In addition to three tragic plays (a trilogy) each poet had to present a satyr play - a farcical, often bawdy parody of the gods and their myths. ... He was a Greek dramatist, the earliest of the great tragic poets of Athens. ... He was one of the greatest tragic dramatists of ancient Athens. ... Antigone bestows the rites of burial upon her battle-slain brother Polyneices in defiance of the edict of Creon, who was the ruler of Thebes. In so doing she thereby brings about her own death, the death of her lover Haemon, who is Creon's son, and that of Eurydice, Creon's wife. ...

• Word Count: 2321
• Approx Pages: 9

In Greek tragedy the tragic situation, in which the characters find themselves, is always a situation of utmost conflict. ... The hero, like any man, is human. ... Every tragic situation results in severest suffering for the protagonist. ... Characteristic of the tragic catastrophe is the fact that not only the protagonist comes to be destroyed, but very often innocent people are also involved in the tragic happenings and lose their lives (for example, Creon's son and wife in "Antigone".) ... By participating vicariously in the grief, pain and fear of the tragic hero or heroine, the spect...

• Word Count: 1396
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Oedipus' unyielding desire to uncover the truth about Laius' murder and the mystery surrounding his own birth led him to the tragic realization of his horrific deeds. ... He could have endured the plague, but out of compassion for his suffering people, he had Creon go to Delphi. ... In order for Sophocles' play to be categorized as tragic, the tragic hero had to have some sort of a flaw. The hero's tragic flaws are the qualities, which ultimately lead to his downfall. ... Therefore the last act of destruction was caused by Oedipus' free will, but his tragic fate came a...

• Word Count: 1264
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

He wed the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth; which is also the Greek city where the play is set. ... During that same time she is also visited by the King Creon who has also heard her cries and rants of revenge against her husband and his new wife, the princess. Fearing the wrath of Medea, Creon banishes Medea and her children from his kingdom. ... Aristotle himself both praised Euripides calling him "the most tragic poet" and also criticized him for his confusing plotlines and his backward portrayal of what a hero is expected to be. ... Robert Palmer the author of An Apology for Jason is ye...

• Word Count: 1606
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

The tragic nature of the play and the themes are conveyed not only through these features, but also through the role of the chorus and dramatic techniques including irony. Oedipus is seen as a tragic hero in the play, a principal character, in a position of social importance being the King of Thebes. ... This worsened the tragedy, adding to his humiliation in end, as a result of his thoughtless accusations against Creon and Teiresias. ... The tragic nature of the play, is not only brought out by Oedipus's characteristic flaws, but also by the way he was treated by the gods. ...

• Word Count: 1270
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate