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Introduction to Antigone: Greek Drama and Literary Terms

This text introduces the concept of Greek drama, focusing on the play Antigone by Sophocles. It explores the structure, key terms, and major characters of the play, as well as discussing moral conflicts and literary techniques such as foils and allusions.

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Introduction to Antigone: Greek Drama and Literary Terms

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  1. WarmUp • Read pages 1064-65 in the textbook • Take notes as you need—you will be responsible for this information • Turn in HW (Agree/Disagree statements) to the music stand

  2. Introduction to Antigone

  3. Greek Drama • Greek drama was performed at annual festivals in honor of Dionysos – the god of wine and fertility • Greek tragedies like Antigone often revolved around well-known myths and heroic legends

  4. Greek plays were performed in outdoor amphitheaters • Actors wore masks that reflected the personalities of their characters

  5. The Author: Sophocles • Sophocles was one of the most famous andrespected and of all Greek playwrights • wrote Antigone as a part of a trilogy of plays that centered around the legend of Oedipus

  6. Structure Terms • Prologue: (story) • Parados: (song) • Episodes: (story) • Odes: (song) • Paean: (song) • Exodus: (story)

  7. Prologue Parados • Going to be set around central moral issue and set up basic conflict • Sets forth the subject and provides the mythological background necessary for understanding the events of the play. • Our prologue stars our protagonist Antigone and her sister Ismene • 1st Ode sung by the chorus • Named for the corridors at the front of the stage of a Greek theater

  8. Episodes • When the main events take place • Divided from the next episode by odes.

  9. Ode • a choral section of the play. • The language of these sections is elevated, more “poetic”; often supplementary information or the mood of the play’s internal audience is revealed • A choral ode that often reflects on the dialogue and events of the preceding episode.

  10. Paean Exodus • Hymn in praise of god – in this case Dionysus, in whose honor the Greeks performed the plays • The final, or exit, scene

  11. Literary Terms to Look For • Foil – a character who serves as a contrast to another character • Allusion – Reference to a statement, person, place, event or thing that is known from something else

  12. More Literary Terms • Verbal Irony – when a speaker says one thing, but means the opposite • Dramatic Irony – when the reader or the audience knows something important that a character does not know.

  13. Antigone: Premise & Characters • Setting: the city of Thebes, the morning after a war, way back in B.C. • Conflict of story: • Individual rights VS. State • Moral or Divine Law VS. Human Law

  14. Antigone: Premise & Characters • Antigone – protagonist, daughter of Oedipus • Creon – King of Thebes and Antigone’s uncle • Ismene – Antigone’s sister • Haemon – Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiancé • Etocles and Polynices (Antigone’s brothers)

  15. Antigone: Premise & Characters Chorus Choragos • “the elders of the city Thebes” whose age and opinion would have been respected • Part of cast who chant parados, odes and paean. • Leader of the chorus • Often times interacts with characters one on one

  16. Oedipus the king Before Antigone…

  17. The Story of Oedipus • The famous psychological term “Oedipus Complex” was coined because of this story

  18. How did it all start? Tiresias reveals the truth, but Oedipus doesn’t believe him King Oedipus and Queen Jocasta told of “bad blood” in their city.

  19. The attack… The Oracle at Delphi

  20. Major Characters in Antigone • Antigone • Creon • Ismene • Haemon • Etocles • Polynices

  21. What to consider while reading… • Was Antigone justified in her actions? What is more important – following the government’s laws, or those of one’s heart? • Who is the tragic hero of this play? A tragic hero is a person who, either through choice or circumstance, is caught in a series of events that lead to disaster. Unfortunately, it is his/her own error in judgment (tragic flaw) that leads to his/her demise.

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