Respond to each of the following topics:
A. Explain how a theme of the play is summarized by the final words of the
chorus. How is what they are saying relevant to events in the play? How can their words be applied to humans
universally?
B. What does the chorus contribute to a viewing/ reading of the play? What does their presence allow the playwright to do that he might not otherwise be able to do?
A. The theme of the play is that hubris is the downfall of man and that wisdom is the only way to learn from the mistakes of man. With the chorus' final line, "at long last those blows [of the gods/fate towards the proud] will teach us wisdom" (128). Throughout the play, both Antigone and Creon pursue their desires without concern for the consequences. Antigone defies the law of the state, believing that she is righteous in her beliefs and gives her brother, Polynices, burial rites despite Creon forbidding her to do so because of Polynices' attack against Thebes. Creon goes against the laws of the gods by forbidding traitors of the state from receiving their burial rights. Even when he confronted by others with valid advise, like the blind prophet Tiresias, rather than talk with them and consider their advise, he becomes angry and turns them away in his self-righteous rage. Their hubris results in their downfalls. Antigone flaunts her crime of burying her brother in front of Creon, resulting in her condemnation to death. Creon refused to listen to others advice and put the law of the state above the law of his gods, which ended in the deaths of his son, wife, and Antigone. The chorus relays the faults and downfalls of these two tragic characters in order to grant the reader wisdom from their mistakes and hubris. All can learn from the stories of Antigone and Creon; they represent what can happen when one refuses humility and "plays God."
ReplyDeleteB. The Greek chorus' role in Antigone is to describe and comment on the action in the play, as well as provide backstory on characters and Greek mythology. They also provide reasoning for the actions of the characters. The cast of the traditional Greek drama is often small. Therefore, the presence of the chorus allows Sophocles to play several roles and give insight to the audience. This gives the audience a deeper understanding of the play and a deeper connection its theme. With the chorus, Sophocles can illustrate to the audience the purpose of the play, so his message will be received by his chosen audience.
ReplyDeleteA. It can be argued that both Creon and Antigone are tragic heroes within the play; they both fall, to some extent because of their hubris. At the end, the chorus is able to provide a moral to counter these flaws, that is less subtle than implications within the text. The chorus chimes at the conclusion of the play, "The might words of the proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate, and at long last those blows will teach us wisdom" (128). Antigone could have escaped the punishment of death if she was more humble and did not brag about how rebellious and morally right she was. Creon, as well, let his own ego get in the way of understanding the people of his city. He was so concerned about his own image as a leader and proving himself a patriot that he instilled a law that interfered with the morals of Thebes. By refusing to admit his wrong, he lost his son, wife, and reputation. By refusing the advice of those wiser than himself, he was met by the "mighty blows of fate". Additionally, this message from the chorus provides valuable lessons to all of its readers in any context about the importance of being humble and self aware.
ReplyDeleteB. The chorus is able to provide context for what is happening throughout the play. They tell of what had previously happened with Oedpius and Thebes and provide essential exposition to the story. They are also able to give information about the gods and the characters relationships with the gods. The chorus also tells of how the characters are feeling, and provide more insight into what is happening and the implications of characters' actions. The chorus presents various moral lessons, as well, to the audience at large. They make the purpose of the play clear to all readers and help to carry along the plot.
ReplyDeleteA. In the final words of the chorus in "Antigone", Sophocles emphasizes the impact that hubris has on man and that mankind must learn from the pride of others in the past. Hubris plays a major role throughout the text and affects several of the characters. As the new king of Thebes, Creon makes a law that his nephew, Polynices, must not be buried due to his betrayal of the city. The burial tradition is extremely important to the Greeks at this point in time and this law violates the laws of the gods. Refusing to allow her brother to remain unburied, Antigone buries Polynices anyways and is captured and brought before the king. Brandishing her actions, Antigone's hubris is evident in that she speaks in a mocking and derogatory manner towards the king. She oversteps the boundaries of respect to authority and Creon follows through on the threat to kill whoever tried to bury Polynices, despite advice to reconsider. This proves fatal for Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice.
ReplyDeleteThis theme of gaining wisdom from past mistakes is relevant to all humankind in that it is crucial to make sure history does not repeat itself. It is important for people to not allow pride to get in the way of what is noble and fair.
B. The Greek chorus contributes to "Antigone" by providing background details and commenting on the current actions of the characters. They round out the story in the sense that their contributions complete the whole picture and allow the audience to give certain highlighted actions deeper thought. The inclusion of a chorus adds the ability of the playwright to give additional perspectives on a situation and point out moral dilemmas. Sophocles also uses the chorus to directly state and expand upon the themes of the play, including the idea covered in the previous question. Without the chorus, there might be various plot holes and confusion, but their inclusion proves vital for the success of getting the message of the play across to the audience.
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ReplyDeleteB. The chorus is very helpful throughout the play. They act as a narrator and add background to the play. The chorus can also explain what is going on in the city of Thebes as well as events that we cannot see happening. This gives the audience insight and also provides deeper thought on situations occurring at that moment or on events to come. The chorus, at the end, provides a closing thought and does not leave the audience hanging. The chorus adds additional insight to all of humanity, which is timeless. Any audience can relate. The use of the chorus allows the playwright to narrate the play without having the characters give soliloquies. Sophocles utilized the chorus to enhance the play by giving the audience a deeper understanding and a smooth transition between scenes.
ReplyDeleteA. One of the last lines of the chorus is, "The mighty words of the proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate, and at long last those blows will teach us wisdom" (128). Creon and Antigone both suffer from hubris or pride. Creon creates a law saying that invaders will not be allowed to be buried with proper burial rites if they fought against Thebes. This goes against the Gods because Creon does not have the right to say that invaders do not get to be buried properly. Polynices, Creon's nephew, is therefore not allowed to be buried because he fought against Thebes. However, Antigone goes against her uncle, Creon, and the gods and decides to bury Polynices. Antigone ends up being caught and is sentenced to death by her Uncle. Therefore, her pride will eventually lead to her death. Once Creon decided to starve Antigone to death he is visited by a blind prophet. The blind prophet says that Creon should go and bury Polynices and not kill Antigone. Creon refuses at first because his pride is in the way. He believes he is the ultimate ruler of Thebes so he should decide what happens. Creon then decides to listen to the blind prophet, but it is too late. Antigone has killed herself and now Creon accidentally kills his son. Once Creon's wife finds out about this she also kills herself. Creon's pride has led him to his fate, which is loneliness. All of his family members are dead and the people of Thebes will be angry the beloved Antigone has died. Humans everyday let their pride get in the way of judgement. Many people believe they are right and know what is best when that is not always the case. This can lead to their downfall and also create conflict with other people. Humans should learn to be aware of the situation, what is going on around them, and the consequences.
ReplyDeleteA. Throughout the play, the theme of religion controls the actions and fate of Antigone and Creon, as well as the secondary characters affected by the choices of the gods. The conflict with the gods begins when Creon decrees that Polynices is not to be buried or mourned, despite Greek burial rituals. Antigone opposes this in the words of the chorus -- “reverence toward the gods must be safeguarded.” She refuses to let her brother receive this fate and takes it upon herself to bury the traitor. When Creon imprisons Antigone and intends to give her an unnatural death to match her brother’s, the gods are once again disrespected. As a result, Creon receives “mighty blows of fate” to pay for his pride and lack of wisdom. Tiresias informs Creon that the gods will avenge the death of Antigone with the sacrifice of his own kin. However, when Creon goes to free Antigone from imprisonment, Haemon and Antigone have already taken their lives. The chorus concludes the play with, “those blows will teach us wisdom.” Only at the very last does Creon blame himself for the death of his son and wife (who promptly kills herself upon hearing of Haemon’s death). With a fresh set of eyes, he reflects on his exploitment of power at the throne and his disrespect towards the gods. As a society, the human race must be quicker to reconsider its actions and step into another pair of shoes before it is too late to repair the damage.
ReplyDeleteB. The chorus adds an outside voice to the dialogue of the play, like a narrator in a movie. They serve to introduce characters and epic scenes, and provide commentary on important events. Background information on Thebes and Oedipus is referenced throughout the text to contextualize the intricate plot. Through the poetic tone of the chorus, the play is connected back to the real world and generalized in terms of the human race. Additionally, the chorus allows the playwright to insert his own opinions, morals, and values into the play without the dialogue of the characters. Whereas Antigone, Cleon, and additional characters are given an individual voice throughout the piece, the playwright can allow his voice to fully encompass the words of the chorus.
ReplyDeleteA. At the end of the play, the chorus is able to sum up the problems that both Antigone and Creon were punished for. Antigone fell at the hands of Creon, who punished her from overstepping her bounds, blaming Antigone for her own fate; it was her own hubris that led her to the caves were she committed suicide. However, Creon did not realize that he transgressed some much more significant ruler(s) than the king: he had transgressed the rules of the gods. The chorus points out that Creon never learned to submit to what the gods proclaimed right and just for all dead; his own hubris lead to a misery much deeper than what Antigone likely faced. When Antigone defied Creon, she faced the wrath of a King; when Creon defied the gods, he faced the punishment of the gods. His son hated him and subsequently killed himself, and then Creon’s wife killed herself. Creon fell because of his lack of foresight and wisdom as to how to rule Thebes, assuming that the gods would allow him to rule as he thought best. Ignoring all advice until it was too late, Creon proved that those without wisdom are without happiness.
ReplyDeletePlaced succinctly at the end, the chorus leaves the audience with the message in full force. The audience or reader is warned that those with pride in lieu of wisdom are doomed; to defy the gods is to defy wisdom, and is therefore taboo. In modern readings and viewings, people may not fear the wrath of Zeus, but can see that even now, wisdom is important to know when they are overstepping their bounds and defying or insulting superiors.
B. The chorus adds a sort of setting and background to the play; instead of having a set or costumes, the reader or viewer is able to imagine setting or characterization with the help of the chorus’ descriptions. By pointing out when a new character enters or describing actions or decrees, the chorus is able to create a more layered story. The chorus is not only able to describe a scene and develop background, but is also able to comment on the thoughts and actions of the characters. Through their commentary, they are able to bring out the major themes of the play, especially points of hubris in both Antigone and Creon and the general public’s reaction to Antigone and Creon’s transgressions. The chorus most clearly portrays the theme at the end of the play, in their last lines regarding wisdom.
ReplyDeletea. The major theme in Antigone is regarding pride: it should not get in the way of one’s duties. This is summarized by, “The mighty words of the proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate.” Essentially, a person who acts only according to his hubris will be punished accordingly. This is seen in the play through both Antigone and Creon. For Antigone, she allows the pride that she has in burying her brother against the laws of Creon to become too large. When she is accused of the crime, she admits to it, but she isn’t at all apologetic. She boasts of having defied the king, and this is what contributes to her death, for her excessive pride rubs Creon the wrong way. Her lack of humility and blatant defiance forces Creon to punish her, because he cannot seem weak in the eyes of his subject. He cannot allow Antigone, a mere woman, to so boisterously disobey him without consequence. Here comes his pride, for Creon, once condemning Antigone, has condemned his own fate. As soon as he declares death to Antigone, he feels he is unable to go back on his word even though public opinion supports Antigone, thereby causing the suicide of first his son, followed by his wife. The very act of creating the law in the first place was hubris enough, for it goes against divine law, but Creon continued to drag out his pride in situations where he should have been more pliant, sealing his future misfortune. This can be applied to humanity because humans can see Creon as an example of how not to act as leader. When holding power, it can be recognized through Creon that one must not be unwilling to make concessions; that will end in misery. It can be recognized through Antigone that there is a difference between being bold and being reckless. Antigone’s pride makes her reckless. This is a vital lesson displaying by two very different characters in two very different scenarios, but is applicable nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteb. The chorus contributes to the play a bridge between the audience and the characters in the story. Through the bridge, the playwright has the ability to directly point out what he wants the audience to pay attention to. He can add social commentary into his play which otherwise might have had to be inferred by the audience or go unrealized by it. The chorus makes it so that nothing is lost. If the playwright wants the audience to know which way to interpret the events of the play or wants the audience to view particular characters in a certain way, the chorus becomes the means through which he can do this. Within the context of Greek plays, the chorus was also vital to transitioning between scenes. Since the plays were not traditionally based off of action, the chorus would describe the action to the audience. Reading it modernly out of a book then becomes easier because of all of the description. Also because we are reading it in the modern age, the social commentary of the chorus provides nuances which otherwise might be missed by unfamiliar readers. Antigone and many ancient Greek plays are still applicable to today, and that can largely be attributed to the Greek Chorus. The Greek Chorus acts as a bridge, and in this case, it is bridging the gap between hundreds of years of change.
ReplyDeleteA. Both of the central characters of Antigone, Antigone herself and her uncle Creon, fall victim to their own self-indulgent pride. After a disastrous battle, Creon implements a law which bans the burial of those who betrayed Thebes. Creon made the mistake of valuing his duty as leader and protector of Thebes over his respect for the Gods’ and their wishes. This direct challenge to his inherent superiors is Creon’s doom. Antigone’s unapologetic adoration of her late brother, Polynices, a traitor in the eyes of Creon, leads to her eventual disregard of the law her uncle has put in place. In ancient Greek society, it was the women’s rightful duty to handle the burial of those who passed, and Antigone is outraged by Creon’s attempt to undermine that tradition. In all her self-righteous glory, she blatantly disobeys the law, fully aware that the punishment is death. She, like Creon, is so certain of herself and her decisions that she ignores the possible repercussions of her actions. The ultimate repercussions of their displays of hubris come in different forms; Antigone commits suicide, and Creon is left to wallow in his grief and guilt. The chorus shares this words, so that we, the readers, can learn from the mistakes of Antigone and Creon and avoid such pompousness. Humans are stubborn creatures, Sophocles shows readers the importance of humility.
ReplyDeleteB. The Greek chorus is used for two major purposes: background and theme. Since the play is the final part of a trilogy, in terms of the plot’s timeline, it can be confusing to read without proper context. The chorus fills readers in on what is happening throughout the play. The chorus is also a means of reinforcing the author’s intended themes, as seen in the final words of the play. Without the chorus, there may not be any overt meaning seen by the readers. The author uses the chorus to ensure that the readers develop a true comprehension of theme.
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ReplyDeleteA.The last lines of the play, summarize the lessons that can be taught through the actions of Antigone and Creon. Both Creon and Antigone had their wisdom blinded by their hubris which causes them to act impulsively. The first line “Wisdom is by far the greatest gift of joy.” When Creon stopped acting wisely a cascades of negative consequence followers suit. He ends understanding that his foolish decisions to not bury Polynices and to sentence Antigone to death have caused him to mourn for his son and wife. The lack of wisdom have caused him grief. Antigone’s lack of wisdom caused her life to end. The reason for these consequences according to the chorus, is because the gods look down on hubris and acts of hubris are disrespectful to the gods. The gods then work with fate to punish those who disrespect them by being proud, as Creon did when he placed his laws of the land above the laws of the gods and as Antigone did when she disobeyed the laws of the land. The final line of the chorus states that the consequences are the only way to learn from the not acting on hubris. Creon’s grief will teach him from being hubris any longer. This is a universal theme the pride leads to foolishness and readers can learn to be humble from the play.
ReplyDeleteB. The chorus provides insight that would unwise be lost due the the limitations of Greek Theater at the time. The chorus adds background to the setting of the play and of the characters. They can comment what the main characters may not be able say. In Antigone, I think the chorus offered a lot of insight regarding the gods and their roles that could not have been told without the chorus.
A. The chorus’ parting words epitomizes the message that Sophocles emphasizes throughout the play. The poetic narration explains how the hubris of Antigone and Creon leads to their disloyalty to the gods and law, and ultimately their destruction; the hubris being excessive pride, which blinds both the characters from advice from prophets, gods, and the law. When Creon denies Polynices the rites to burial and issues a decree that prohibits anyone in the city of Thebes to bury the “traitor”. This decree in itself is an act against the gods, because burial rites should be given to everyone, “patriot” or “traitor” according to the gods. Therefore, Creon did not hold “reverence toward the gods” and “paid in full” the “mighty blows of fate”, which meant that his son died and his wife killed herself. Creon did not listen to the advice of Tyreses, the elders, his son, and pays for his consequences. Similarly, Antigone goes against the law to give her blood brother a proper burial and pays for the consequences of the law. When she admits to the crime, she shows off her audacity and her worthy of praise, this being considered excessive pride causes Antigone to ultimately die. Thus, we learn from the fall of both characters that we do not have the “wisdom” of the gods and should stay in our place because as humans we do not know everything and will never be more powerful than the “gods”.
ReplyDeleteB. The Greek chorus offers key insight into the play that helps the audience guide what is happening, since the play itself may be confusing without props and being seen from an amphitheater. Sophocles can demonstrate clearly the purpose of his play, so his message is evident and registered among the audience. Also, if a reader or audience member is lost the chorus offers summaries as well as important thematic moments to catch up those lost. The summaries are especially beneficial in Antigone because it is the third play in the trilogy so as audience/readers we need some background information to fully understand the play, which the chorus gives us. Furthermore, the Greek chorus can reveal a character’s inner thoughts that may be helpful for the audience/reader to know for plot development.
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ReplyDeleteA The theme of the play is that hubris is the flaw of man. Creon would not bury the body because he told his people he would not. Even though the opinion of the public was that the body should be buried Creon would not go back on his word. The Chorus’ last lines, “”With mighty blows of fate, and at long last those blows teach us wisdom” (128). Man makes mistakes but the point is for everyone else to learn from it and prevent it from happening again. The only problem is that man is hubris and history repeats itself and that it is bound to happen because it is fate.
ReplyDeleteB. The chorus serves as a sort of narrator/ conscience for the play. The chorus comments on things and gives a backstory and more information and depth on the characters. The chorus says the prologue and the epilogue and introduces the characters and their actions. The chorus also represents the people of Thebes in Antigone.
I'm in 13-14
ReplyDeleteA. The chorus sings about the importance of wisdom at the beginning and end of their last stanza. Both of the main characters, Creon And Antigone, lack wisdom throughout the play and are victim to their own hubris. Cream fails to show wisdom when he makes the proclamation that Polynices body shall go unburied. Antigone then rushes to bury the body as she thinks that she knows better than Creon. Creon is very angry that she goes against his word and decides to make an example out of her for disobeying him. After sentencing her to her death Creon has several opportunities to change his mind at the advice of a seer, his son, and the noble men of the city but his lack of wisdom shines through and he goes through with killing her. Antigone showed a lack of wisdom when she went to meet with him and started sparring with him verbally and outright insulting him which only angered him more and hardened his heart. If each had showed some wisdom and understanding then all of the tragic deaths that ensued could have been prevented. If humans showed more wisdom in all situations then there would be a lot less fighting and arguments as they could see where the other side is coming from and why. Unfortunately this lack of empathy and understanding is extremely prevalent in today's society, especially the political arena, and is tearing the world apart.
B. The chorus is an extremely valuable tool to a playwright as it allows the reader to see what is going on with the other characters thinking, provides context for what has happened, and enables him to show the changing of characters as he introduces them. This is valuable to the reader as subtle expressions or actions that they may have missed can be explained by the chorus and context can be given to why they happened. A chorus would not be very valuable in a movie as the inner thoughts of a character can be expressed through inner dialogue and flashback scenes can be shown very easily. However as the Greeks did not have film in their day this was a genius literary invention helpful both to the reader and playwright.
A) The last words of the chorus relate back to Creon’s decisions and how he went against the gods to make his rule about not burying Polynices. The chorus says “The mighty words of the proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate.” The words of “proud” they are referring to connect to Creon’s law and his pride in his decision. He was too proud to let a traitor be buried on his soil and he was too proud to get rid of his law. And, just like the chorus said he was paid with mighty blows of faith. Both his son and wife died by their own hands. And within these events he gained wisdom by examining his faults and figuring out that he can never go against the gods. He has learned what comes of those who are too proud to listen and now he has to face the consequences. The same can be said for Antigone, she was too proud not to bury her brother. She was also too proud to lie about what she had done. And her fate, like Creon’s, was none too good. She hung herself in her stone prison before being rescued. Not only did she not have to die but she could’ve been praised for her doings.
ReplyDeleteB) The chorus adds to the emotions of the play. They portray outwardly what a character maybe feeling during one of the scenes. The chorus will also give a voice to a character's entrance, they will announce the entrance of a new character and give some insight into what that character might do or say. They will also give foreshadowing in to another part of the play. They will lead the audience to a certain way of thinking based on questions or phrases that may not pertain exactly to the play itself.
A.The chorus had the final say in the play Antigone and their final say told the theme of the play itself. The chorus explained that it was the king's excessive pride that had cause him his own problems. What is said by the chorus is parallel to the events in the play by the King's hubris. Because he had been worried about his own pride he basically allowed many people who were close to him to die and it was not until the end that he had this realization. This can be applied to the real world because in life it is important to have some pride, but it is even more important to not let it overcome your life. If you let it overcome your life then you begin to lose parts of your life that were once very important to you.
ReplyDeleteThe chorus' purpose in the play is to explain events that had just happened in the play and go in depth of the feelings of the characters. The chorus also provides a sort of conclusion to an issue before moving on to another scene. The chorus allows the playwright to further explain the events in the play as well as teach different kinds of moral lessons.
ReplyDeleteA. The theme of the play is that fate is the dominant force over hubris. The final words of the chorus highlight this by saying “the mighty words of the proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate” (Sophocles 128). Sophocles is presenting his philosophy that those who are prideful and self-important will get what they deserve. In the context of antigone, this can be applied negatively with Creon, but also in a positive light with Antigone. Creon’s pride takes over his ruling of Thebes when he defies the gods with his laws. He sees his own decisions and opinions as more important than what the gods have intended for him, and as result of fate he loses his wife and his son. In terms of universal application, the theme can be applied to the idea that no one person is better than another. The interest of one person is just as valid as the interests of everyone else, and while not everyone can be pleased at once, it’s important to not let pride take over, and instead try to work together to meet the best interest of everyone.
ReplyDeleteB. The chorus in a play serves to explain extra details that may not have otherwise been stated. Certain points in the storyline need to be accentuated and the chorus brings about background information or facts in a way that comes across more clearly to an audience. When there is some confusion or fogginess surrounding an event, the chorus helps walk the audience member or reader through the situation. Having a chorus in a play makes it easier to progress events in the story in a clear, effective way that presents the themes that the playwright intended to share. The playwright is then able to directly address certain points of view and broader themes based on the actions that occur, due to the ability of the chorus to “break the fourth wall” so to speak, and act as narrators for the plot. The chorus teach the ultimate moral or lesson to a play that the playwright wants to convey. This important especially in Greek plays, which are particularly known for teaching broader themes and lessons.