Oedipus means “man of agony” but refers to foot ailments. He is the embodiment of social

progress. There are other times when he is equated with physicians and mathematicians,

emphasizing his connection with logic and enlightenment. He is the protagonist of the story and

his purpose is to call into question the competing forces of free will and destiny.

Oedipus: Oh my children, the new blood of ancient Thebes, why are you here? Holding

at my alter, praying before me, your branches wound in wool. Our city reeks with the

smoke of burning incense, rings with cries for the Healer and wailing for the dead. I

thought it wrong, my children, to hear the truth fromothers, messengers. Here I am

myself—you all know me, the world knows my fame; I am Oedipus.

This quote shows two competing forces within Oedipus—his fierce pride, but also his lurking

insecurity and uneasiness. He sees that the townspeople revere him, and doesn’t understand why

they have so much faith in him. Thus, he acts more prideful in order to make himself feel

adequate in resolving the situation, and his pride is only exacerbated as the situation becomes

worse. This passage also reveals how deeply Oedipus feels about his subjects, which makes his

sacrifice to save them all the more wrenching. Jocasta: 45-50; caring, smart, sensitive; appears

young because of a magic broach; Jocasta acts motherly towards Oedipus, trying to resolve the

conflicts he has with others and encouraging him to make more moderate choices, she is

respected by the prominent figures in the community; she is Oedipus’ wife and mother.

Jocasta: Have you no sense? Poor misguided men, such shouting—why this public

outburst? Aren’t you ashamed, with the land so sick, to stir up private quarrels?

Into the palace now. And Creon, you go home. Why make such a furor over

nothing?

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This quote shows the powerful effect that Jocasta has over Oedipus and Creon. She acts as a

mother and ultimate moral authority over both them, and is a strong voice for moderation. Creon:

30, moderate, logical, fair; Creon has a forceful personality and strong convictions, but is more

willing to compromise and think things out than Oedipus is. He strives to do things correctly,

completely, logically, and fairly.

Creon: I haven’t come to mock you, Oedipus, or to criticize your former failings. You there,

have you lost all respect for human feelings? At least revere the Sun, the holy fire that keeps

us all alive. Never expose a thing of guilt and holy dread so great it appalls the earth, the rain

from heaven, the light of day! Get him into the halls—quickly as you can. Piety demands no

less. Kindred alone should she a kinsman’s shame. This is obscene.

In this scene, Creon behaves coolly and rationally. He shows Oedipus respect and sensitivity,

though there is clearly a distance between them that didn’t exist previously. In this scene Creon

reveals how different he is from Oedipus, he thinks things out carefully and asks the advice of

others, and is free from the weight of shame that Oedipus carries. However, the two men are

united by having shared a great horrific revelation.

3.2 Element of character in Antigone:

Antigone is the play's tragic heroine. In the first moments of the play, Antigone is opposed to her

radiant sister Ismene. Unlike her beautiful and docile sister, Antigone is scrawny, sallow,

withdrawn, and recalcitrant brat. Like Anouilh's Eurydice, the heroine of his play Eurydice, and

Joan of Arc, Antigone has a boyish physique and curses her girlhood. She is the antithesis of the

melodramatic heroine, the archetypal blond ingénue as embodied in Ismene. Antigone has

always been difficult, terrorizing Ismene as a child, always insisting on the gratification of her

desires, refusing to "understand" the limits placed on her. Her envy of Ismene is clear. Ismene is

entirely of this world, the object of all men's desires. Thus she will at one point rob Ismene of her

feminine accoutrements to seduce her fiancé Haemon. She fails, however, as such human

pleasures are not meant for her.

Creon

Antigone's uncle, the powerfully built King Creon is a weary, wrinkled man suffering the

burdens of rule. Before the deaths of Oedipus and his sons, he dedicated himself to art patronage

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but has now surrendered himself entirely to the throne. A practical man, he firmly distances

himself from the tragic aspirations of Oedipus and his line. As he tells Antigone, his only interest

is in political and social order. Creon is bound to ideas of good sense, simplicity, and the banal

happiness of everyday life. To Creon, life is but the happiness one makes, the happiness that

inheres in a grasped tool, a garden bench, a child playing at one's feet. Uninterested in playing

the villain in his niece's tragedy, Creon has no desire to sentence Antigone to death. Antigone is

far more useful to Thebes as mother to its heir than as its martyr, and he orders her crime

covered-up. Though fond of Antigone, Creon will have no choice but to but to execute her. As

the recalcitrant Antigone makes clear, by saying "yes" to state power, Creon has committed

himself to acts he finds loathsome if the order of the state demands it. Antigone's insistence on

her desire in face of state power brings ruin into Thebes and to Creon specifically. With the death

of his family, Creon is left utterly alone in the palace. His throne even robs him of his mourning,

the king and his pace sadly shuttling off to a cabinet meeting after the announcement of the

family's deaths.

4. Diction.

The diction is formal. Fagles carefully chooses his use of italics to emphasize a truth that the

audience is supposed to see but the characters do not, or to reinforce the verbal tone of one of the

characters speaking.

4.1Element of diction in Oedipus Rex:

The recurring words related to sailing, farming, hunting, calculations, and medicine also enforce

the characterization of Oedipus and his relation to central theme of the play. Doctorial and

mathematical images are abundant. There are allusions to figures in ancient Greek mythology,

and the choral odes tend to be written in a more flowery manner, whereas the dialogue tends to

be plainer and truer to life. Oedipus speaks in a more forceful, and arrogant, manner than the rest

of the characters, and Jocasta speaks kindly.

Tiresias: What rock of Cithaeron won’t scream back in echo? The day you learn the

truth about your marriage, the wedding-march that sang you into your halls, the lusty

voyage home to the fatal harbor! And a crowd of other horrors you’d never dream will

level you with yourself and all your children.

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The words that Tiresias uses in this scene are designed to instill in Oedipus the greatest sense of

fear and uncertainty possible. He taunts Oedipus with what he does not know, and every word is

threatening. His reference to the “fatal harbor” reinforces the motif as Oedipus as a sailor, and

the circular nature of his life.

Oedipus: I count myself the son of Chance, the great goddess, giver of all good things

—I’ll never see myself disgraced. She is my mother! And the moons have marked me

out, my blood-brothers, one moon on the wane, the next moon great with power.

This quote contrasts chance and destiny. Oedipus seems to believe in both, connecting himself

closely to the powers of chance, but also claiming that his destiny is marked by the passage of

astrological features. His reference to himself as the “son” of chance is also ironic, considering

that at this point he does not know who is mother is.

Oedipus: Oh but this I know: no sickness can destroy me, nothing can. I would never

have been saved from death—I have been saved from something great and terrible,

something strange. Well let my destiny come and take me on its way!

The sickness that Oedipus mentions is parallel to the sickness that Thebes suffers. He also has

only a vague grasp on the magnitude of his sins, and still believes in the power of destiny.

4.2Element of diction in Antigone:

By the use of diction, Sophocles paints a vivid picture in our minds. To put emphasis on the

statement, he uses an imaginative language, in Line 89, by the use of dark and light.

“Muttering and whispering in the dark about this girl.”

By choosing the word dark, he gives the literal and underlying meaning. In the literal sense, the

citizens physically are muttering and whispering in the dark and the underlying meaning creates

irony. The citizens do not mutter and whisper in the dark by choice. Creon’s feelings towards his

citizens are well put by Melchinger,

“The greatest of evils is anarchy: the citizen’s foremost duty is obedience to the ruler.”

The people hide in fear of their king. Creon is oblivious to the feelings of his people. Instead of

voicing their opinions, the citizens take a safe route by keeping their silence. Line 110, the word

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sailing is used to represent Creon’s kingdom. Creon’s rules were fair but too strict. Even though

his decisions were for the good of the people, in the end his stubbornness towards Antigone will

sink him.

Lines 107 to 109 once again compare Creon’s laws to nature. Creon is represented by a tree.

Creon is stubborn so his roots and limbs won’t bend with the wind thus causing them to break. If

Creon were to bend the rules, then they would bend with the wind. Haimon is in the process of

making Creon change his mind. To prove that Creon is being unreasonable, Haimon dramatizes

the situation.

“She covered her brother’s body. Is this indecent? She kept him from dogs and vultures. Is

this a crime?”

Using the words dogs and vultures creates sympathy towards Antigone. Even though she

committed a crime, she had good reasoning. It makes Creon look heartless and closeminded.

Sophocles is a painter of his time. Using words as his paints and pencils as his brush, Sophocles

paints a vivid imaginative story. 

 Diction played an important role in the play. Sophocles was able to bring his audience in scenes

that were not physically shown. So beautifully put “Sophocles, like Aeschylus and Euripides,

made a virtue of the necessity of this convention of the ancient theater by writing elaborate

messenger speeches which provide a vivid word picture of the offstage action. Sophocles

cleverly with words told a story and demonstrated that the law of the god’s always come before

the law of man. 

5. Thought:

Thought… is where something is proved to be or not to be, or a general maxim is

enunciated”  

  – Aristotle in his Poetics

5.1 Element of thought in Oedipus Rex:

This paly have element of thought as every character is depicting his inner thoughts by

dialogues. There conflict is vividly expressed through thought. As Oedipus said

Oedipus: 

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“I must pursue this trail to the end,Till I have unraveled the mystery of my birth.”

And jocasta said;

“Jocasta: Yet do not do it. I implore you do not do it.Oedipus: I must. I cannot leave the

truth unknown.

After knowing the truth about his birth and other prophecy Oedipus expressed his thoughts in

such manner.

“… I am the child of Fortune,The giver of good, and I shall not be shamed.

She is my mother; my sisters are the Seasons;My rising and falling march with theirs.Born

thus, I ask to be no other manThan that I am, andwill know who I am.”

Teiresias said;

 “when wisdom brings no profit,To be wise is to suffer”

 - Teiresias (34)

5.2 Element of thought in Antigone:

The play opens up with direct opposition between Antigone and her sister Ismene, concerning

Antigone's idea of burying her brother against King Creon's rules.

"...See how miserable our end shall be if in the teeth of law we shall transgress against the

sovereign's decree and power.

You ought to realize we are only women...," says Ismene.

These words straightforwardly express not only the emotions of Ismene, but the thoughts of the

entire chorus of Thebes. Ismene is quick to agree or support Antigone but automatically focuses

on what bad will become of her sister from disobeying civil law. Antigone is not only a woman,

inferior to all men, but she is also a mere citizen, inferior to King Creon and any laws established

under his rule. Essentially, Ismene tries to convince Antigone that she is only stirring up trouble

and bringing unwanted chaos to the land.

 When it is revealed to the King and Thebes' people that someone had buried Polyneices, the

chorus ironically replies,

"My lord: I wonder, could this be God's doing?"

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This line reflects a hint of transition in the chorus, as they point out the well-known fact that the

Gods insist on giving mortals a proper burial. Moreover, it reveals that the chorus is still aware

of the importance of divine law, and makes them question again what is more important: divine

or civil law. Furthermore, this suggests that the chorus recognizes what is morally right, but

simply refuses to oppose the high and mighty King.

6. Melody.

Aristotle view of chorus;

“The chorus should be regarded as one of the actor; it should be an integral of the

whole and take a share in the action- that ithas in Sophocles rather than in

Euripides.”

The earliest critical precept of the function of chorus in Greek tragedy is the

comment that Aristotle makes in the poetics. Chorus lends a tremendous significance

in Sophocles’ plays. He does not only use it as a literary term, but as an important structural

device. It plays the role of a character, which comments during the course of the play; and does

not take part in the action as in Aeschylus’ and Euripides’ plays.

Among the best known Greek tragedies, the role of chorus in Oedipus Rex has been

of great importance. In Oedipus, the chorus functions almost entirely as a normal characterin

the drama of the play, responding to others in the story, reacting to the action, and

behaving in a fairly standard manner. Some of the functions of the chorus mentioned

above are very well performed in Oedipus Rex.

6.1 The Chorus in the Oedipus Rex;

Among the best known Greek tragedies, the role of chorus in Oedipus Rex has been

of great importance. In Oedipus, the chorus functions almost entirely as a normal character in

the drama of the play, responding to others in the story, reacting to the action, and

behaving in a fairly standard manner. Some of the functions of the chorus mentioned

above are very well performed in Oedipus Rex.

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Suspense.

Suspense is the supreme element of a tragedy. Chorus, no doubt elevates the elements of

suspense in the play. When Oedipus is trying his hard to seek the murderer of Laius_ the cause

of plague in the land; chorus creates suspense and inquisitiveness by saying that:

“But there is one man who may detect the criminalThis is Teiresias, this is holyprophetIn

whom, alone of all men, truth was born.”

The readers and the audience now wait anxiously for Teiresias’ arrival. 

6.2 Role of chorus in Antigone:

In Antigone the Chorus at times directly affects the action of the play. Though they at first seem

to be totally on the side of their new king Creon, they begin to urge him to be more moderate. It's

at their pleading that Creon decides not to sentence Ismene to death along with her sister. The old

men of Thebes also practically insist that Creon take Teiresias's advice and free Antigone. Creon,

of course, finally agrees to do this, but unfortunately it's far too late.

The main functions of the Chorus are to comment on the action of the play, give back story, and

to connect the play to other myths. Sophocles also uses the Chorus to expound upon the play's

central themes. In Antigone we get choral odes on everything from the triumph of man over

nature, to the dangers of pride, to the hazards of love.

In Antigone, Sophocles uses the parados to give back-story. The Chorus sings all about the

terrible battle that has just been fought. We also get the sense that the people of Thebes are

furious at Polyneices for betraying and attacking them. This helps to strengthen Creon's position

about the traitor's burial. Overall, the parados in Antigone is a joyful celebration of victory. This

is, of course, highly ironic.

Ode to Man.

The next time we hear the Chorus is the First Ode. This little ditty just happens to be the most

famous choral ode in all of Greek tragedy. It is popularly referred to as the "Ode to Man." In this

celebrated ode the Chorus sings about all the wonderful accomplishments of man. The word

"wonderful" in Greek is deinon. It can also describe something that is terrible. In a way, the word

means both wonderful and terrible at the same time. But how could all of man's

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accomplishments be both of those things at once?

Let's take a look at the achievements that the Chorus lists. Humanity has: built ships to conquer

the seas, crafted plows to tame the earth, bent animals to his will, raised houses to defeat the rain

and the snow. Do you notice a common thread here?

Nearly everything is about humanity asserting its will over nature. This echoes the basic conflict

of the play. The Chorus ends the "Ode to Man" by praising the laws of the city. They disdain

anybody who would want to bring anarchy back to Thebes. After the ode concludes, it takes

Sophocles about two seconds to lather on the irony.

7. Concept of Catharsis;

7.1 Oedipus Rex and concept of catharsis:

Aristotle is said to have suggested that a tragedy allows a person to exercise feeling which, if exercised without

control in real life, might stand in the way of action. It must be stressed that Aristotle does not say that pity and

terror are the only emotions proper to tragedy. His suggestions seem to be that these are the most predominant

emotions, but his reference clearly is to these and other similar emotions. As other writers on tragedy have

pointed out, a great tragedy gives rise to a variety of feelings. These include a sense of mystery and even awe at

the complexity of human life. Tragedy also produces a sense of admiration at the greatness of the human spirit.

Tragedy impresses us with the seriousness of human life. It may temporarily give us the feeling that man’s life

is a very sad affair, but this is only a fleeting impression. The ultimate effect of tragedy is ennobling and up

lifting. Oedipus Rex is a very significant play for a discussion of the emotional impact of tragedy. The fate of

Oedipus, who always wished for the welfare of his people, inspires us with awe. We wonder at the mystery of

human life in which a man may suffer even with the best of intentions. There are many things in the play which

evoke a sense of strong pity. This pity arises from fellow feeling, and has nothing in common with the modern

meaning of the word, which has a tinge of superiority in it, for we now speak of feeling of pity for the sufferings

of the poor and the down-trodden, but not of those superior to us. The very first impression that is produced on

us as we begin to read this play is that of pity.

If we give ourselves up to a full sympathy with the hero, there is no question that the Oedipus

Rex fulfills the function of a tragedy, and arouses fear and pity in the highest degree. The

philosophy of Aristotle and Sophocles is clearly expressed in the drama itself.

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"May destiny still find me," sings the Chorus,

"winning the praise of reverent purity in all words and deeds sanctioned by those laws of range

sublime, called into life throughout the high clear heaven, whose father is Olympus alone; their

parent was no race of mortal men, no, nor shall oblivion ever lay them to sleep: the god is might

in them and grows not old."

7.2 Antigone and concept of catharsis:

In Sophocles' Antigone, a young princess is sentenced to death for burying her dead brother. The

man who ordered her death was Thebes' ruler, Creon. For a tragedy to be a tragedy, according to

Aristotle, the story must cause Catharsis, the production of pity and fear within someone's

soul/heart. For this to occur, according to Aristotle, several characteristics should be present. One

or more of the characters, should go from a good situation to a worse one (peropeteia), he/she

must play a small part in their downfall (hamartia), and should go through the process of

realization of suffering caused (anagnorisis). These characteristics will, according to Aristotle,

produces pity and fear in the hearts of the watchers/readers. In Antigone, many believe that the

character that has these characteristics is Antigone, Ismene, or any of the other "good guys."(The

"good guys" are the people who defend or side with Antigone.) But a better character that shows

these characteristics is actually the character many would less likely have guessed. In Antigone,

by Sophocles, Creon fits Aristotle's idea of a Catharsis.

8. TRAGIC HERO.

8.1 Oedipus Rex:

Oedipus as tragic hero:

Aristotle gives his conception of the Greek tragic hero in one of the important sections of the “Poetics”.

According to Aristotle the tragic hero is commonly found to belong to a greatand noble family; he is a noble

person but is not very virtuous and just. He undergoes suffering, which results, not from evil, but from some

Hamartia. Aristotle gives the example of Oedipus in Sophocles, play as a great and successful tragic hero. The

term Hamartia used by

Aristotle to convey his view about the tragic reversal of the hero is highly controversial. There are two main

interpretations of this term. According to one of them the term means a defect of character which brings tragic

consequences, i.e. tragic flaw. The other interpretation of the term is in the sense of error of judgment. If we

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apply the term in the first sense, we would say that Oedipus’ hamartia is rashness and anger, or a tendency to

place too much value on human intelligence. If we interpret the term in the sense of error of judgment, we might

think of the errors committed by Oedipus before the story of Sophocles play begins, or look for similar errors

within the play itself. In either case it would not be easy to point out hamartia which should be directly

responsible for Oedipus’ tragedy.

It might be argued that the cause of Oedipus’ tragedy is excessive pride in his intelligence. It leads him to

believe that he can defeat the oracle by not going back to Corinth. In an apparently innocent manner, this

arrogance leads him to solve the riddle of the sphinx and thus indirectly and unconsciously becomes guilty of

incest. Earlier, his rashness has made him slay his own father, though Oedipus was not aware of the old man’s

identity. Within the play, we may say that Oedipus’ rashness makes him pronounce a curse on the murderer of

Laius and also includes his own self within the scope of the curse. His suspiciousness makes him suspect Creon

of having designs on his life and throne. The actions of parricide and incest have been committed by him in the

past and his errors and faults only influence the manner in which he discovers his past crimes as well as

hisidentity. It can be said that the tragedy of Oedipus is the result more of his good qualities than his bad ones. It

is his love of Thebes which makes him send Creon to Delphi to consult the oracle. It is the same care for his

subjects, which make him proclaim a ban and a curse on the murderer of Laius. It is his absolute honesty which

makes him include even his own self within the curse and the punishment. To Oedipus the discovery of the

truth is more important than his own good and safety. He is so honest that he inflicts the punishment of self-

blinding when he learns that he has committed horrible crimes against his parents, although in complete

ignorance.

Oedipus seems to be somewhat obsessed with his own intelligence and this leads him into many uncomfortable

situations and also creates an unfavorable impression on the reader. Oedipus is extremely proud of the fact that

he was able to solve the riddle of the Sphinx which has proved too much for every other person. The character

of Oedipus leaves a powerful impression on the mind of the reader. We have great admiration for his search of

truth. We also sympathize with him because he is the victim of irony of fate and circumstances. He proves

undefeatable in misfortune and even he is no better than a blind beggar he proves to be towering character as

compared to Creon who has now become the king. His intense love for his helpless daughters also creates a

strong impression on the reader. He indeed seems to be a symbol of human intelligence and courage which

remain undefeated in the face of greatest adversities.

8.2 Antigone:

Antigone a tragic hero:

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In Sophocles' Antigone the hero is a woman that believes in her heart far stronger than that of her

leader's rule. This brings up many characteristics that are shown within her that are also seen in

other heroes. One being that she is up against an impossible enemy, one who does not fit well

into society's mold, and is destroyed by her own pride. For these characteristics Antigone is

given the title of an epic Heroin. Antigone is one of the lucky townsfolk to be born of a royal

house, yet is unlucky to be born in the House that she is born into. As Antigone defies Creon's

law, she is cast into a pool of danger between what she believes is right and what the state's law

decrees is right.

As Antigone is charged with the burying of her brother, an action which the King has declared

unlawful, she holds like stone to her undying gratitude for her deceased brother. She holds to this

thought because of the fact that she believes that her, who died fighting against the state, must be

interred with the same honor as her brother who died defending the state. She believes that this

will help lift the curse plagued on the household. The curse in which there father tried to hold at

bay and failed. Her sister Ismene warned Antigone by exclaiming

"Sister please, please! remember how our father die: hated, in disgrace, wrapped in horror

of himself, his own hand stabbing out his sight. And how his mother-wife in one, twisted off

her earthly days with a cord. And thirdly how our two brothers in a single day each

achieved for each a suicida Nemesis" (166)

This has already gave Antigone the mind set that even the Gods are against her will. She is also

up against a great foe in fighting that of Creon's edict. Ismene has said this:

"The rest, if we defy our sovereign's edict and his power. Remind ourselves that we are

women, and such not made to fight with men. For might unfortunately is right and makes

us bow to things like this and worse"

So as one would believe Antigone sees herself as not only on who can defy the power of the

Gods but the power of the state. Thus she would be up against an force greater than her own.

Second, another characteristics of a tragic hero is that the person does not always fit into

society's mold. The tragic hero is usually one who wants change, yet also needs the peace that

goes along with stability. The fact that the tragic hero also usually thinks that they are in there

right mind when yet the rest of the society thinks that they are mad. Antigone has said

"Say that I am mad, and madly let me risk the worst that I can suffer and the best"

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This shows that although Antigone thinks she is doing is right, she also does not care how the

other members of society deem her for her action. Antigone also must believe that she must be

different from not only society but members of her family. Creon note on this when he is asking

her about his proclamation

"O, she's the man, not I, if she can walk away unscathed! I swear I hardly care if she be my

sister's child, o linked to me by blood more closely than any member of my hearth and

home (181).

This should also show one that Creon does not care about her nobility and that he will treat her

just like one any other member of society.

Lastly, Antigone is inherently destroyed by the one thing that is her tragic flaw:

Excessive pride. This was also a downfall of her father Oedipus. This pride could also be

confused with honor. Antigone also shows that she choose what to do not based on the law of the

state but on the laws of the Gods. Antigone also embellishes her statement by telling Creon that

he is a fool to judge her on what she has done.

"I feel no twinges of regret. And if you think I am a fool, perhapsit is because a fool

is judge" (180).

If anything this clearly states that she has excessive pride for what she has done and will make

sure that Creon knows this and her unfeigned gratitude for her dead brothers. AAntigone feels no

regret in what she has done. She also shows that she is proud of the fact that she never denied

burying her brother. One would infer that although of her death, Antigone died for what she

believed. This is the utmost characteristic in the portrait of a tragic hero.

  Hubris is an important factor in determining who is a better tragic hero.  Clearly Creon has

more hubris than Antigone. Creon shows his hubris when he would not see the reasoning of

Antigone and his own son, Haemon. It took a terrible prophecy from Teiresias to make Creon see

the error of his way and finally put an end to his madness There was no doubt in Creon’s mind

that he was wrong until this happened.

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References:

Battin, M. Pabst. “Aristotle’s Definition of Tragedy in the Poetics.” Journal of Aesthetics and ArtCriticism 33.2 (Winter 1974): 293-302. EBSCO. College of DuPage Library. 20 April 2009 <http://0-search.ebscohost.com.lrc.cod.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=7657453&site=ehost-live>Cunningham, Stanley B. “Getting it Right: Aristotle's ‘Golden Mean’ as Theory Deterioration.”Journal of Mass Media Ethics 14.1 (1999): 5-15. EBSCO. College of DuPage Library. 20April 2009 <http://0-search.ebscohost.com.lrc.cod.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=2201104&site=ehost-live>Holt, Phillip. “Polis and Tragedy in the Antigone.” Mnemosyne 52.6 (December 1999): 658-690.EBSCO. College of DuPage Library. 20 April 2009 < http://0-search.ebscohost.com.lrc.cod.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=2697447&site=ehost-live>Sophocles. Antigone. Trans., with Introduction and Notes by Paul Woodruff. Indianapolis: Hackett,2001: 1-58.Woodruff, Paul. Introduction. Sophocles. Antigone. Trans., with Introduction and Notes by PaulWoodruff. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2001: vii-xxvii.