We have been studying Greek drama, specifically Oedipus and Antigone. Now it's time for you to comment on those two dramas. The definition of tragedy in terms of drama is, "A story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death." (Meyer).
Please discuss the idea of courage and dignity in the two Greek dramas we have read. Which characters are the most courageous? Which ones are the least courageous? Do you think the characters act with dignity? Explain your answers using specific examples from the dramas. Once you have posted your response, you will also comment on other posts.
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ReplyDeleteOedipus and Antigone from the book “Theban Plays,” both have an enormous amount of courage and dignity. Oedipus has courage and dignity because everyone treats him as a God and he reverently makes the boundary between human and divine. The elders treat him in the way that they would treat a God. People would pray to Oedipus hoping that this would solve all their problems. Oedipus accidentally kills a man that he did not know was his father. He is trying to figure out who killed this man so that they can solve this problem. He does not realize that he had killed the man, which was his father, and he starts blaming other people for killing him. He has a lot of courage for not knowing who killed his father and blaming random people for killing him. A wise blind man was accused by Oedipus for killing his father and the blind man told him that Oedipus had killed him. Oedipus and the blind man then got in a huge argument about who killed Oedipus’s father and this argument lasted for a long time. Oedipus has a lot of dignity for trying to figure out who killed the man that he does not know is his dad. A woman explains to Oedipus what the man looked like that killed Laius and how he killed him and everything that happened. Oedipus then starts to believe that it was him that killed Laius but he does not tell anyone. He keeps it to himself and asks the woman more about what happened. He told the woman that he would tell her what he was hiding if she told him everything that she knew about the killing of Laius. She agreed to this and told him exactly everything that had happened that night. Oedipus has dignity and courage because he wanted to find out who killed Laius and that gave him dignity and he had courage because he blamed the blind man of killing Laius without even knowing if it was true or not.
ReplyDeleteAntigone has dignity and courage because she buried her dead brother that Creon believed to be a bad person and that gave her courage she was going against Creon’s law and she could get in trouble for that. Antigone has dignity because she buried her brother to show her respect for him and that gives her dignity. She admitted to everyone that she knew that she was breaking the law by burying him and that also gives her dignity. Creon threatens to kill her for what she has done.
I agree that both Oedipus and Antigone are courageous characters and show dignity in these plays. It was good how much you elaborated on Oedipus but I think you should add a little more to the part about Antigone, like the background of the play.
DeleteI think that this essay shows that you really understood the plot clearly.You were able to describe what happened in both plays in order to supported your thesis. It may help to elaborate more on why those characters were courageous and relate it back to your thesis throughout the essay. I agree with what you had to say and think you did a great job at showing that you understood what is going on in the play. Good job!
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ReplyDeleteIn both plays from the Theban Plays that we studied, there were several courageous characters. Oedipus Tyrannus and Antigone were both complex plays that required deep thinking. In the reading of Antigone, I feel that Antigone showed her courageousness. Although Antigone’s leader and king, ordered that her brother, Polynices, not receive a proper burial, she still went against his orders. She went against his orders by burying her brother. Creon, who is the leader, states that if anyone disobeys his orders, then they will be stoned to death. Despite this statement, Antigone decides to do what she believes to be the right thing to do. When the watchman reported to Creon that the body had been buried, they had no idea who had done it. But they did find out that it was Antigone. Creon questioned Antigone, probably thinking that she would deny it, but she confessed to committing the crime. I find it extremely courageous that Antigone did this. Most people would deny committing a crime, but Antigone believed that she had a good enough reason for doing what she did. Creon ask Antigone if she was aware that what she had done was forbidden and she responded to him that she did in fact know. Antigone says, “No man could frighten me into taking on the god’s penalty for breaking such a law. I’ll die in any case...people who live in misery like mine are better off dead.” This quote shows how much Antigone cares that her brother receives a proper burial. She is willing to die for him. According to Webster’s dictionary, courage is the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous. Antigone knew that the crime she committed was forbidden, dangerous, and had consequences, yet she still committed the crime. Another character from this play that I think showed extreme courageousness is Antigone’s sister, Ismene. When Ismene finds that her sister is guilty, she immediately goes to Creon. When she talks to Creon, she confesses to him that she committed the crime of burying her brother. She says that she was Antigone’s accomplice. But Antigone does not want her sister to go down with her. Ismene believes that she has no reason to live without her sister, so this is why she wants to be accused as well. Both of their parents died and both of their brothers died too, which leaves them with no one. So Ismene does not want to be alone. But the fact that Antigone’s sister stood up for her and was willing to die for her is amazing. I also think that both of these characters express dignity. They both handle the situation with such grace. They are very serious about the matter and show respect. One thing I find interesting about this play, is when the watchman is finding the courage to tell Creon what he saw. It took the watchman a little while to get out what he needed to say. While the watchman was finding the right words to say, Creon said, “What is it, man—where’s your courage?” I think this is ironic how this specific part focuses so much on courage. Also, this line suggest that Creon believes that he has courage himself. I do no particularly think that Creon shows much courage in this play.
In the play, Oedipus Tyrannus, there are a couple of characters that show courage. I think that Oedipus has courage. Although Oedipus is the one that killed Laius, I think he is still courageous. After he spoke out to his town about the crime that had been committed and he knew that a consequence would be in store, he still did not run from his mistake. I think that being a leader and then finding out that he committed the crime, must have been a very difficult time. Once he found out that he was the one that killed Laius, having to face Creon and all of the other people, must have been very tough. I also think that Oedipus’s mother and wife, showed courage and dignity. I would not have been able to be in her position. She went through the whole time knowing what Oedipus had done, but she handled it very well. She had poise and was very responsible throughout the situation.
I think this is a really well written response. All of the detail in the first paragraph was helpful for a reader that hadn't read the book before. It is important to have this clear just in case if the person had not read the book, so make sure that even in the second paragraph you continue to explain. (ex: who is Laius?) Your supporting quotes were very helpful and you incorporated them well into your essay to defend your points. You may need to put quotations around your definition of courage and cite the website in order to give them credit. I understood your argument and I think overall this was a great essay on the Theban plays. Great job!
DeleteExcellent insights on courage in the two Theban plays. The section on Antigone was especially good, showing how much Antigone cares for her brother and how Antigone's sister, Ismene, also plays an important role in standing by Antigone. You've developed your points well and made good use of quotations. You've chosen quotations carefully and shown clearly how they relate to your argument.
DeleteIn the Theban plays, Oedipus and Antigone, there are many characters that show courage and dignity. Oedipus is a play about a man who kills his father and marries his mother. In the beginning of the play Oedipus doesn't realize all the terrible things he had done until the end of the play. Antigone is a play about the daughter/sister of Oedipus and she is fighting for the right of burring her dead father/brother with Creon, the king of Thebes, who believes he deserves nothing.
ReplyDeleteLike in Antigone, Antigone showed courage by not following the law and doing what was right, which was properly burring her brother/dad to show him respect. Even though Oedipus broke one of the worst laws and he did a lot of bad things, Antigone wanted to do the right thing which was a very courageous thing because she could have gotten in huge trouble. This also shows dignity which can be defined as, “bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of self-respect or appreciation of the formality or gravity of an occasion or situation.” (dictionary.com), the fact that Antigone stood up for what she believes in shows this. Another character that shows courage is Tiresias. He is always showing courage because he is a soothsayer and he tells the future. Even though he is hesitant sometimes, he always tells the truth even though it may hurt someone or upset them. This is a very hard and courageous thing to do. Haemon is also very courageous because he stands up to his father, who is the king of Thebes. This is hard because his father is so powerful and he stands up for what he believes in and for Antigone. Like when he saw that Antigone had killed herself. When his father walks in, he tried to kill his father, which takes some guts, and then kills himself. The messenger also shows courage because he has to bear the new of all the deaths that happened that terrible day. It takes some courage to tell people that their loved ones killed themselves. All these characters have dignity because they did the things they did because it was the right things to do. Also, all of these characters showed so much courage and dignity throughout these plays, these are just a few examples of many.
I agree with the examples you used to show how antigone is courageous and has dignity. I think she also has dignity because she buries her brother as a form of respect towards him.
DeleteYour essay is very thorough,including many characters and their courage behaviors. I love your analysis of every character, and there is only one thing you need to pay attention with: "Even though Oedipus broke one of the worst laws and he did a lot of bad things, Antigone wanted to do the right thing which was a very courageous thing because she could have gotten in huge trouble." I suppose the name is Polynices instead of Oedipus, because Antigone buried her brother Polynices, not Oedipus. You have done a great job!
DeleteFirst, I think that Oedipus does not demonstrate courage in the plays. He is a coward. He acts as though he is better than everyone seeming that he is king. When he finds out that the previous king, Laius, had been murdered, he becomes adamant on the idea of finding out who the killer was. There was a messenger, this messenger was the last of the people alive that had seen what happened to Laius. Oedipus sends Creon, his brother-in law, forth to find the messenger to tell him what he had seen. Once Creon returns with the messenger, the messenger tells Oedipus what he saw. This brings confusion to Oedipus because he is now remembering the things that the messenger is speaking of. He remembers these details very precisely. Oedipus sends the messenger away and he calls on Tiresias. Oedipus tells Tiresias that he has always trusted and looked up to Tiresias. Except, Oedipus’ lack of dignity gets in the way this time. Oedipus proceeds to ask Tiresias who the killer of Laius is and Tiresias refuses to tell Oedipus because he fears what may happen next. Oedipus became frustrated with Tiresias because he would not tell him what he knew, so Oedipus blamed Tiresias for the death of Laius. Tiresias is fed up with Oedipus at this point and he tells him the truth. He tells him that he is the killer of the King Laius. This is a main example of Oedipus not having dignity because he was warned by Tiresias to leave it alone and to not worry about it, but of course Oedipus had to know. Oedipus made a mistake by accusing Tiresias of killing Laius. This shows his lack of dignity.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I think Antigone shows the true meaning of courage and dignity in the plays. She was told by Creon to not bury her brother and Antigone did it anyway. Antigone knew there would be a consequence, but she went on with what she believed anyway. I think Antigone did the right thing. All she wanted to do was to give her brother the respect he deserved. She felt that just because Creon did not want her to do it, did not mean that she was going to listen. Antigone courageously proceeded to give her brother the proper burial just like she did for her mother and father. She was showing respect for her family. Creon was outraged. He was shocked at the fact that Antigone disregarded his commands. So, to show his anger and to make sure people did not look down on him as a leader, Creon summoned Antigone to be buried alive. Now, this was a courageous act upon Creon because being buried alive was a ridiculous punishment. The people of the empire did not agree with his choice of punishment. Antigone was outraged. She could not believe that after taking care of her father, mother, and brother by giving them the proper burial, she was being sentenced to death. Antigone had her moments of lacking courage before she went into the tomb underground and so did Creon. Antigone, pleaded and begged Creon not to send her down there. She said she did not deserve to be put there, but after an amount of time she realized her pleading would not get her anywhere, so she went into the tomb and hung herself. Antigone started out very brave and courageous, but she ended up lacking dignity. She gave up. She hung herself. Antigone did not have the faith to fight back against Creon. Fortunately, Creon realized he had made a mistake by putting Antigone in the tomb and he went down to retrieve her, but it was too late. Antigone was already dead. These situations shows acts of courage and the lack of courage from Antigone.
I can agree with how you saw courageous and uncourageous moments in Antigone and her lack of dignity and pride when she hung herself. Although I interpreted Oedipus's behavior as full of dignity and pride, by not wanting to believe that he could commit such crimes. However, you had really good supporting details and good points to prove your point.
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ReplyDeleteOedipus is a Theban play written by Sophocles about a king named Oedipus. In the play there is a prophecy that when Oedipus grows up, he will kill his father and marry his mother. So Oedipus is sent to a mountain to be killed, however the killer felt bad for the young baby and sent his to another city to be raised. So as the book continues the prophecy comes true and Oedipus punishes himself for committing such sins and banishes himself to die out on the same mountain he would have died on as a baby. However, the one thing the Oedipus does not lose throughout his struggles and hardships is his dignity. At the end of the play Oedipus still wants to give out orders and directions for the people he used to rule. H still wants to be treated as if he has some power over people how to treat his family once he dies. He also had dignity when he wants people to know that he punished himself by gouging his eyes out and not someone else. He does not want people to assume that someone else punished him or that someone else declared his banishment. He still wants people to think that he has some sort of power over theirs. Courage is also prevalent in another Theban play written by Sophocles. It is called Antigone and it is about a girl named Antigone who is the daughter of the now dead Oedipus. In this play Antigone’s two brother are killed by each other in a fight of loyalty towards their city. So one of her brothers is a traitor to her land. The new king named Creon decides to give the traitor no burial and to let his body rot, but he also wants to raise the other brother for protecting his city by giving him a funeral. Creon also declares that whoever tries to bury him will be sentenced with death. This deeply troubles Antigone because the hero and the traitor are both her brothers and she does not want her brother to be eaten by animals and rotting away. So she buries her brother even though she knows she will most likely be caught. This takes a lot of courage to do something even though the consequences are so severe. She did not even think twice about it either; she told her sister and then she buried him. What’s even more surprising is that when she gets caught she had an opportunity to plead not guilty and claim that she did not know the law about burying the traitor. But she confesses twice that she know it was illegal and that she know the punishment on what she did. She even bragged the fact that she buried her brother instead of trying to keep it under the shadows or by lying and saying that she had no idea. She wanted everyone to know including the Greek gods and goddesses that she did what she thought was fair and just no matter how hard to would be or no matter the consequences. Creon in this play also had a lot of dignity because no matter who or how many people disagreed with his decision to kill Antigone, he did not want to change the punishment because he did not want his authority to lower and he wanted to hold on to his power. He also did not want to submit to a women. He felt as if Antigone was beneath him because she was a women so allowing her to go unpunished was submitting to her and he felt as if his self-worth would lower of he gave her any kind of power over him. I feel like courage and dignity are not necessarily one in the same. Antigone was not able to bury her brother because of her dignity, but it was because of her courage that she was able to bury her brother and brag about it. It also did not take any of Oedipus’s courage to tell people how to treat his children after he dies it only took his dignity and his sense of power over people, and maybe even a bit of aloofness to behave that way.
I think your paper was detailed and explained what was being read by the reader, but I found myself wondering why there was such a large introduction about the background of the Theban Plays. I agree that Antigone showed a lot of courage.
DeleteVery interesting ideas about courage. You've developed your points well and communicated clearly about why Oedipus and Antigone should be considered courageous. I thought your section on Antigone was especially well done, using numerous details from the text to advance your argument. Your point about the culture's view on women and how that affected Creon's treatment of Antigone was insightful. Well done.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this incredibly, ridiculously long 300 word essay. Your intros and transitions were smooth and your points were good overall. I also liked the connections you made about courage. Keep up the good work Dixie!
Deletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1mKVVqoIvAnnQGGyWqFCahVTz_Nleiig4E0E8ezKE4cA/edit?usp=sharing
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DeleteDixie, I think that you did a very good job of showing how you understand the topic. You did a very good job with introducing the topic and I liked how you included a little bit of background information, rather than just jumping straight into how the characters showed courage. I liked how you used Tiresias as your example from Oedipus Tyrannus. I agree with you that Tiresias shows a lot of courage. I also think that you did a great job with concluding your essay. I really liked how you tied it all in together. In your closing paragraph, you defined the word tragedy, which I think was a smart choice. You have amazing word choice and you are a very talented writer. Awesome job!
DeleteWell organized and insightful argument. Good choice and use of quotations to support your points. It was interesting that you brought in Antigone's age as a factor relevant to idea of courage. I agree that she was courageous, especially for her age, against the much older authority figure - her uncle and soon to be father-in-law, Creon.
DeleteOften a tragedy is presented as, “A story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death” (Meyer). The story Oedipus, shows this common theme of courage in many instances. We see Oedipus being courageous on most pages of the play. Readers often see oedipus most courageous in dangerous circumstances. For example, in the very beginning of the play, we find out that there had been a Sphinx invading the town. After continuing to read, we find out that this is a mysterious, mythical creature eating every man in sight and destroying the town of Thebes. This mythical creature is becoming a threat to society and the only way to stop him was through a riddle. Anyone who can solve the riddle will be the saver and hero of Thebes because the Sphinx will promise to stop destroying. After numerous brave attempts, Oedipus steps up to the plate.The riddle is said and Oedipus knows the answer. “Oedipus, our master and greatest power, / We are all in your care, and we beg you: / Come to our aid” (Sophocles 40-42). Another example is later in the play when Oedipus follows to gouge out his own eyes after a terrible realization. A twisted family relationship leads to many people upset and disgusted. Oedipus was stranded as a baby after a prophecy told his family a prediction. Later, Oedipus comes back to his hometown, Thebes, and falls in love with a woman named Jocasta. After another prediction, we find out that in fact the first prophecy was true and Oedipus has married his mother. Along side this, Oedipus has killed his father and is blamed for the death of the king. This long, confusing story ends with Oedipus blinding himself. Sophocles writes, “Why should I have eyes / When there is nothing sweet to see?” (Sophocles 1334-5). This shows bravery because no one else would sacrifice sight for life. To most of the world, a blind life with family problems is not worth living. Oedipus sacrifices the health of his children and a major aspect of his daily life without actually dying.This makes one stronger and hold on to the little things tighter.
ReplyDeleteZoe, I discovered how courageous Oedipus is though the two examples you gave. The first example showed his courage to save the nation when no else dared, and the second one showed his courage when he paid for the mistakes he made. I can feel how courageous he is through your words, and I really like how you emphasized his courage with specific quotes from the book.
DeleteI really like the examples you made and the references back to the play. It really shows how courageous Oedipus is.
DeleteI really appreciate your detailed examples explaining how you felt Oedipus was a courageous character. You really gave me a different outlook on the character of Oedipus! Also, your word choice is very specific. Good job!
DeleteCourage is the thing one thing that everyone needs, no matter if they are doing great things are simple things. Courage is a precious gift, for people who need to do things that they were afraid to do. I am definitely one of them, I often feel myself very timid when I want to do these things that I’m afraid of.
ReplyDeleteI know that we all need courage, courage is everything, but courage is also nothing. I realize it is not a smart way to say “I need courage to do this.”, because when I really want to do something, there must be nothing to stop me from doing it. I usually do have things that I have a strong yearn of doing, I can feel the idea of “I have to do it no matter what” popping up in my mind. At this point, no excuse is acceptable, and no reason is enough to stop me from doing it. Even though I need to pay for what I did, I don’t mind, because It worth it.
So sometimes, courage is even not the certain that we need, because the willingness can lead us to do it directly.
Therefore, I believe that when someone’s saying “I want to do it, but I’m afraid that…” he/she does not really want to do it. People are all looking for excuse to protect himself/herself from the unknown danger and the cost he/she needs to pay.
And that is the reason why Antigone can be an appropriate example as someone who has great courage. She decided to bury her brother’s body even it was not allowed. But she did pay for what she did, she finally died because of that. Even so, she never showed regret in any ways, she kept doing what she wanted.
Not many people can make the choices like this, most of people would give up if they had been told to pay their life to do something. But Antigone did not, she buried her brother even though she knew she would die because of that, but she did not stop, and she did what she want. The decision to bury her brother must be very hard, but she was still doing what she wanted because the willingness of doing it was too strong to be cover by the fear of death. Therefore, we can say she was able to do that was because of she was really brave, but in another hands, the courage was all from the love and responsibility she had for her brother, and the desire of bury him.
Even I always consider myself as a person who is lack of courage, I don’t feel it’s a hard thing to get courage anymore. The way of getting courage is not to find the ideal “courage” in my daily life, but to be confident and believe that I am able to handle most of the challenges in my life. And if I can be responsible to myself and also believe in all the choices that I made, I can become a braver person.
I agree with what you said that courage meant and I agree with what you said that gave Antigone courage. By this essay I can tell that you really understood the stories in this book and that you understood the characters roles. Great Job!
DeleteGood job on explaining what courage is at the beginning of the essay. I appreciate that you include your own experience into the essay. In this essay, you should focus more on Antigone because this is what the essay is about. But, I like the point that you put a lot of your personal idea into it.
DeleteA tragedy is a story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death. The two Greek Dramas that we have read Oedipus and Antigone, are examples of plays that involve a tragedy. In the Greek drama Antigone, Antigone shows a lot of courage when admitting the burial of her brother. I think Antigone is the most courageous character in of the whole play because she admitted to Creon saying she buried her brother even though she knew she was violating the law and she would be looked down upon since she was a girl. Antigone deals with Creon by explaining to him that she wouldn’t mind being executed because it would be better than living in agony knowing that that her brother is lying dead on the ground, unburied. When Antigone says this, she shows that she has dignity and that she loves her brother very much. Throughout the whole play Creon talks to different people and they explain to him that he should bury the other brother despite of his grudge against him. These characters are also courageous because standing up against Creon is not an easy task because he is a very intimidation character in this play. Because of Antigone’s courage and the help of the other characters in this play, Antigone gets what she wants and her brother gets buried along with his other brother.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Antigone's courage towards burying her brother and admitting it. This is very similar to my essay. Another thing to consider is how Oedipus was courageous and his dignity in the tragedy Oedipus.
DeleteI appreciate your focus on the people who have the courage to argue with Creon, not being afraid of death. Many readers would pay much attention on the protagonist Antigone, but they always ignore the significance of other people who “stand up against Creon” just because they do not play a pivotal role in changing Creon’s mind. However, the fact is that a huge change needs accumulation of endeavor.
DeleteSpeaking of Greek drama, there are two plays are well-known in the Greek literature. There were diverse character, and they had different experience in their lives. Antigone and Ismene have a lot of courage, and it was admired by a lot of people. The most tragic character must be Oedipus. In the play Oedipus Tyrannus showed a lot of examples.
ReplyDeleteAntigone and Ismene show lots of courage in the play Antigone. Two brothers of Antigone, Eteocles and Polynices are fighting each other to be the King of Theban. They kill each other during the fight. Creon, the king of Theban praises that Eteocles saves the country, and he makes a law that nobody can bury Polynices’s corpus because of his betray. Antigone convinces her sister, Ismene to bury their brother’s body together. Antigone knows that if she did that, she will get killed, but she still does it. When Creon finds out about that, she does not defend for herself. She told Creon about why she did that. Because it is her brother who died, it is her duty to bury her brother’s corpus. She does nothing wrong, and she thinks that Creon should not make the law to forbid people give her brother a funeral. That is a really brave behavior. She does not admit that she was wrong to Creon, because she does not want to lose her dignity. Antigone is going to be Creon’s daughter-in-law really soon. If she begs for forgiveness, Creon might not put her to death. But she does not, because she thinks she is right and she does not want lose her dignity. Some people may she that she is too impulsive. But Polynices is her brother, Antigone is just doing what she should do as a family, and a girl. She ignores the law, because she cares about her family. That is why people say that Antigone is so brave. Creon said that Antigone should die, and Ismene come and says that she will with her sister. This is a great courage. Ismene does not involved in burying Polynices’s body, but she still asks to die with her sister. She is using this way to protest to Creon, and she also shows that she is one the same side with Antigone. Both Antigone and Ismene are really brave on what they do for their families.
Oedipus is the most tragic character in the play Oedipus Tyrannus. There is a curse of Oedipus, and the cruse is about that this boy in the future will kill his own father, and marry her mother. Because of this, Oedipus’s parents throw him away. When Oedipus becomes a grown man, he is the King of Theban. There is a disaster in Theban, and Apollo says that they only want to save the land is to find the killer of the old king, Laius. The fortune teller tells the truth. After a while, he begins to suspect that he is the murderer. Oedipus’s mother and wife, Jocasta realizes that Oedipus is her son. She tries to kill Oedipus when he was young, but he is still alive. That curse becomes true. Oedipus cannot live with his parents because of the curse. When he was adopted and he knows about the curse, he left his home. He uses this way to fight for getting into the curse. So that he can make sure that he will not do the things from the curse. He tried so hard to avoid bad things happen, but he still runs into his father. When he becomes the king, he marries her mother with no idea that he marries the wrong one. It is not Oedipus’s fault to do these, because he has no idea about these complex and weird relationship. That is destiny. Oedipus still has his dignity. He knew about what he had done, but he does not take his own life. He chooses to stay in the world to suffer. That takes a lot of courage, and he used his way to pay for what he owned. Oedipus is not a bad person, but he is definitely the tragic character in the play.
From all the characters people see their courage, dignity. Even though they are in adversity, they still save the dignity; and show their courage.
I think you chose really good examples in your writing, both Antigone and Oedipus represent courage and dignity. and I think it is great that you included Antigone and her sister, because her sister is also courageous and their stories are related. I think it will be better if you can go back and read through your paper, so you can find out some mistakes you made, like spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes.
DeleteBarley Inspirational or Hardly Tragic?
ReplyDeleteTragedy, a word that is used so differently yet in the same way. Tragically beautiful, tragically loving, tragically loosing, tragically lost, and yet the word tragic is a constant. Tragic has been come to known as a word meaning destructive, and negative word. However it depends on the way you look at a tragedy. Tragedy is a re occurring factor in the two plays we have read from the Theban Plays. But it really just depends on the way you look at the tragedy that occurs, at what point does tragedy change into courage? I believe that a form courage is the reaction to tragedy, just to endure tragedy is courage. But when you risk suffering tragedy for something you believe in that is essentially the ultimate amount of courage.
Antigone is a prime example of courage. She suffered through the tragedy of her only two brothers killing each other, her uncle not giving one of her brothers a proper burial and leaving his body out for the animals to eat, and prohibit anyone from barring the brother. But her reaction to this tragic situation was nothing but courage, instead of following the rules she didn’t believe in, she stood up for something she believed in and risked tragedy for it. Even after her uncle who was also the king, told the people that they couldn’t bury the son Antigone buried her brother and gave him a proper burial. When her uncle found out he was enraged and Antigone was nothing but truthful and saying what she thought, Antigone was a very strong person. However she has such a tragic ending in life. After her uncle finds out about her breaking his rule he sentences her to death, and chooses to basically burry her alive by giving her a small amount of food and locking her in a small room that is underground. However Antigone’s courage can only last so long, and the king’s cruelty can only last so long with the gods against him. Unfortunately when he realizes that Antigone was right with the gods help he tries to unbury her as quickly as possible, however Antigone already broke. While she was in the room by herself living on her death bed she decided to take her own life, causing trading and leading to many more tragedies.
To me it seems that tragedy and courage is a never ending circle that only continues through the brave souls. It is very rare now a days to find the brave courageous souls willing to risk something they believe in for tragedy, because nowadays it risking something and standing out will most likely lead to tragedy, in some shape or form. A sad yet very true statement, in society today. Standing down is looked down upon and those who do it are looked down upon, but in reality I believe that people are just jealous of their ability to stand out, and risk something tragic for the for what they believe in. If we think about it haven’t we all been through, or obviously will go through a tragic experience weather it is your last breaths, or losing a loved one.
Ask yourself this; why not dare to risk something tragic for something you believe in, aren't we all going to have a tragic ending either way?
I really like your idea about the connection between the tragedy and courage. It is true that we need the courage to stand out and risk something tragic. Your example of Antigone also strongly supports your thesis since you have many persuasive details. But I don't understand the end quiet well, why do you say"aren't we all going to have a tragic ending either way?"
DeleteI really like how you started out by talking about tragedy and you defined it and really looked deep into it. I also like the way you connected tragedy and courage.
DeleteCourage and dignity was emphasized as the standard of warrior in the ancient Greek. But in the Greek dramas Oedipus and Antigone, these merits can also be found on some people living in Thebes. Usually, the dignity marks the high rank of a person since he holds the authority. And it is true for the examples of two kings in the Greek dramas.
ReplyDeleteOedipus, the king with the sin that he killed his father and married his mother, showed excessive dignity when he tried to find the murder of Laius, which was his father. Oedipus coerced Tiresias, the prophet, to reveal the identity of the killer for him. But when he himself was indicted as the murder, Oedipus’s dignity made the anger get better of him. He didn’t think about the whole incident rational. Instead, he dishonored the prophet by questioning Tiresias’s authority in prophet and suspected his brother-in-law. It was his dignity that made him unable to bear any doubt on himself. His action that he convicted Creon, his brother-in-law, for planting lies for the prophet to tell implied Oedipus desired to prove that there was no possibility that the killer was him. He maintained that the oracle gave by Tiresias was only Creon’s subterfuge. All these derived from his dignity which didn’t allow him to presume that he was the killer.
A similar situation formed in Antigone when Creon, the current king, ordered the punishment of unburying the corpse for the dead brother of Antigone. After Antigone violated the order and buried her poor brother, Creon couldn’t stand her any more. He considered this action of Antigone as challenging his authority over the city. Maybe at this point he had realized that his order was too cruel for a young man, but his dignity as a tyrant prohibited him from confessing his fault. So he gave an even harsher punishment to the girl despite the protest of others.
Interestingly, the other two characters showed another vital personality, the courage. As a prophet, Tiresias had neither power nor high rank. But he was so brave that he was able to reveal the truth to the king, both Oedipus and Creon. He claimed that he was the minion of Apollo and believed in the power of truth. Maybe he was no so courageous when he at first refused to tell Oedipus the evil truth. But when he spoke it out, he supported it tightly. He also blamed Creon for having such harsh order on Antigone, neglecting the king’s high power over him. Tiresias worked as a prophet, a career required the ability to speak the future and god’s will out loudly, however it was good or bad, a boon or a bane. He had to tell the truth, whether it would bring people happiness or grief. And as the authority of all the prophets, Tiresias was undoubtedly the most courageous one.
Another person deserved this praise, Antigone. Although she was the daughter of Oedipus, the former king, she didn’t have any power in Creon’s time. She was young and weak as a woman, but she was able to fight with Creon for his brother. What supported her was the courage derived from her love for her brother. It was so strong that she violated the king’s law and buried her brother, regardless her own life. She didn’t deny when Creon inquired her about her fault, inversely, she acknowledged it bravely and proudly, for her honoring the dead.
I think that your paper was really good, however I think that you should have but more background in the story. For the people who did not know what was happening in Oedipus, they would have been a little confused, and because this paper is for the general public i feel like a little background was needed. Other than that the paper was great.
DeleteYour paper looks great overall. You gave really good examples and details in your paper. I think it would be batter if you can give more background information in the paragraph about Antigone. And you may need a conclusion for your paper. Anyhow, it is a great paper and I enjoy reading it.
DeleteI enjoyed your choice of Tiresias in this discussion of courage. You used lots of good examples from the text to show how this character displays courage in both of the plays, especially in dealing with king Oedipus and then king Creon. You show clearly how Tiresias stands his ground with these two powerful figures and thus shows his courage.
DeleteAntigone and Oepidus
ReplyDeleteAntigone has shown a lot of courage in this last couple chapters. Antigone to me has a very good mindset and she sticks with what she says. In these last few chapters Antigone was faced with a very tough decision. Antigone’s brothers were fighting and they both killed each other. Creon had buried one and not the other. This made Antigone upset and she had heard from the people that if she were to bury her other brother it would be against the law and she would get in trouble. Antigone did not care what the law said because during this time period it was a very big dishonor that you would not perform the proper ceremony and bury your loved ones or anyone. Not burying someone meant that there afterlife might not be as good or blessed. So Antigone went against Creon and buried her brother. Antigone was not afraid to admit that she buried him and she did not run form the law when they caught her burring her brother. Antigone let the men carry her to Creon and she was open about burying her brother she was not ashamed. Soon Creon made the decision that she was to be punished. Antigone accepted here punishment. This shows so much courage from Antigone. The fact that Antigone is so willing to accept her punishment really just shows what type of person she truly is. Antigone states that she would rather have buried her brother and die then not burry him and be stuck living a miserable life. Oepidos on the other hand is in a spiral and its heading down. Oepidous has stabbed his eyes out. Oepidos looks crazy but really he has dignity and pride in what he does. Oepidos has stabbed his eyes out and then stated that there was nothing good to see anymore. He has dignity and reason in this. Oepidus then asks to be led to a faraway place and just to be sent away. Oepidos is leaving his daughter and I think he is still in shock from finding out who his wife really is. But he still has pride and dignity and I think he is going to die with it in this place he is being led too.
I completely agree about Antigone. She was such a strong character. I like the way you showed how great she was. You made her look like she was the hero and I feel you did a better job than the book itself. Just to let you know this is how you spell Oedipus. You still did great on this assignment.
DeleteI also agree with your opinion on Antigone. I like how you gave background information from the story and then explained it. If I hadn't read the story I could most likely still understand the essay. Good job!
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ReplyDeleteCourage is the willingness to confront fear and uncertainty, is the ability to listen to the sound from the bottom of heart despite the pressure coming from the authority as well as the tendency to never change the mind and act bravely in the face of opposition and discouragement. Antigone, the main character of the tragedy, shows her courage and dignity in the conflict with Creon, the king of Thebes.
ReplyDeleteThe pursuit of free will is one aspect of this spirit. A central theme of Antigone is the fate. It’s even an important reason why Antigone made the decision of defying Creon’s edict. Aware of the kind of fate her family has allotted, the kind of destiny she needs to suffer, she feels that there is nothing to loss and thus seeks free will with less misgivings. In the beginning of the play, when Antigone tries to persuade Ismene to participate in her plan, she says,” You and I are left alive to pay the final penalty to Zeus for Oedipus. I've never seen such misery and madness— It's monstrous! Such deep shame and dishonor.” The thought of being killed by Creon that so terrifies Ismene does not even faze Antigone, who already treats life and death lightly and wishes to die for her brother with glory. So on the one hand, she recognizes and accepts her and her family’s fate painfully. One the other hand, either intentionally or unintentionally, she seeks the free will in order to change such fate.
Antigone’s opposition to laws and the doubt on Creon’s authority also reveals her courage. Antigone admits right from the beginning that she wants to carry out the burial because the action is “glorious” in spite of Creon’s law. Antigone’s determination is what makes her a heroine but also what causes her downfall. Such determination derives from her loyalty to the family and Gods, which draws conflicts between man and divine and men and women. For one thing, the divine laws are what she holds sacred. She doesn’t admit and follow the laws made by men. When she points out that Creon’s edicts cannot override the will of the gods or the unshakable traditions, she’s not concern about the wrath of Creon and the imminent death. For another, we can look at Antigone's clash with Creon as the larger struggle of woman against men. People in the play have a latent cognition that women are inferior to men. Even Ismene says to Antigone that, “We have to keep this fact in mind: We are women and we do not fight with men. We're subject to them because they're stronger, and we must obey this order, even if it hurts us more.” When Antigone argues that her actions were justified by her loyalty to her family and to the gods, Creon dismisses her as an overemotional woman. In Creon’s view, Antigone has overstepped the bounds of her positions. Antigone, of course, has none of these worldly concerns. She is prepared to sacrifice her life for what she believes is the right action.
Admittedly, Antigone has some characters that can become the trigger of the tragedy. For example, Antigone just sees things from the standpoint of the sister of Polyneices. She forgets that she is also a princess. And Polyneices is not only her brother but the person who traits the city. If the king doesn’t punish the traitor just because he is his nephew, he would lose his authority to his citizens. If Creon and Antigone both try to put themselves in each other’s shoes and try to compromise, they can absolutely come up with a more reasonable and practical idea, avoiding the tragedy.
Maybe Antigone’s accusations are wild and reckless, which makes her looks like trying to seize glory like bravados. Maybe Antigone’s position is flawed, and that is what caused the tragedy. We still consider her as a heroine, who fight against authority and laws and who fight for the fate and justice.
I liked how you explained the story and explained each character so that the reader knows the overall plot of the story. I think your essay was really good because you used real examples from the book as well as the definition of courage.
DeleteVery interesting approach to the prompt - using the idea of free will to show courage in Antigone. Your development of ideas is excellent, using details and quotations from the work. I especially like the section on Antigone's determination and her belief that the ultimate authority is not Creon but God. You also touch on the topic of women's rights at the time and how that has an effect on the situation. Your quotations are well chosen, and you've done a good job of incorporating them and explaining how they relate to your topic.
DeleteIn all kinds of plays, there are always some people in the play that are very brave. Brave can be defined in many ways and different people might have different idea about how a brave person is. To me, brave means that having the courage to stand out or admit the things he has done, no matter what the consequences are. Some time, the consequences might be losing all the power and wealth he had, forces to leave his home, or even death.
ReplyDeleteIn the tragedy, which is wrote by Sophocles, we recently read, there are some characters that are very brave. The one that impressed me the most is Oedipus. The birth of Oedipus was a tragic, leading to a suffering life. When he was born, he was given to a herdsman by his mother, the wife of the king, with the mission of killing this boy, because Oedipus was born with an oracle which said that he will kill his parents. However, Oedipus did not die, he was saved by the herdsman and given to another shepherd, but he found out that the shepherd was not his father accidently one day. He left secretly and knew from Apollo that he will kill his father, so he went away, trying to find a place where he could no longer hear that prophecy. Then he killed a group of man at the place where three roads meet. He never noticed that one of the people that he killed was his father until the herdsman finally tell him his true identity. At the same time, another part of the prophecy also became true, he mated with his mother. His wife, Jocasta, was the person who gave birth of him. He was trying to avoid the prophecy, but what he actually did is getting close to it.
After he knew that he killed his father, he had the choice to run away and start a new life, however he did not. Just like what he did before, not giving up to find his real identity, did not just let it go. When everyone is trying to persuade him not to find the truth, even his loving wife told him that the truth will not be good for him, he still did not give up. Although the consequence is the worst thing one can ever imagine, he accepted it. He made himself blind after letting Creon, his brother, to take care of his kids. He believe that this is what he deserved because he had done so much terrible stuff that instead of just die, he should suffer from it. This might sound stupid, but this is how brave he is, he has the courage to take the consequence of what he had done.
For a person who have a life that terrible, staying alive need courage. He not only lived this suffering life, but also take responsibility of what he had done. As I see it, he is a man very brave with great courage.
Your explanation of the story is clear and understandable, and your ideas and thoughts about Oedipus is good. This makes me think of a person's responsibility. A brave person usually dares to take the responsibility for what he or she has done.
DeleteI really like the point you state in the essay-"For a person who have a life that terrible, staying alive need courage. He not only lived this suffering life, but also take responsibility of what he had done." You provide a thorough description of the story. And you make Oedipus a emotional man, flawed but brave. I like it!
DeleteThere are two courageous characters in our recent reading. One is Oedipus, and the other one is Antigone.
ReplyDeleteOedipus is a warrior who never yields to fate. Because he does not want the prophesy that he will kill his father came true, he leaves home and kills his real father unknowingly. Because of his intelligence and courage, he solves the riddle of the Sphinx, and marries his mother. Since his integrity and perseverance, he finds out that it is he himself who kills Laius and makes the city plague. What’s more, Laius is Oedipus’s biological father—Oedipus kills his father! Finally, Oedipus is so agony that he blinds both of his eyes. Through the whole life of Oedipus, we can see that he keeps contending with his unfortunate fate. He has dignity that he blinds his eyes to expiate his sin after he finds that he has done a lot of unfaithful things. He also has courage that he insists looking for the sinful killer, which made himself adverse.
Antigone is Oedipus’s daughter. She is brave and faithful. Her two brothers Eteocles and Polynices fight with each other and die on the same day. Since Eteocles is trying to defend the city, and Polynices is going to destroy it, Creon bury the former with proper rites but leaves the corpse of the latter unwept. In addition, Creon commands that no one could bury Polynices or cry for him. However, Antigone’s courage makes her break the law of Creon to bury her brother Polynices. It shows how she loves her brother and her family. Antigone has dignity that she will never disregard her any family member. She was trying to protect the people she loved at all cost, even if her own life. Such a weak little girl could stand out against the authority. How courageous and dignified she is!
Thus, both of the characters have courage and dignity. Even though they both have unlucky fate and misery endings, they are regarded by people as hero and heroine.
Good essay! You did a good job on analyzing both characters. In the part of Antigone, you did mentioned the background circumstance which makes more sense and proved how brave Antigone is. I think that you can make more comment on the Oedipus' part. I am feeling that you wrote too much summary about Oedipus, but for all, it is good!
DeleteYou did a really good job! I liked your detailed background on both characters and I liked how you took Oedipus and showed how in everything he did he was still very admirable. I also liked how you emphasized how Antigone was just a girl who was probably the same as you and me. Really good job!
DeleteOedipus and Antigone were both serious tragedies. Both characters were strong-willed and goo-hearted people who had a sad fate. Oedipus worked hard to save his kingdom and he loved them like they were his own children, but he was destined for something horrible. Antigone was a kind princess who loved her brothers equally no matter what they did. She believed it was her job to make sure her brothers turn out okay no matter what the consequence. They are both so courageous and that is why they are in these tragedies.
ReplyDeleteAntigone was a teenager. She also had her life in order. Although her father was gone, she had a bright future ahead of her. She was engaged and she was rich. She was happy enough. Instead of choosing this happy life, she chose a different one that was sadder but brought about more dignity. She had twin brothers. One of them tried to raze the city and one tried to save it. They killed each other. The one who tried to save it was buried but the other was left to rot. The ruler at that time outlawed burying him, but Antigone did anyways. She took death instead of life and that shows real character and courage. There is no way that I could do that.
Oedipus seemed like he brought sadness upon himself. He was given a prophecy and he chose to try to defy the gods and run away from it. He, as a result, ran toward his fate and were the prophecy would be fulfilled. He also murdered somebody, so if he had have stayed away from murder in the first place he wouldn’t had to worry about anything. He did show courage when facing the sphinx, though. He stood his ground to a man-eating monster. That deed alone made him the noble character that we read about today. Although, he caused his own demise he was courageous and the audience is sad to see him fail.
Out of Antigone and Oedipus, Antigone, to me, is the more courageous one. She gave up her life to honor her brother. She did a noble, selfless thing and she didn’t even think twice.
Good job Stephanie! Your comments on both characters are fabulous, especially for Antigone. The summary of her background and bright future formed a contrast with the brave decision for dignity she made. This really inspired me that we should sacrifice some comfort to achieve higher goal in life. Anyway, this is an awesome paper:)
DeleteI agree with your both examples. You did a great job on explaining your points. You convinced me that Antigone is also a tragedies. She was right to bury his brother's corpus, and she had a great future. But she killed herself eventually. Oedipus is a great person, but his fate changed the fact of nearly everything. Great work!
DeleteIn Sophocles’ tragedy, different characters have different reaction when they confront powerful forces, some chooses to yield, to give up; others chooses to face it with courage. Every character shows their courage and dignity no matter how hateful or admirable they are, which makes courage and dignity the theme of Sophocles’ tragedy.
ReplyDeleteAntigone, which is the name of one of Sophocles’ play and the character in that play, best represents the courage and dignity among all the character in the play. In the play Antigone, her two brothers died, one buried with honor, because he died for defending the country; another one died for trying to burn down the country, he has no funeral, no burial. Creon, their uncle and the tyrant, ordered that no one can bury her brother’s body. As their sister, Antigone believes that she has to bury her brother’s body. She has responsibility for him and she cannot let her brother’s body rot. So she did it. Creon is raging when he hears the news that someone violates the decree. He interrogates Antigone himself. Antigone does not deny anything she did in front of him. And also she is not afraid of the consequence of it, which shows the courage she has. People tend to yield when they face a tyrant, but Antigone does not yield, she believes she did the right thing, for herself and for her brother, and she takes responsibility for herself. Creon tries to threaten her but nothing seems to work. Creon thinks she is hopeless, so he puts her in her tomb, and leave a little bit of food. After the soothsayer persuades Creon to bury the body, Creon digs Antigone’s tomb tries to save her. He finds out that Antigone hung herself with her clothes. Antigone dignity does not allow her to die from starvation, so she hung herself with her clothes. She died with her honor.
Tiresias and Antigone may have very different characteristic, but the qualities in them are the same. In the play, Tiresias persists in telling both tyrants (Oedipus and Creon) his prophesies and save the country; he does everything for the country and does not give up even he knows they will not take his advice and he is risking his life. Tiresias plays an important role in both Oedipus and Antigone. As a soothsayer, he can predict the God’s will. In the play Antigone, he comes to see Creon. He tells Creon that he needs to bury the body, Gods are unhappy. Creon does not believe him and accuses him for saying wrong prophesies for his own benefits. Tiresias feels upset about Creon’s accusation, all he want is the peace and prosperity of the country. However, He does not give up, he finally convinces Creon to bury the body and save Antigone. He has the courage that other people do not have to face the tyrant and point out his mistake. He never shows any fear no matter how angry Creon is. The only thing he cares about is the fate of the country. Tiresias’ dignity is shown while Creon accuses him as being a cheater, he is furious and tells Creon a prophecy that he is not supposed to tell him.
As the theme of Sophocles, courage and dignity shape the personality of each character and the ending of each character. The tragedy of Sophocles reveals the darkest side of human, like Oedipus who killed his father and marry his mother; at the same time, it also shows the brightest side, the love between Heamon and Antigone, Antigone’s sister willing to die with her. Anyhow, courage and dignity among character light up the whole story and make it memorable.
From your writing it remind me Tiresias is also a courage man. He risks his life to tell Creon that he may ruin someone' s life, and the future of the country. He does things that he thinks is right, even though he may not get respect from others. I agree with you about the example of Antigone. She does not care about the consequences of burying his brother's corpus. She is just doing what she should do. Great work.
DeleteA tragedy is “A story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death” (Meyer). The ideas of both courage and dignity are used throughout the tragedies Oedipus and Antigone and many characters exhibit these qualities.
ReplyDeleteCourage is being able to do something that you are scared of. Courage plays a big role in Antigone. Antigone, the main character, buries her dead brother’s body because her uncle, Creon, refuses to. Creon says that whoever buries the body dies. It takes courage for Antigone to bury the body because she knows she is going to die, but she still does it anyways. Antigone is definitely the most courageous character out of both tragedies. She has a very strong opinion, and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Aside from being both intelligent and cocky, Oedipus is also very courageous. A monster called the Sphinx took over the city of Thebes, and Oedipus destroyed it by solving its riddle. It took courage for him to face the Sphinx.
Dignity is when one is worthy of honor or respect. Oedipus is very cocky and full of himself. Oedipus’ dignity always causes him to look down on people who try to help him. When Tiresias accuses him of killing his father, he makes fun of him for being blind. In Antigone, Creon does not believe that Antigone’s brother is worthy of a proper burial and questions his dignity.
Different characters confront forces different ways. Oedipus does not want to accept the fact that he killed his father and married his mother. His problem is that he does not accept things for the way they really are. Antigone does whatever she thinks is right. For example, she buried the body because she thought it was the right thing to do. She stands up for what she believes in and believes her opinion matters. Creon is very stubborn as well and does not want to listen to his son and Antigone when they tell him to bury the body.
Overall, courage and dignity play a major role in Oedipus and Antigone. The courage and dignity the characters have are a good thing and also a bad thing. Because of Antigone’s courage, she dies for burying her brother. Because of Oedipus’ courage of defeating the Sphinx, he marries his mother and his fate becomes true.
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DeleteI liked how you explained courage & dignity and related them to the characters, Oedipus and Antigone. Other than the fact that it was a little repetitive, the essay is very well written and is put together quite nicely. I also think you expressed your ideas and opinions in a clear and precise way.
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