Sophocles and Medea S Words
Dasia M. Thomas
March 12, 2011
2nd
The Greek tragedies, “Medea” and “Antigone” are best understood when studied in terms of the central conflict and the resolution. Both “Antigone’ and “Medea” were written in the beginning of the sixth century B.C. in Greece, and are similar tragic Greek plays. “Antigone” takes place in the city of Thebes, and the protagonist is Antigone, daughter of Oedipus. Antigone faces an external conflict; she struggles with the new King, her uncle Creon, as she strives to do right by her dead brothers. On the other hand, “Medea” takes place in the city of Corinth. The protagonist is Medea, wife of Jason. She also faces an external conflict; she is rejected by her lover and plots inane revenge by murdering the children they both love. In these two Greek tragedies, both Antigone and Medea struggle with external conflicts. Antigone faces conflict with the antagonist, Creon. Antigone breaks the law in order to stand up for what is right; she believes that the laws of the gods are higher than human gods. While Creon, on the other hand, insists that everyone must obey the law. He believes that no one is above the law. Creon says, “Pride? . . . This girl is guilty of . . . breaking the given laws and boasting of it” (762). Although Medea wasn’t persecuted as Antigone was, she also faces an external conflict. Jason left Medea for the daughter of King Creon. Medea wanted to get revenge, because he betrayed her. Medea committed several murders and ended up killing their two sons, as well as Glauce and King Creon. She intended to hurt him and the plan of revenge was a success. Though this success did not come without a price as implied in Medea’s words, “I have a raise you children but it was no use . . . I had hoped so much when you were born” (Euripides n.p.). “Antigone” and “Medea’s” conflict of resolution are similar in most ways, but different in others. In “Antigone”, Creon lets his pride and stubbornness give rise to tyranny. As
March 12, 2011
2nd
The Greek tragedies, “Medea” and “Antigone” are best understood when studied in terms of the central conflict and the resolution. Both “Antigone’ and “Medea” were written in the beginning of the sixth century B.C. in Greece, and are similar tragic Greek plays. “Antigone” takes place in the city of Thebes, and the protagonist is Antigone, daughter of Oedipus. Antigone faces an external conflict; she struggles with the new King, her uncle Creon, as she strives to do right by her dead brothers. On the other hand, “Medea” takes place in the city of Corinth. The protagonist is Medea, wife of Jason. She also faces an external conflict; she is rejected by her lover and plots inane revenge by murdering the children they both love. In these two Greek tragedies, both Antigone and Medea struggle with external conflicts. Antigone faces conflict with the antagonist, Creon. Antigone breaks the law in order to stand up for what is right; she believes that the laws of the gods are higher than human gods. While Creon, on the other hand, insists that everyone must obey the law. He believes that no one is above the law. Creon says, “Pride? . . . This girl is guilty of . . . breaking the given laws and boasting of it” (762). Although Medea wasn’t persecuted as Antigone was, she also faces an external conflict. Jason left Medea for the daughter of King Creon. Medea wanted to get revenge, because he betrayed her. Medea committed several murders and ended up killing their two sons, as well as Glauce and King Creon. She intended to hurt him and the plan of revenge was a success. Though this success did not come without a price as implied in Medea’s words, “I have a raise you children but it was no use . . . I had hoped so much when you were born” (Euripides n.p.). “Antigone” and “Medea’s” conflict of resolution are similar in most ways, but different in others. In “Antigone”, Creon lets his pride and stubbornness give rise to tyranny. As