comparing and contrasting topics in sophocles

Antigone, Oedipus, Oedipus Rex, Sophocles

Sophocles used his takes on to encourage Athenians to take responsibility for own actions. In the 6th century M. C., Portugal was experiencing an era of military search, political turmoil and social revolution, which include women’s personal strength. Sophocles included all of these components in plays, especially in Oedipus Rex and Antigone. In spite of his upper class upbringing, Sophocles became a kind of “man with the people” who was very interested in social issues. For this reason, Sophocles created heroes unlike the ones from earlier mythology and employed their imperfections to emphasize the value of personal liability.

Oedipus’ pride is the first example of the problematic hero. This individual refuses to recognize the signs of the prophecy that foretold he’d kill his father and marry his mother, at the same time, he is desperate to uncover the reality. As more and more data is offered to him in favor of the prophecy, he tries to find a way around this and calls another experience. Referring to a slave that he would like to question, he tells Jocasta: “There might be things, my spouse, that I thought best left unsaid, which makes me want him here” (Sophocles 43).

Through this dialogue, you can tell that Oedipus is definitely suppressing the information that the prediction is slowly unraveling and proving alone true. His flaw of pride not simply suppresses his acceptance with the truth, nevertheless also leads him to satisfy the prediction. He unconsciously kills Laius, his father, for insulting him as he made his passage in Thebes. Not one but a prideful guy would eliminate over a basic insult. Sooner or later he begins to realize that the person he wiped out may have been his father: “‘Laius was murdered I thought I actually caught what where three highways meet? ‘ ‘So they said. That may be how the story goes. ‘ ‘The place? Where performed the mishap fall? ‘”(Sophocles 41). When he eventually learns the truth, this individual knows he or she must face the grim outcomes.

The chorus is employed extensively while both a voice of reason and to convey thoughts to the market. In the third choral épigramme, the chorus doubts Oedipus and paperwork his take great pride in. “But imagine if a brazen man march in word or deed, impiety and brash contempt of principalities and arme? Then doggie him and pay him pleasure wages pertaining to his haughty greed, his sacrilege and folly. What shield will there be for such a man against all heaven’s arrows? Could I celebrate this kind of wantonness and celebrate the dance? inch (Sophocles 48). This antistrophe illustrates the chorus’ doubt in Oedipus towards the end of the story and foreshadows his eventual downfall.

The climax and dropping action likely are the best instances of Oedipus taking responsibility for his individual actions. Once Oedipus has learned that his wife has hung very little, he realizes what must be done. Oedipus then works the perfect work of emblematic retribution. Dazzling himself with her brooch pins, this individual cries: “‘Wicked, wicked sight, you will not see me nor my crime, not see my present shame. Go dark forever blind about what you by no means should have seen, and sightless to the like this heart has cried to see” (Sophocles 70). He therefore takes the supreme responsibility intended for his actions and satisfies Teiresias’ prophecy that he would enter the city seeing and leave it impaired (Sophocles 16).

The play Antigone addresses lots of the same topics, but there exists an exceptional difference between this play and Oedipus Rex. Antigone, whom we already know is ill fated as a result of her dad’s sin, is definitely virtuous and does not have her father’s prideful nature or any other key flaws of talking of. Her story is around doing what she is aware is right, standing to oppression, and taking responsibility for her own activities.

With this story, no time is squandered in coming to the discord. Antigone’s character is displayed at the very beginning of the story when she speaks with her sister, Ismene, of the have to bury her beloved close friend, Polyneices. “He is my buddy still, and yours, however, you would have that otherwise, nevertheless I will not abandon him” (Sophocles 201). She continues trying to persuade Ismene, but it really is no use and she does the deed alone and unflinching.

When Antigone is brought to trial, there is also a great issue over the power of state. Yet , Creon was interested in anything but the interests of the express and is a despot rather than a voice from the people. Ultimately, the side of both the Gods and the persons lie with Antigone, who have knew the lady was right. Creon, the tyrant, attributes with the Condition and shows his wish for power within the greater great. Antigone could have argued her case to Creon that she was not guilty of the crime, instead, she requires total responsibility for her activities and admits all her law-breaking actions. Her admirable ” if damning ” morality is precisely the top quality that Sophocles tries to promote. He really wants to show Athenians that to become morally great person, the lady must take responsibility on her behalf actions.

At first the chorus in Antigone edges with Creon, as they do not believe in work justice more than state justice, as the story concludes, however , they are swayed to affiliate with Antigone, in whose devotion and compassion is promoting their minds. Inside the fourth choral ode the chorus tries to ease and comfort Antigone by simply recalling related fateful conditions, showing they may have begun to side with her. Because the refrain represents the collective persons of Portugal, its transform of cardiovascular shows that Antigone is intended to represent the people

A single common theme between the two plays is a concept of girls taking control of their own fates. Jocasta hangs very little in shame and Antigone takes her very own life prior to she can be executed. This is very unusual in Sophocles’ time and culture. Suicide was obviously a private fate that was more often made by men than women of the time. In this way, Sophocles challenges the barrier of gender targets. By taking control of their own fatalities, Jocasta and Antigone acquired accepted responsibility for their personal actions. Regarding Antigone, the girl was prepared to receive whatsoever her result might be inside the afterlife, if good or bad. She had nothing to fear since she understood that she had carried out the right thing. The main characters in Oedipus Rex and Antigone are flawed in various ways, but they share one common and excellent trait ” they take total responsibility for all of their actions.