The Greek Tragedians

Khiem, Santos, David, Sydney & Judit

 Overview
● Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides Background/
Significance
● Sophocles’ religious beliefs and influence in
Antigone
● Social Connections to Antigone
● Cultural Connections to Antigone
● Interesting Aspects of Technique
● Class Discussion Questions
Aeschylus Background
● Born 524 BCE
● Died 456 BCE
The first of the three
Greek tragedians
Aeschylus Background
● Born into wealthy family
● Education included studying writings of Homer, his
inspiration to start writing
● Won annual writing competition 13 times. Was only beat
by Sophocles
● Once became a soldier, and helped in the turning of the
Persian Invasion, but wasn’t as important as his writings
Aeschylus Significance to Greek Tragedy
● Known for: writing Greek tragedies implying the
relationships between mortal man and the gods
● Relationship: The gods were all around the people and
watched over them.
Aeschylus Significance to Greek Tragedy
● Introduced the second character
(Sophocles introduced the third character). Before the
second character, an actor would have a continuous
soliloquies with a chorus
● Added more Greek culture into the drama theatre, as
well as costumes and dance
Sophocles Background
● Born: 495 B.C.
● Died: 406 B.C.
● Born into a wealthy family
● Studied all of the arts
● 2nd of the 3 Greek Tragedians
Sophocles Background cont...
● At age 16 was chosen as leader of a boys
choir
● 12 years later completed all of his studies
● Competed in the Dionysia
● Won 18 1st places
● Even defeated Aeschylus
Sophocles Background cont...
● Performed in many of his own
plays
● Served as an ordained priest
○ local heros Alcon and Asclepius the god
of medicine
● Served in the board of generals
Sophocles’s Religious Beliefs
● Sophocles, along with most men, believed
that the government was directed by the
gods.
● If the people disobeyed fundamental truths,
they would result in a great tragedy.
Sophocles’ Significance to Greek Tragedy
● 1st to add a 3rd actor
(reduced role of chorus)
● Added scenery
● Developed the dialogue
● Abolished the trilogic form
○ made each tragedy its own
Euripides Background
● Born: 480 B.C.
● Died: 406 B.C.
● Last of the three Greek tragedians
Euripides Background
● Wrote tragedies in the Cave of Euripides,
which served as his sanctuary
● Competed for the first time in Dionysia in
455 BCE, came in third place
● Only won first prize four times throughout his
lifetime, and once after his death
● Plays were seen as controversial and did not
follow tradition
Euripides’ Significance to Greek Tragedy
● Heightened the importance of intrigue in
tragedy
● Incorporated aspects of comedy
● First to introduce women in a realistic
manner, not as heroines
● Influenced strongly by Socrates, making his
tragedies more philosophical
Euripides’ Significance to Greek Tragedy
● Known for reconstructing traditional structure
of Greek tragedy
● Used strong female roles and intelligent
slaves
● Satirized many heroes from Greek
mythology
Religious Influence in Antigone
● At the time, religion was more looked into
than science
● Freedom of religion was exercised in city-
states
● Gods are to be respected over mortal men
● In Antigone, characters have controversial
views on Greek ideals (Creon and Antigone).
● We will go more in depth in a few minutes
Present Social Connections to Antigone
● Gender roles, discrimination of women and
more power in the man
● Importance of family
● Democratic government, no anarchy
● Money is
power
Present Cultural Connections to Antigone

● Cultural connection to Catholics and Christians

● In similarity with Antigone being imprisoned in the
tomb, Jesus’ resurrected from dead in tomb
● Antigone wanted to sacrifice for a greater cause,
wanted to prove her loyalty to gods and defy
Creon’s laws
Interesting Aspects of Technique (w quotes)
● Setting: Disaster-prone
city known as Thebes,
place where Oedipus the
King took place
● Three Act Plot Analysis
● Chorus-helps to better
inform the audience
Easy/ Difficult to Understand
● Easy - Sophocles was a follower of the common
Athenian religion, that god’s power was greater than
man’s power
Difficult - he believed in the power of man (contradict
each other)
● Easy - the relationship between individuals’ actions and
their fate (tension)
Difficult - why characters commit bad actions when
Sophocles believed people are responsible for their
actions.
Class Discussion
Question 1: Discuss how Antigone parallels to
the tragedy of Oedipus. Find quotes to support
your answer.
Possible Answers
● Creon’s pride and stubbornness parallel to Oedipus. “No, I am
certain no human has the power to pollute the gods” (2098).
● The deaths of family members occur from the wrongdoings of
Creon. “First she cried in agony… in the end she cursed you for the
evil you had done” (2104).
● Like Oedipus, Creon searches for the truth; he remains blind to the
truth. “Then realize you are on the razor edge of danger” (2097).
● The fate that is imposed by gods cannot be escaped. “Pray for no
more at all. For what is destined for us, mortal men, there is no
escape” (2104).
Question 2
How can Sophocles’ religious views be seen
throughout Antigone? Give quotes to support
your answer.
Answers
● Antigone believes in the Athenian religion, the laws of the
gods should be respected over the laws of men. “You, if you
like, can cast dishonor on what the gods have honored”
(2076).
● In Athens, the gods provide the people with safety and
wealth. “If he honors the laws of earth, and the justice of the
gods he has confirmed by oath, high is his city” (2083).
● Teiresias finally persuades Creon to give up his stubborn and
tyrannical nature to adapt to the gods’ will. “I am afraid it may
be best, in the end of life, to have kept the old accepted laws
(of the gods)” (2100).
Question 3
How can the influences of Euripides &
Aeschylus be seen Antigone? Cite specific
examples.
Answers
● Euripides’s realism was contributed into Antigone when
Ismene is worried about the danger of Antigone
disobeying Creon. “Would you bury him, when it is
forbidden? I fear for you” (2075). She doesn’t want to be
the last of her family.
● More generally, without Aeschylus, there would possibly
be only one character in the entire story, along with the
chorus.
Question 4
How are two of the six components of tragedy
(defined by Aristotle) portrayed throughout this
play? (Provide examples from the book)
Answer
Chorus for example in thus play Antigone
rather than just serve as an informative it was
it's own character in itself which helped with the
development of the other characters &
understanding of their actions.
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