Essay on Antigone and Tragedy Archetypes and Art - 917 Words

Antigone as a heroic and tragic archetype must internally struggle with individuality and morality versus established rule and law and she can be seen as externally fighting between her sister as an outward display of her internal conflict. Antigone then is a unique archetype as a heroine and her power and powerlessness are defining to her as a woman in politics. Her sister, Ismene is portrayed as much weaker and can be said to be metaphorical in that individual morality is weak as compared to established law and Ismene is the personification of morality in a legal-rational world, according to the emerging Hellenistic establishment. Antigone is willing to use her own morals to bury Polyneices, though it is illegal to do so. Ismene is†¦show more content†¦Knowing that blood ties were so important to Antigone then, the act of disowning her sister is worthy of further review in terms of looking at Antigone as the personification of the ancients while Ismene is a personifica tion of the new type of establishment. In the new type of relinquishment to law over personal conviction comes fear, weakness, and powerlessness as is seen in Ismene’s character. Antigone, on the other hand, as having the virtue of the ancients is the more natural of the two sisters and Antigone’s strength can be interpreted as part of her very nature and being while Ismene is conflicted by being forced to be a part of a world that was unnatural in the fact that the very essence of being was being taken away with the establishment of laws that went against personal conviction. â€Å"When asked to make a choice between state and family, Antigone put religion and family first† (Winterer, 2001). The reader can clearly see that there is much dualism in Antigone as a work of art and that state versus family, new versus old, morality versus law are themes in the piece, but they are artistically played out in the relationships that are portrayed in the piece. Specifically since the struggle that Antigone faces as the archetypal heroine is surrounded by the love and duty to her brother, it should not be surprising that Antigone’s relationship to her sister is any less significant or important. The factShow MoreRelatedClassical Tragedies And Romantic Tragedies2060 Words   |  9 PagesAristotle wrote that the aim of tragedy is to douse the audience in sensations of pity and fear and bring forth catharsis, purging the body of these emotional humors and to bring forth enlightenment in the mechanics of man made gods and men. However it is safe to say that in this current era, the stories of kings and gods are no longer relatable. To understand how modern tragedy as a dramatic genre has changed, one must delve into the history of both Classical and Romantic eras to show that it’sRead MoreGreek Influence on the Modern Day Theater2816 Words   |  12 Pageswith the evolution of theater and how it evolved from religious groups in ancient Greece. There were also many great playwrights, such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, who opened the doors to a world of art. Even the construction of a play and the major types of plays, such as tragedy and comedy, are still used to this day. The way the characters or actors and costume evolved from such a simple plan to a extremely difficult and complicated design. Finally the influence Greek theater has hadRead MoreGreek Mythology8088 Words   |  33 Pages  The  predictions  of  the  oracles,  delivered  in  the  form  of  riddles,   often  brought  unexpected  results  to  the  seeker.  With  Ionic  columns  reaching  19.5  m  (64  ft)  high,  these  ruins   suggest  the  former  grandeur  of  the  ancient  temple.   Bernard  Cox/Bridgeman  Art  Library,  London/New  York   Greek  Mythology,  set  of  diverse  traditional  tales  told  by  the  ancient  Greeks  about  the  exploits  of  gods   and  heroes  and  their  relations  with  ordinary  mortals.   The  ancient  Greeks  worshiped  many  gods  within  a  culture  that  tolerated  diversityRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagesdid except. Past cure am I, now reason is past care, And frantic mad with evermore unrest, My thoughts and my discourse as madmen’s are, At random from the truth vainly expressed;   Ã‚  Ã‚  For I have sworn thee fair and thought thee bright,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Who art as black as hell, as dark as night. In many ways, Shakespeare’s use of the sonnet form is richer and more complex than this relatively simple division into parts might imply. Not only is his sequence largely occupied with subverting the traditional