Classical Athenian Drama: Sophokles

Hybris and Self-Distruction

  1. Historical Background:

    1. The Persian Wars

    2. Three Great Tragedians -

      1. Aeschylus of Eleusis (525-456 BCE)

      2. Sophokles of Athens (496-406 BCE)

      3. Euripides of Athens (481-406 BCE)

  2. Contributions to Greek Drama:

    1. Aeschylus -

      1. 70 - 90 plays (seven surviving)

      2. Introduction of two actors

      3. Emphasis on vengeance, justice, social responsibility, and fate

    2. Sophokles -

      1. c. 125 plays (seven surviving)

      2. Introduction of scene painting, three actors, and increased the number of the chorus from 12 to 15

      3. Emphasis on free will, hybris moral responsibility, individuality

    3. Euripides -

      1. c. 90 plays (nineteen surviving)

      2. Abandons the tetralogy in favor of individual works

      3. Emphasis on realism, rationalism, luck, rejection of convention, skepticism, melodrama (closest to the Sophists)

  3. The Antigone:

    1. The Five Parts of a Classical Drama -

      1. Prologue - opening background

      2. Parados - entrance of the chorus

      3. Episode - entrance of protagonist

      4. Stasimon - choral ode or narration

      5. Exodos - final action (occurs after the final stasimon)

    2. The Background of the Play -

      1. The Curse on the House of Laius

      2. The 'Blood-guilt" of Oedipus

      3. The Rebellion of Polynices

    3. The Main Characters -

      1. Antigone - daughter of Oedipus

      2. Ismene - daughter of Oedipus

      3. Creon - brother of Jocasta, king of Thebes

      4. Haemon - son of Creon

      5. Teiresias - the blind seer

    4. The Main Themes -

      1. nomos vs. phusis

      2. The folly of pride (hybris)

      3. Moral responsibility as virtue

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