Abstract
This paper discusses Sophocles, the master of the tragedy and his "Oedipus Trilogy". The paper contends that the "Oedipus Trilogy" is a prime example of the drama presented in ancient Greece. The paper explains that "Oedipus Rex" is a better example of tragedy than "Antigone", not because it is more 'tragic' by the modern definition in any way, but because of the technicalities of the plot, presentation and characterization within the plays.

From the Paper
"Sophocles is considered to be one of the greatest Greek dramatists, and remains among the most renowned playwrights even today. The Greek tragedy is one of the most influential genres of literary and theatrical history on the modern drama and theatre. The theatre of ancient Greece was inspired by the worship of Dionysus, and the performance of plays was considered to be a religious experience for both the actors and the audience. Because of this, the intensity of the Greek theatre was very strong, and the degree to which the plays were taken seriously as a means of influencing and interpreting life was also very high. According to Aristotle, the philosopher credited with creating the definition of a tragedy, "Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its katharsis of such emotions."

Tags:rex, antigone, greek

Abstract
This paper will discuss the two characters Oedipus Rex in the "Oedipus" Trilogy by Sophocles, and the character Othello in the play "Othello" by William Shakespeare. By understand the usage of tragedy in these plays we can learn much from the way that it is sued within this medium of playwriting. With the notion of both characters eventually meeting other doom, we can see why they did not meet on the same terms their fates.

Abstract
Prima facie, human destiny, as ordained by the Gods and fate, is a strong theme that runs right through Sophocles?s "Oedipus Trilogy". This paper explains, however, that on closer examination, there could be grounds to build a case that Sophocles was possibly questioning the human tendency towards blind faith, which leads human beings to fulfill prophecies rather than following the dictates of their own individual will.

From the Paper
"Right through the three plays of Oedipus The King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone, it is evident that the people of ancient Greece consulted the oracles on all their problems and hopes. The very opening scene of the first of the three plays, Oedipus The King, sees Oedipus relying on a message from divine forces to save his kingdom and its people from the ravages of plague: "I have sent Menoeceus" son,/ Creon, my consort's brother, to inquire/ Of Pythian Phoebus at his Delphi shrine,/ How I might save the State by act or word.? (Para 3: 12-14) This first consultation, then, sets the note for the tragic events to follow as Creon returns from the oracles with the message that Thebes could only be saved when Laius? killer is found and slain: ?Banishment, or the shedding blood for blood./This stain of blood makes shipwreck of our state.? (Oedipus The King, Para 14) Thus begins the tragedy and travails of Oedipus and his offspring since the message from the oracles compels Oedipus to embark on a determined quest to find Laius? killer, not realizing that Laius had died by his own hands."

Tags:will, faith, king

Abstract
This paper discusses the three tragedies, "Antigone," "Oedipus Rex," and "Oedipus at Colonus," that Sophocles wrote about the life of Oedipus. The writer explains that these tragedies were written during a transitional period when people were turning towards anthropocentric beliefs and away from belief in the gods. Sophocles attempted to reverse this trend through his trilogy, which demonstrates that humans are only pawns in the hands of the impersonal gods. The writer explains that, although the plays are full of Sophocles' core values, they did not succeed in bringing the Greeks back to their religious roots. Yet, philosophers throughout the ages and to this very day have been inspired by his passionate words.

From the Paper
"The people would flock to the theatre, a place they gathered not only to be entertained, but to be introduced to new ideas and see new political beliefs emerge and be pondered. Sophocles, however, traverses the proposed initiatives of the popular culture and reawakens the mind of his audience by holding fast to the Tragic Era; through his plays he emphasizes a stark, orthodox contrast to the new Age of Philosophy. Destiny, according to the brilliant philosopher and playwright, and even happiness, is not in the hands of man, but rather in those of the ever powerful gods."

Tags:Sphinx, Thebes, emotion, control, truth, traditional, irony, oracle, Delphi

Abstract
In this paper the author looks at the role of women in "Agamemnon" and "Antigone" from the Oedipus trilogy. He compares the characters of the main women in the both books, Clytaemestra and Antigone, looking at the way they deal with certain circumstances. For example, how Clytaemestra is devious and plans to murder her husband, Agamemnon, out of fury over his sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia. Whereas Antigone defies an edict by insisting on the burial of her brother, Polynices because she is acting out of a sense of duty to fulfill a promise made to him before his death. The author concludes that Clytaemestra and Antigone can be seen as personification of woman's most extreme emotions and conflicts. The values that in Antigone are good and true become distorted into hatred and violence in Clytaemestra.

From the Paper
"The strength of Clytemaestra's personality is evident in her first speech, which follows immediately after the scene in which the sacrifice of Iphigenia takes place. She is majestic in her wrath and dominates the entire work from this scene on. She personifies the theme of the conflict between ethics and principles and human emotions. She easily convinces the elders of her story of the fall of Troy. She impresses them with her intellect by which she arranged a complex system of beacons to relay the news. She is audacious and proud, even hinting subtly of her plans, almost inviting the wrath of the gods."

Tags:flattery, irony, complexity, confidence, wisdom, jealousy, revenge

Abstract
Antigone is the third play by Sophocles to address some element of the legend of Oedipus, but the three plays are not a formal trilogy as they were written at different times.

From the Paper
"Antigone is the third play by Sophocles to address some element of the legend of Oedipus, but the three plays are not a formal trilogy as they were written at different times. The essence of the Oedipus myth revolves around personal responsibility in the Greek conception. Even though Oedipus appears to be the victim of a series of circumstances so that what happens to him should be no fault of his own, in the Greek view this is not the case. The structure of the three plays shows that Oedipus should have known even if he did not and that his stubbornness in the face of growing evidence as to his crime leads to his downfall. Greek tragedy addressed stories such as this in developing a moral analysis of the meaning of loyalty and obedience and of understanding the nature of the role of the gods ..."

Abstract
The parallel gained by a closer study of the characters, Hector and Oedipus, shows both comparisons and contrasts that can be drawn. Both couples in these works by ancient Greek authors Sophocles and Homer show not only bittersweet pictures of the loving tragic family, but also show the differing emotions and reactions that an average person goes through during a personal crisis. The paper notes that, just as one can clearly see the depth of their relationships, one can clearly see the progression of the emotions in play. The depth, dynamics, and reactions of each relationship bring them to life and show not only the insight the writers had into human nature, but also the quality that these works have that makes them a part of our modern literature.

From the Paper
"Another prominent similarity between the two couples is their outstanding family life. With Hector and Andromache, their scene with Astyanax is perhaps the most well-known and emotional scene of The Iliad. As Andromache and Hector meet on the Trojan precipice, they speak of their love and concern for each other and then play with their son. As the exchange between the three proceeds with laughter and love, we see the playtime with Astyanax as, "Then taking up his dear son he tossed him about in his arms, and kissed him, and lifted his voice in prayer to Zeus...:...grant this boy, who is my son, may be as I am...great in strength...and delight the heart if his mother," (91). We see not only the joy they share embodied in the boy, but Troy's hope for a future. The affectionate family dynamic, either atypical of ancient fathers or at least not written into much literature, is also seen with Oedipus and Jocasta's home life, though the audience may shudder."

Tags:male, relationships, rex

Abstract
This paper examines how Greek mythology often considered the debate between predestination and free will. It gives the example of how a mythical character's immoral actions would lead to a cleverly derived punishment by the gods, suggesting that free will elicited consequences. Various myths are noted as examples of this. In particular, the paper notes the the three fates, the Moirai, women who hold the destiny of all mankind in their hands and their role in the Oedipus trilogy. The role of fate and predestination is further analyzed in the paper. The paper concludes by stating that if any lesson can be drawn from the treatment of this theme in Greek mythology, it is that the safest option is doing good, which can at least score some points with the fates.

From the Paper
"Called the Moirai, a name that means parts, the three fates assigned each person his or her "share in the scheme of things" (Atsma, 2008, para. 1). Lead by Zeus, whom Atsma (2008) describes as the "god of fate," the three goddesses used a string to show the life of a man or woman. According to Saunders and A (2006), all the good and evil a person did in his or her life was woven into the string to determine his or her fate (para. 3). The goddesses of fate were ugly, old, and knew the future, as well as frequently pictured with signs of "dominion" (Atsma, 2008, para. 4). Each holding specific jobs--spinning, measuring, and cutting that thread--the goddesses determined the consequences of mens' actions. However, Astma (2008) points out that the fates did not necessarily direct a person's life. Instead, they determined the consequences of the actions that people freely undertook. Furthermore, while Zeus could always save someone from receiving his or her fate, the fates were also open to persuasion by humans and other goddesses. In the end, however, it was the fates decision to determine the consequences of a man's actions and other major events in his life, such as when he would die. Thus, the idea of the Morai combined predestination and free will to suggest that a person could choose the actions he or she would take, but was predestined to face the consequences of those choices."

Tags:Oedipus Trilogy, Moirai, Fates, Sophocles

Abstract
This paper discusses how "Antigone" takes place in a time of war and looks at how Sophocles explores the relationship between the gods and their human followers. "Antigone"is the third play by Sophocles to address some element of the legend of Oedipus, but the three plays are not a formal trilogy, as they were written at different times. It examines how the essence of the Oedipus myth revolves around personal responsibility, in the Greek conception, and how Antigone shows the same stubbornness as her father when she vows to bury her brother, Polyneices, in spite of the refusal on the part of the Creon to allow this. It also shows how Creon is seen by many as the central character in this drama and as the tragic hero whose hubris leads to his downfall.

From the Paper
"The social value of compliance conflicts with the equal values of courage and loyalty, and Antigone is loyal to her brother but transgresses against the legal injunction of the state. Ismene, Antigone's sister, suggests that she comply with the order of Creon because that is what is expected, warning her not to ignore Creon's decree. This conflicts with what Antigone feels the gods have ordered her to do in the name of her brother, and she is not willing to have what she knows is right swept aside by the admonition that she is only a woman. She says this to her sister, showing that she has determined to serve the gods and not the state."

Tags:creon, ismene, oedipus, myth, polyneices, gods

From the Paper
"Creon announces that since Eteocles died defending his city, he is a hero and shall have a hero's burial. However since Polyneices returned from exile to fight for the throne, he is considered to be a traitor to his city. Creon announces that no one is to bury or mourn for Polyneices, and that his body will be left for scavengers. The guard watching over Polynieces? corpse rushes in to inform Creon that the body has been buried, though he is unsure by whom. The elders suggest that perhaps the gods buried him. Creon informs the guard that if he does not produce the criminal who buried Polyneices, the guard will be held responsible for the act. "

Tags:ancient, creon, greek, mythology, oedipus, tragedy, trilogy