The Tragedy Of Things Fall Apart And Antigone

Matthew Santacroce Mrs. Cozzolino English 9 Honors 14 January 2016 Tragedy Essay Hundreds of years ago Greek plays were very popular. People would plan to go to these plays for entertainment and to have fun with their friends. These plays would also help to teach the audience all about Greek mythology. The main character in these plays often had something tragic occur at the end, such as death. This character was the referred to as the â€Å"tragic hero.† A couple hundred years later a Greek philosopher named Aristotle described tragedy with 4 simple elements, nobility of the character, the flaws of the tragic hero, the start of the tragic hero’s downfall, and his/her punishment. In Things Fall Apart, Oedipus, and Antigone there is a character that shows this definition of tragedy by the end of the book and or play. This is usually caused by something called hubris, excessive pride. Things Fall Apart, Oedipus, and Antigone all fulfill Aristotle s definition of tragedy. The book Things Fall Apart, has a main character named Okonkwo who fulfills Aristotle’s definition of tragedy. In the book, Okonkwo is born into a family that is not known for doing anything to set themselves apart in the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe, consisting of 9 connected villages. In fact, when he grows up he makes a promise to himself that he wants to be the complete opposite of his father who died leaving many village debts unsettled. When Okonkwo grew up he became a well respected warrior,Show MoreRelated Things Fall Apart Essay763 Words   |  4 PagesChinua Achebes Things Fall Apart shows an odd similarity between the cultures of Ancient Greece and the Lower Niger. Despite the fact that two societies can exist during different periods of time and have conflicting cultural values, their stories and behavior can have surprising overlaps. Things Fall Apart is structured like a Greek Tragedy in its use of a chorus and in the presence of a tragic hero whose acti ons ultimately lead to his downfall. The Egwugwu from Things Fall Apart act like the chorusRead MoreAntigone by Aristotle1684 Words   |  7 PagesAntigone Life has a way of becoming complicated. Problems between friends, foes, and even family members develop everyday for people of all walks of life. It is part of human nature to disagree, cause conflict and fight for what we believe in even if that means stepping on someone else’s toes along the way. Aristotle had thoughts on complication dating back to 335 B.C when he wrote Poetics- the earliest surviving work of dramatic theory. In it he analyzed tragedies and theorized that every tragedyRead MoreTaming Of The Shrew Vs Antigone Essay1122 Words   |  5 Pagesin the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities, and is regarded as a role model. (Dictionary.com) In the two plays and movie, Taming of the Shrew, Antigone, and The Long Walk Home, there are many heroic characters such as, Kate from Taming of the Shrew, Antigone from Antigone, and Miriam Thompson from The Long Walk Home. Taming of the Shrew is a play that tells of a tale of one of t wo sisters, Kate and Bianca, trying to get suitors to marry. However, their dadRead More A Tragic Situation Essay2624 Words   |  11 Pages Tragedy is a description of an event that evokes a sympathetic feeling of emotion by the audience. The events involve people emotionally who were not involved in the situation physically. In the story of Antigone, Sophecles forces the audience to take pity on the poor girl’s situation. This story impacts the audience in such a way that the audience becomes emotionally enthralled in the plot of the story. All of Steiner’s, â€Å"Principle constants of conflict in the condition of man,† (360) were presentRead MoreThe Chorus Of Sophocles Antigone2400 Words   |  10 Pagesof fertility, revelry and wine (Reinhold 1959). The author of Antigone, Sophocles had participated in one of these festivals and won the award for his performance. He did not become known as one of the greatest playwrights then. Only now is he thought of as one of the greatest playwrights during the greek era. The point of this paper is to show how the chorus in Greek Theater tragedy performances affect the way the play Antigone is performed. Through the use of mask, staging, and speech, SophoclesRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Sophocles Antigone1835 Words   |  8 Pagesleads to his inevitable downfall. In Sophocles s tragic play of Antigone, Oedipus’s sons, Polynices and Eteocles have killed each other in combat. Although Eteocles was buried in honor as a hero, Creon denied Polynices a proper burial because he was considered a traitor. Antigone, Polynices’s sister, defies the king’s demands despite the deadly consequences. While Creon lived to emulate state peace by maintaining law and order, Antigone died in honor of her religion and familial obligations. HoweverRead More Antigone Essay1759 Words   |  8 Pages Antigone It takes a lot of courage to stand up and defend an action or idea that is forbidden by society. This is what Antigone does in Sophocles story Antigone. She clearly disobeys King Creons order that no person should bury Antigones brother, Polynices, which is punishable by penalty of death. In this case, though, is Antigones decision the correct one? Her actions affect many of her other countrymen negatively; they cause problems within the royal family, disagreement among the people andRead Moretheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesï » ¿ANTIGONE KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING This tragedy is set against the background of the Oedipus legend. It illustrates how the curse on the House of Labdacus (who is the grandson of Cadmus, founder of Thebes, and the father of Laius, whose son is Oedipus) brought about the deaths of Oedipus and his wife-mother, Jocasta, as well as the double fratricide of Eteocles and Polynices. Furthermore, Antigone dies after defying King Creon. The play is set in Thebes, a powerful city-state north of Read MoreTragic Hero1598 Words   |  7 Pageswhich eventually leads to his demise. The concept of the tragic hero was created in ancient Greek tragedy and defined by Aristotle. Usually, the realization of fatal flaw results in catharsis or epiphany. The tragic flaw is sometimes referred to as an Achilles heel after the single fatal flaw of the Greek warrior Achilles. [citation needed] Aristotelian tragic hero In a complex Aristotelian tragedy, the hero is of noble birth and is more admirable than ordinary men. He cannot, however, be morallyRead MoreOedipus the King, a Tragic Hero Essay1713 Words   |  7 PagesOedipus, a tragic hero Sophocless Oedipus Rex is probably the most famous tragedy ever written. Sophocless tragedy represents a monumental theatrical and interpretative challenge. Oedipus Rex is the story of a King of Thebes upon whom a hereditary curse is placed and who therefore has to suffer the tragic consequences of fate (tragic flaws or hamartia). In the play, Oedipus is the tragic hero. Even though fate victimizes Oedipus, he is a tragic figure since his own heroic qualities, his loyalty