These historical events are relevant because some of the plays central issues are the appropriate use of power by the state, the possibility of justifiable rebellion, and the duties of citizens to obey. Enter antigone, slipping through the central doors of the palace. In thebes, directly in front of the royal palace, which stands in the background, its main doors facing the audience. According to most popular legend, though there are variations in different sources, thebes was founded this way. Antigone was performed sometime around the year 441 b. Antigone study guide from litcharts the creators of. Antigone is a tragedy by the ancient greek playwright sophocles, written around 442 bce. Antigone is the subject of a story in which she attempts to secure a respectable burial for her brother polynices. This first section comes from apollodorus, however. You speak of my darkest thought, my pitiful fathers fame spread through all the world, and the doom that haunts our house, the royal house of thebes. In thebes, directly in front of the royal palace, which stands in the background, its main doors. Yesterday, the thebans defeated the argive army in an attack which saw eteocles and polynices the brothers of antigone and ismene killed by one another. King of thebes in italics sorrows of the dead are heaped on sorrows of the living. The royal house of thebes santina betti slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising.
Sophocles expected his audience to know the myth of oedipus and to be familiar with the members of the house of thebes. Oedipuss sons, eteocles and polynices, had shared the rule jointly until they quarrelled, and eteocles expelled his brother. The legends surrounding the royal house of thebes inspired sophocles 496406 bc to create a powerful trilogy of mankinds struggle against fate. Royal house of thebes oedipus ancient thebes boeotia.
The oracle at delphi tells oedipuss father, king laius of thebes, that a son of his will one day kill him. The chorus in seven against thebes is largely supportive of antigones decision to bury her brother. Sophocless antigone the oedipus plays chapter summary. Chronologically, it is the third of the three theban plays but was written first. Boeotia, was founded by its first king, cadmus, descendant of io and brother of europa. Thebes was also one of the prominent cities during classical period. Since time began, men have recoiled with horror from the desecration of the dead. Fighting on opposite sides, the sons of oedipus, eteocles and polynices, have killed each other in combat.
Myth and history the tragic events in the life of the royal house of the hundredgated thebes. The play expands on the theban legend that predated it and picks up where aeschylus seven against thebes ends. The area before the royal house of thebes at the break of day 16. Home classical house of thebes house of thebes thebes was a principal city in the valley of southern boeotia, between north of cithaeron mountains and southeast of lake copais copais. The play opens in thebes after antigones two brothers, eteocles and. Antigone by sophocles, free pdf, ebook epub global grey. Amphion and zethus twin brothers were the builders of thebes walls and its famous seven gates.
Antigone is a tragedy by sophocles written in or before 441 bc. Destruction where she lay with her husbandson, my father. To ismene, shocking as it was, overwhelming her with anguish for the pitiful dead body and the lonely, homeless soul, it seemed, nevertheless, that nothing could be done except to acquiesce to accept without protest. Euripides wrote of the house of atreus, which includes atreuss son, agamemnon, his family clytemnestra, iphigenia, orestes, and electra, and. When he learned what he had done, he blinded himself and left thebes. Mind you, antigone doesnt know all these things about herself.
Chapter i the house of atreus the dynastic dramas of the house of atreus and the royal house of thebes are taken from the works the greek tragedians euripides, aeschylus, and sophocles. The phoenician princess europa was carried off over the sea by a bull, and her father, agenor, commanded his sons, including cadmus, to find her. The priests of the city seek help from oedipus, their king. Royal house of thebes oedipus ancient thebes boeotia scribd. The royal house of thebes by kaitlyn pottger on prezi. Antigone ismene creon, king of thebes eurydice, his wife haemon, his son teiresias, the blind prophet guard, set to watch the corpse of polyneices first messenger second messenger, from the house chorus of theban elders scene the same as in oedipus the king, an open space before the royal palace, once that of oedipus, at thebes. Oedipus has just passed away in colonus, and antigone and her sister decide to return to thebes with the intention of helping their brothers, eteocles and polyneices, avoid a prophecy that predicts they will kill each other in a battle for the throne of thebes. How is actaeon, the great hunter, punished by artemis. What does sophocles expect his audience to know about.
Plants, animals, and people are dying in great numbers. The backscene represents the front of the palace, with three doors, of which the central and largest is the principal entrance into the house. Many years have passed since oedipus solved the riddle of the. Tweet about the mythology book notes email the mythology book. What is for creon merely the climax of a political purge, is for her a hideous offense against god and man. Antigone the oedipus plays scene summaries course hero. May i never look on you again, revealed as i am, sinful in my begetting, sinful in marriage, sinful in shedding of blood. Myth and history the tragic events in the life of the royal house of the hundredgated thebes immanuel velikovsky on. The seven against thebes study guide contains a biography of aeschylus, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. An overview of the household established by cadmus and harmonia, and the curse that plagues their descendants, including oedipus and antigone. Oedipus was believed to be the son of another king and he left home. The city was originally named cadmeia, after cadmus, it founder and first king.
Royal house of thebes free download as powerpoint presentation. It is still night, and the invading armies of argos have just been driven from the city. Sorrows of the living are heaped on sorrows of the dead. The royal house of thebes chapter 18 answer the following questions in complete sentences. Oedipus i have taken this story entirely from sophocles play of that name. Antigone and ismene heard with horror what creon had decided. As you read, look for details that help you form impressions of oedipus as a leader. Much of oedipus rex depends on irony, both situational and verbal.
Youve seen trees by a raging winter torrent, how many. Storr translation 1912 for the loeb classical library. The reign of oedipus when polyneices and eteocles had grown into men. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. The house of thebes is also famous because of a great tragedian.
King oedipus tells of a man who brings pestilence to thebes for crimes he doesnt realise he has committed, and then inflicts a brutal punishment on himself. Creon new king of thebes, uncle of antigone and ismene sentry haemon creons son teiresias a blind old seer firstmessenger eurydice creons wife secondmessenger detail from a vase c. The legends surrounding the royal house of thebes inspired sophocles to create a powerful trilogy of mankinds struggle aginst fate. Eteocles and polyneices quarreled, polyneices was driven out but returned.
Antigone page 7 creon my friends, our ship of state, stormtossed by the gods, has been set once more by them upon a safe and even keel. He asks the oracle at delphi about her whereabouts, and the oracle. The dramatic action of antigone takes place in front of the palace of thebes, the house of the royal theban family, the most famous inhabitant of which was oedipus. To ismene, shocking as it was overwhelming her with anguish for the pitiful dead body and the lonely. It was the scene of the famous war, seven against thebes. Find summaries for every chapter, including a antigone the oedipus plays chapter summary chart to help you understand the book. Enter two attendants from the house bringing ismene to creon. What are the three plays that make up the group of the greatest plays about oedipus. Oedipus unwittingly killed his father, laios, and married his own mother, iocaste.
Later, cadmeia was name of the citadel, while the entire city was renamed thebes, named after thebe, wife of amphion. Cadmus, the dynastic father of the house of thebes, is the brother of europa who zeus kidnapped in the form of a bull. Oedipus rex includes everything associated with the form. Although it was written before sophocles other two theban plays, chronologically it comes after the stories in oedipus the king and oedipus at colonus, and it picks up where aeschylus play seven against thebes ends.
Antigone arrives in thebes and finds that her brothers are dead, polyneicess dead body is unburied, and there is a royal edict against burying him. Introduction sophocles sophocles was born at colonus, a small village just to the northwest of athens, in 4965 bc. Antigone jean anouilh page 14 against the tyrant, the man against the sate, of purity against corruption when in short your name is antigone, there is only one part you can play. Sophocles was selected to be one of nine generals in that campaign. Chorustheban elders who embody the views of the people of the city 4. The steps outside the royal palace of thebes the sisters antigone and ismene are on the steps outside their old house, the royal palace, and are discussing the events of the last day. Here, the chorus is composed of old men who are largely unwilling to see civil disobedience in a positive light. The same as in oedipus the king, an open space before the royal palace, once that of oedipus, at thebes. This house is not a mere backdrop, nor a space with mere representational function. As the carrying out of the sentence approaches, antigone becomes more and more revelatory. The royal house of thebes summary of mythology by edith hamilton.
We even have a little bit of conflict right off the bat. Antigone my fatherland, city of thebes divine, ye gods of thebes whence sprang my line, look, puissant lords of thebes, on me. To ismene, shocking as it was, overwhelming her with anguish for the pitiful dead body and the lonely, homeless soul, it seemed, nevertheless, that nothing could be. Cadmus and his children oedipus antigone seven against thebes. Antigone, ismene daughters of oedipus and jocasta guards and attendants priests of thebes. Apollo told him to stop looking for her and build his own city. It deals with antigones burial of her brother polynices. Europa, carried away by zeus in the form of a bull, was pursued by her brother cadmus who went to delphi to ask where he could find her. Antigone picks up in the same uberdismal place that oedipus at colonus leaves off.