Charles Spencer
Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB 5th Hour
November 30, 2010
Dramatic irony is very abundant in Antigone, as which is common in many tragic literary works. An outstanding example of dramatic irony occurs in the situation between Ismene and Antigone when Ismene has a sudden and surprising change of heart. At first Ismene is strong against Antigone going off to bury Polyneices' body, for she does not feel like it is right to disobey the king, and fears what his reaction would be. After Antigone does her deed, she stands up and asks for death, claiming she is equally guilty. This is ironic because she is choosing death, which is a horrible fate, however it is seen as a glorified future in this situation.
Another instance of dramatic irony occurs in the form of the entire story of Antigone. Antigone goes out to prevent her brother from dying in a way by granting him passage to the afterlife. The repercussions of her actions in combination with Creon's stubbornness cause more death, including that of Antigone herself, which is ironic in her respect.
A final example of dramatic irony in Antigone is in scene five of the play, lines 1-140, in which Teiresias lends his prophetic advice to Creon. Creon however disregards this advice to free Antigone, and as Teiresias warns, she had killed herself before he chose to free her, which ironically in turn caused the death of Haimon and Euridice as well.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Antigone LRJ: In two-three paragraphs, explore who you think was the best example of unshakable will power. Explain also whether you think Sophocles saw this "unshakable will power" as a virtue or a flaw.
Charles Spencer
Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB 5th Hour
November 30, 2010
There are at least three outstanding characters will 'unshakable will power'. Creon, Antigone, and Haimon all show a definite amount of will power in their roles in Antigone. Creon shows his strong and adamant will through his upkeep of the punishment of Antigone through all of the adversity. Haimon was very persistent in trying to convince his father to free Antigone, even so to the point of killing himself. It is Antigone's character in which the presence of 'unshakable will power' stands out. She first goes behind her king to bury her brother, and then stands up for herself, even to the point of bringing herself to death when Creon would not do it.
Sophocles shows Antigone's will power as a virtue, as she is the dramatic hero in the play. It is because of Antigone that Creon makes his choices, however Sophocles uses this to show Creon's cowardly instincts. By giving Antigone this true unshakable will power Sophocles tests Creon, a test which he goes on to fail. Despite Antigone's death in the end, her will power still shines as a virtue, for she dies a hero for burying her brother and granting him an afterlife.
Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB 5th Hour
November 30, 2010
There are at least three outstanding characters will 'unshakable will power'. Creon, Antigone, and Haimon all show a definite amount of will power in their roles in Antigone. Creon shows his strong and adamant will through his upkeep of the punishment of Antigone through all of the adversity. Haimon was very persistent in trying to convince his father to free Antigone, even so to the point of killing himself. It is Antigone's character in which the presence of 'unshakable will power' stands out. She first goes behind her king to bury her brother, and then stands up for herself, even to the point of bringing herself to death when Creon would not do it.
Sophocles shows Antigone's will power as a virtue, as she is the dramatic hero in the play. It is because of Antigone that Creon makes his choices, however Sophocles uses this to show Creon's cowardly instincts. By giving Antigone this true unshakable will power Sophocles tests Creon, a test which he goes on to fail. Despite Antigone's death in the end, her will power still shines as a virtue, for she dies a hero for burying her brother and granting him an afterlife.
Antigone LRJ: How are women characterized in the play? Find textual evidence to support your statements.
Charles Spencer
Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB 5th Hour
November 30, 2010
It is very common for women to be stereotyped in early Grecian and Romantic literature. Such stereotypes often weaken the image of women, showing them as objects to be pillaged and claimed by men. In this early literature it was also very rare for women to show prominent protagonist roles, they were often portrayed as widowed wives or victims of men. Antigone's character is unique in the sense that she is a strong woman, who is adept at asserting herself and her opinions, as well as acting on her own.
Antigone's strength is first showcased in her appeal to Ismene, informing her of her plan to bury Polyneices. In comparable literature, women are often not even centered enough to showcase their opinions. However Antigone is very vocal, and quite curt at that, "Ismene, I am going to bury him. Will you come?"(Sophocles 31-32). Simply through the vocalizing of her opinions, Antigone's character defies the stereotypes set in place by earlier literature such as the Odyssey. After Antigone's actions of burying her brother, her defense of her action also helps to portray her strength as a woman character, "...I am only mortal. And if I must die Now, before it is my time to die, surely this is no hardship..." (Sophocles 66-68). In saying this, she portrays herself as the tragic hero, who must die for what is right. Even though she is a woman, she is still strong enough to act on her own, and die for her heroic actions if she must.
Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB 5th Hour
November 30, 2010
It is very common for women to be stereotyped in early Grecian and Romantic literature. Such stereotypes often weaken the image of women, showing them as objects to be pillaged and claimed by men. In this early literature it was also very rare for women to show prominent protagonist roles, they were often portrayed as widowed wives or victims of men. Antigone's character is unique in the sense that she is a strong woman, who is adept at asserting herself and her opinions, as well as acting on her own.
Antigone's strength is first showcased in her appeal to Ismene, informing her of her plan to bury Polyneices. In comparable literature, women are often not even centered enough to showcase their opinions. However Antigone is very vocal, and quite curt at that, "Ismene, I am going to bury him. Will you come?"(Sophocles 31-32). Simply through the vocalizing of her opinions, Antigone's character defies the stereotypes set in place by earlier literature such as the Odyssey. After Antigone's actions of burying her brother, her defense of her action also helps to portray her strength as a woman character, "...I am only mortal. And if I must die Now, before it is my time to die, surely this is no hardship..." (Sophocles 66-68). In saying this, she portrays herself as the tragic hero, who must die for what is right. Even though she is a woman, she is still strong enough to act on her own, and die for her heroic actions if she must.
Antigone LRJ: What is the character's fatal flaw? Find textual evidence where the reader sees this fatal flaw in the play.
Charles Spencer
Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB 5th Hour
November 30, 2010
The ultimate tragedy in Antigone is the suicide of Haimon, Euridice, and Antigone herself. Even though Antigone is the title character of the play, it is the actions of the king, Creon, that fuels the tragic events. Creon is a very strong character, however this shows him as stubborn, and his stubbornness is his undoing, even after he tries to 'take it back'. The ultimate cause of Creon's stubbornness is the 'king complex' in his head that tells him once Kings make a decision it must be obeyed, and not even the king can go back on it.
Creon orders that Polyneices is not to buried after his death as he goes against the king and the city, and when Antigone goes and buries him in spite of Creon's orders, Creon is faced put in a difficult position. His anger towards Antigone coerces his to send her to die. Even after the pleads from Haimon, Creon is intent on not changing his position on the matter, saying "Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed- Must be obeyed, in all things, great and small" (Sophocles 34-37). This shows that in the beginning Creon is simply angry because he is the king, and he can not have his subjects disobeying him. This clouds his judgment and prevents him from seeing the nobility and reasoning behind Antigone's actions in burying her brother. Even as Creon begins to see Antigone's viewpoint, his stubbornness in upholding his 'noble king' status distracts him long enough for Antigone to kill herself the tragedy of the play to unfold.
Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB 5th Hour
November 30, 2010
The ultimate tragedy in Antigone is the suicide of Haimon, Euridice, and Antigone herself. Even though Antigone is the title character of the play, it is the actions of the king, Creon, that fuels the tragic events. Creon is a very strong character, however this shows him as stubborn, and his stubbornness is his undoing, even after he tries to 'take it back'. The ultimate cause of Creon's stubbornness is the 'king complex' in his head that tells him once Kings make a decision it must be obeyed, and not even the king can go back on it.
Creon orders that Polyneices is not to buried after his death as he goes against the king and the city, and when Antigone goes and buries him in spite of Creon's orders, Creon is faced put in a difficult position. His anger towards Antigone coerces his to send her to die. Even after the pleads from Haimon, Creon is intent on not changing his position on the matter, saying "Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed- Must be obeyed, in all things, great and small" (Sophocles 34-37). This shows that in the beginning Creon is simply angry because he is the king, and he can not have his subjects disobeying him. This clouds his judgment and prevents him from seeing the nobility and reasoning behind Antigone's actions in burying her brother. Even as Creon begins to see Antigone's viewpoint, his stubbornness in upholding his 'noble king' status distracts him long enough for Antigone to kill herself the tragedy of the play to unfold.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Everyone. I'm starting a blog.
Hello Cyberspace! My name is Charles Archambaud (ar-sham-boe) Spencer, and because I am so lucky, I get to start a blog for school today! At the moment I am 15 years of age, and in my second year at St. Paul Central High School, which offers great challenges to me. My favorite subjects are English and Chemistry, because they are based around exploration. Outside of school I play baseball and swim competitively. My friends are the most important thing to me in the world, and I really hate writing about myself.
I have never exactly understood what a blog is. I have memories of watching Arthur the Aardvark on TV as a small kid, in which my favorite character, Buster Baxter, kept a blog. He traveled around with his father frequently and wrote about his travels in his blog. This shaped my future understanding of blogs, being that I thought they were only for travelers. When I later found out they are outlets for one to write in about virtually anything, it puzzled me. That is so vague! What is one to write about; what they ate for breakfast? Why would anyone read that. My opportunity to start a blog of my own has shown me how significant blogs can be. One is able to share their work with the world, an opportunity that I am very excited to use.
The concept of having this blog is really exciting to me because I greatly enjoy analyzing literature, and turning it inside out in a way to show what I see in it. Branching off from that, I also like to hear people's reactions to my work, and their opinion on it. In this blog, potentially millions could read what I read--radical.
I have never exactly understood what a blog is. I have memories of watching Arthur the Aardvark on TV as a small kid, in which my favorite character, Buster Baxter, kept a blog. He traveled around with his father frequently and wrote about his travels in his blog. This shaped my future understanding of blogs, being that I thought they were only for travelers. When I later found out they are outlets for one to write in about virtually anything, it puzzled me. That is so vague! What is one to write about; what they ate for breakfast? Why would anyone read that. My opportunity to start a blog of my own has shown me how significant blogs can be. One is able to share their work with the world, an opportunity that I am very excited to use.
The concept of having this blog is really exciting to me because I greatly enjoy analyzing literature, and turning it inside out in a way to show what I see in it. Branching off from that, I also like to hear people's reactions to my work, and their opinion on it. In this blog, potentially millions could read what I read--radical.
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