GRST 205 Lecture 1: Greek and roman whole semester notes
Document Summary
Oedipus at colonus: the banished oedipus and his daughter antigone arrive at the town of colonus where they encounter hesus king of athens, oedipus dies and strife between his sons. Whether creons actions are just or thoughtless of the gods: both antigone and creon claim divine sanction for their actions but tiresias by the prophet supports antigone(cid:495)s claim that the gods demand polynices burial. The gods or man: he votes for gods, creons decree to leave polyneices unburied in itself makes a bold statement about what it means to be a citizen and what constitutes abdication of citizenship. It is revoked when polyneices commits what, in creons eyes, amounts to treason. Creates new conflict: we see this issue still today, fidelity. In antigone as well as the other theban plays there are few references to the gods: hades: personification of death, zeus: mentioned 13 times by name, apollo: personification of prophecy.