The Changing Character of Creon In the Antigone.
THE CHANGING CHARACTER OF CREON IN THE ANTIGONE "The chief agent is Creon; his is the character, his the faults and merits, which are immediately relevant to the play"1. This comment from H.D.F Kitto is the reason for this study into Creon's character in the Antigone - of the two protagonists featured, I feel his development throughout the tragedy is the most interesting and compelling aspect of the play. We watch him change from an admired, strong ruler into a tyrant who possesses a severe lack of judgement and misguided conceptions of the world, and finally into a shattered, fallen man whose values have cost him dearly. The character of Creon is at fault for all that happens in the play - his decisions drastically effect the lives of those around him. However, his difficult position must be remembered when analysing his actions - he was king, and believed he was acting in the best interests of the city. Also, he is the one who fares the worst due to his actions, and is left to live with this pain. As is typical of Greek tragedy, there is no "sitting and doing nothing"2, so Creon had to act in some way, but his misjudgement caused him to act in a manner which caused suffering to all. Through this study I hope to come to a more thorough understanding of Creon's character and consequently gain a deeper insight into the meaning of the play as a whole. First impressions
Could a female be as heroic as a male character in Greek tragedy?
Could a female be as heroic as a male character in Greek tragedy? Illustrate your argument from at least 3 different plays studied. Both ancient Greek literature and the mythology it originated from are dominated by male protagonists encompassing the 'heroic' status. The earliest and perhaps most significant examples of this can be seen in the epics attributed to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey. In the Iliad we are presented with Achilles, a Greek warrior most noted for his strength in battle and quest for kleos; In the Odyssey we have Odysseus, a warrior nonetheless, yet who relies on metis and piety to succeed. Both can be defined as 'heroic' in the sense that their positive attributes and strengths are almost godlike, yet they have flaws which are distinctly human. This notion can be seen in tragedy; indeed, a tragic hero is often defined by his error in judgement or action. The question of whether a female can be deemed truly heroic within the tragic genre is a complex one: women in the ancient society were born into subordinance, and had little role or significance outside of the home; yet, in tragedy, females were often written as major and complicated characters whose actions determine the outcome of the play. For the purpose of this essay, I will primarily focus my attention on Aeschylus' Agamemnon, Euripides' Medea, and Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, written in c.
In Homer's "Odyssey" Odysseuss steadfast curiosity causes a marked inconsistence in his life.
Name: A Means of Reflection Date Submitted: November 22, 2013 ὃς μάλα πολλὰ πλάγχθη “Tell me, Muse, of the man of many mays, who was driven far journeys, after he had sacked Troy’s sacred citadel” (1.1). So begins the Odyssey of Homer, describing not only the arduous journey of Odysseus, but also great irony in the expected character of such a famously smart and cunning individual. At one moment, he may be drawing his companions away from distraction and forgetfulness after exploring an island, but he later may himself be reminded by his own crew to remember his journey home. Next, he may encounter one creature and learn more about it without harm, but later may venture to meet another and have it end in others deaths. Within all these varied points in his life, there is a common line. Throughout his adult life, Odysseus’s steadfast curiosity causes a marked inconsistence in his life. This inconsistency is seen in his relation with his crew, his encounters with creatures, and his gathering of information. Before the ultimate destruction of his ship, Odysseus is accompanied by his crew from the war. In his relation with the crew Odysseus’s persistent curiosity results in personal inconsistency. After departing after the incident with the Kikonians, Odysseus’s ships are blown off course before finally landing at the island of the
Republic of Plato Essay - Ignorance, and Philosophical Conflict
William Orletsky May 1, 2014 Ms. McCluskey Republic of Plato Essay Ignorance, and Philosophical Conflict As a lover of learning, seeker of the constants in life, searcher of wisdom, the Platonic philosopher appears to have a very straightforward and uncomplicated life. However, his two images that build this harmonized figure also reveal the conflicting forces within the philosopher himself. In the city in speech, the philosopher rises from the ignorant masses, separated under the Noble Lie, ad is educated and made to serve to city as its king. In the metaphor of the cave, the philosopher is dragged out from blissful ignorance by benevolent superiors, which he in turn repeats for the others in the cave without discrimination, pitying all whom are ignorant. These different portrayals of ignorance between the images of the philosopher represent the emotional conflicts within the philosopher himself. This parallel appears in the philosopher’s self-image, his learning process, and his relation to society. Between the philosopher of the city and the philosopher of the cave, the nature of the ignorance of the masses is separated by the restrictions imposed upon the people in each image. In the city, the citizens are born under the Noble Lie, separated at as youths into their appropriate classes, and ensuring that the justice of the minding one’s business is maintained. In
In Book 9 of Homers The Iliad, Aias seemingly plays a very minor role in attempting to convince Achilleus to begin fighting again for the Greeks
Loo Tiffany Loo Professor Janko & Dr. Rowland Classic Civilizations 101, Section 14 September 25, 2012 Achilleus: Swift-Footed and Resolute In Book 9 of Homer’s The Iliad, Aias seemingly plays a very minor role in attempting to convince Achilleus to begin fighting again for the Greeks in the Trojan War. Enraged at Agamemnon’s unwarranted attack on his pride, Achilleus refuses to fight under his command until he receives a proper apology. Agamemnon has too much pride to ask for forgiveness, and so instead he sends Odysseus, Phoinix, and Aias to offer endless riches to Achilleus to persuade him to return to war. Out of all three ambassadors, Aias’s plea is the shortest. Even so, his input seems to have the greatest effect on Achilleus. Aias, second in strength only to Achilleus (Duffy 2008), has only one distinction from Achilleus—he has no direct link to the gods. Aias knows this fact to be true, and instead of engaging in a power struggle like Agamemnon does with Achilleus, he pleads in humbled desperation, hoping that Achilleus will sympathize. Using Achilleus’s inherent nature to defend the powerless, Aias preys on Achilleus’s search for honor. Although he ultimately fails in persuading Achilleus to return to battle, Achilleus does not scorn him like he does Odysseus. Thus, Aias frames his argument by placing Achilleus on a pedestal and declaring that the
In the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, Sophocles examines the idea of a just and proper ruler in the time of crisis
In the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, Sophocles examines the idea of a just and proper ruler in the time of crisis by presenting the life of King Oedipus. King Oedipus is a just ruler that is beloved by the people of Thebes because he saved them from the Sphinx that was terrorizing the city, by solving the Sphinxes’ riddle. King Oedipus ruled Thebes for several years before an awful plague reached Thebes and he was called to solve the problem. Sophocles shows what is required to be a just and proper ruler in a time of crisis by examining the mistakes made by King Oedipus that eventually lead to his downfall. Oedipus’ constant ignorance of the truth and his testing of the limits of free will are the mistakes made by King Oedipus that ruin his life and cost him his throne at Thebes. Throughout the play, Sophocles gives the audience clues on what we are to believe are characteristics of a good ruler. King Oedipus is famous in Thebes for his compassion, his sense of justice, his swiftness of thought and action, and his honesty. Early in the play, Oedipus signifies all that Athenians would want in a leader. In his first speech, which he delivers to a priest, he repeatedly voices his distress for the health and well-being of his people. His complete honesty or candor is shown in the fact that he insists upon allowing all his people to hear what the oracle has said, in spite of
Poetics
Dr. George Donaldson English 2200 E 24 October 2008 Living Vicariously through Art To define the purpose of art is to ask for the meaning of life. Many definitions have circulated but it is generally accepted that the topic of art is a subjective one. However, just because what classifies something as art is debatable, art critics, philosophers, and countless others have attempted to settle on the purpose of art, whatever art may be. In his Poetics, Aristotle puts the purpose of art on an emotional level, stating the need to be purged. Through the use of representation, art serves a purpose to humankind when it is successful. As an art form, literature allows humans to regain the sensation of life. By stating that literature allows us to regain the sensation of life, it is inferred that something is lost in reality. It is the "habitualization" of everyday life that makes our perceptions static (Schlovsky 15). While it is a strong statement, it remains plausible, especially when compared to the way that art "removes objects from the automatism of perception" and romanticizes our perceptions (Schlovsky 19). This is a mouthful but can be understood within the context of literature. Take fictional novels, for example. They allow their readers to experience life as it is perceived-- romantic, adventurous, surprising-- and not as it is known. Everything around us is a
Call of the Wild - Facts
Author/Context Jack London is a man who is often misunderstood because of the complexity of his life. Considered by some to be oozing with shallow virility and machisimo, London is instead a man filled with sensitivity and wisdom about the human condition. Born on January 12, 1876 to the unmarried Flora Wellman and William Chaney in San Francisco, California, John Griffith Chaney was renamed John Griffith London, later called "Jack," when William denied that he was his father, and Flora instead married John London, Jack's stepfather. His early years were spent in San Francisco, where he began reading classic stories at the age of eight, an interest that would only continue to spread when th London family moved to nearby Oakland two years later. Jack continued to attend school and took on a number of different jobs ranging from a newspaper route, being an oyster pirate in San Francisco Bay, and a factory laborer. After graduating from the eighth grade in 1890, London toured the country, marching with a labor union to Washington, DC, and then wandering around the northeast as a hobo, meeting new friends in Boston and Buffalo. After returning to Oakland, Jack was determined to complete his education, enrolling in Oakland High School, where he is a prolific writer for the school's newspaper. Later he became interested in the Socialist Party, influenced no doubt by his days as
Phaedo Presents Arguments Both For and Against the Immortality of Soul.
Phaedo Presents Arguments Both For and Against the Immortality of Soul. This paper will examine Plato's Phaedo in an attempt to gain a thorough understanding of the soul in terms of whether it is immortal or not. Both arguments for and against this claim will be looked at. I will introduce arguments for and against the soul's immortality by first considering what Socrates considers the soul to be and secondly speculating in brief on one detail which is noted later in the text that could disprove the existence of a soul completely. The reason I will set a bout doing this is because upon reading the phaedo it becomes immediately apparent that Socrates, who is soon to die from drinking poison, believes that humans possess two portions: the body and the soul, and no objections arise from any character in the dialogue which would disprove the existence of the soul and subsequently disprove its immortality. Socrates says that the soul is the portion of a human which strives for reality and the soul of a philosophical person will disdain the body and its material nature, such as smart clothes, and also take no pride in the bodily necessities such as food and pleasure such as sex, because the body only has a negative effect on the soul's gaining of wisdom: "Because the body affords us countless distractions, owing to the nurture it must have; and again, if any illness befall it,
Midsummernight's Dream
Lea Bolen Stephen Slimp EH 422 24 Feb 2008 What is Love? What is true love? Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream deals with the nature of love and reality. Though true love seems to be held up as an ideal, false love is mostly what we are shown. Beneath this frantic comedy, Shakespeare asks the questions that all lovers ask in the midst of their confusion: How do we know when love is real? Is it a matter of luck or destiny? In this play, Shakespeare presents the idea that both false love and true love exist, but the reason is a mystery. This comedy plays upon the irony of human confusion with love. Hermia and Lysander are in love without the approval of her father. Hermia says, "I would my father looked but with my eyes" (1.1, 56), so that he would see the good in Lysander and accept their love. However, Hermia's father intends to give her to Demetrius, who is adored by Helena, though her love for him is unreturned. Hermia believes that if she and Lysander are meant to be together it will happen, therefore indicating the possibility that love is a matter of destiny: "If then true lovers have ever been crossed, / It stands as an edict in destiny" (1.1, 150-151). This being so, Puck takes destiny into his own hands when he enters the confusion. His mission is to open Demetrius' eyes to the one who loves him, but he mistakenly causes Lysander to fall in love with Helena,