background notes on antigone
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Background Notes on Antigone. (Pronounced “An-tih-go-knee”). The History of Greek Theater. Drama grew out of ancient celebrations ( bacchanalians ) honoring Dionysus (Bacchus), god of wine and fertility. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Background Notes on Antigone
(Pronounced “An-tih-go-knee”)
The History of Greek Theater• Drama grew out of ancient celebrations
(bacchanalians) honoring Dionysus (Bacchus), god of wine and fertility.
• Athens, 6th century B.C.: The celebrations became an annual festival, and a “hero” would wear masks and sing hymns about his character.
• Drama was born when Aeschylus added a second character at the performance, creating the possibility of conflict.
The Theater of Dionysus
Greek Masks
• Exaggerated mouthpieces (like megaphones) to be heard from far away
• Familiar Character-types (happy, sad) to be seen from far away
• By switching masks, each actor could play several roles.
Who Was Sophocles? (496?-406 B.C.)
• Considered greatest of Greek playwrights
• Of 123 plays, only 7 survive.
INNOVATIVE:• He introduced elaborate scene-painting• Added the 3rd actor to the cast, allowing
for more complicated staging and conflict.
Antigone, 442 B.C.
• Antigone is the second sequel to Oedipus Rex, which was actually written after in 429 B.C.
• Sophocles also wrote a third play, Oedipus at Colonus, just before he died in 406 B.C.
• The order in which the plays were written: 1) Antigone, 2) Oedipus Rex, 3) Oedipus at Colonus
• Order of the Trilogy: 1) Oedipus Rex, 2) Oedipus at Colonus, 3) Antigone
Background Plot to Antigone
• Oedipus Rex marries his mother Jocasta and kills his father Laius
• After his tragedy, Oedipus (the King of Thebes) exiles himself.
• His two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, become the rulers.
• They agree to reign in alternate years, but after the first year, Eteocles refuses to surrender the throne.
Antigone continued… To get revenge, Polynices attacks
Thebes. In a duel, the two brothers kill each
other, and Creon, their uncle, takes the throne.
Creon allows Eteocles to be given a heroic funeral, but he orders the body of Polynices be exposed in the fields for attacking his hometown.
Antigone continued…
• The play Antigone is about how Antigone, the sister, goes against Creon in this decision, believing that her brother deserves a proper burial.
• A key element of conflict: Antigone is engaged to Creon’s son, Haemon.