Character Development of Creon and Antigone through Dialogue
How is the development of Creon and Antigone's characters reflected through their dialogue?
Jerry Liang 0159-XXXX 1371 words
In Greek theatre the success of a tragedy was determined a set of distinct principles unique to the Greek outlined by Aristotle. Since Geek drama is based on famous mythical lore, the element of surprise in a play is minimal, ignorable, unlike contemporary drama with their heart-wrenching plot twists. As a result, the success of the play was largely determined by the plot development of the tragedy. While Aristotle stated that a successful work must have a wholesome plot, ranking the plot as the most important criterion, the role of character development in the Sophoclean tragedies is remarkably significant because not only does it advance the plot, it is also a crucial element for the audience to experience the catharses emphasized by ancient Greek drama. In the case of Antigone, Sophocles was able to masterfully formulate his characters in the play which contributed greatly to the play’s reputation as a famous tragedy. While there are many ways a character can be developed, Sophocles portrays the characters through dialogues in Antigone. For example, Antigone and Creon fully establish their personalities and occasionally reveal their changes in character through their specific word choice and tones in their dialogue (with each other).
In her initial argument with Creon, Antigone exposes her inner self without hesitation. As the heroine of the play, Antigone is required to be unshakeable in her belief because the consequence of breaking a law with a penalty of death sentence demands an iron will. Sophocles successfully presents Antigone as a self-righteous figure by careful diction. The first impression of Antigone under accusation is one of outright defiance. When Creon asks her whether she performed the burial right on Polynices, her response is concise and
Jerry Liang 0159-XXXX 1371 words
In Greek theatre the success of a tragedy was determined a set of distinct principles unique to the Greek outlined by Aristotle. Since Geek drama is based on famous mythical lore, the element of surprise in a play is minimal, ignorable, unlike contemporary drama with their heart-wrenching plot twists. As a result, the success of the play was largely determined by the plot development of the tragedy. While Aristotle stated that a successful work must have a wholesome plot, ranking the plot as the most important criterion, the role of character development in the Sophoclean tragedies is remarkably significant because not only does it advance the plot, it is also a crucial element for the audience to experience the catharses emphasized by ancient Greek drama. In the case of Antigone, Sophocles was able to masterfully formulate his characters in the play which contributed greatly to the play’s reputation as a famous tragedy. While there are many ways a character can be developed, Sophocles portrays the characters through dialogues in Antigone. For example, Antigone and Creon fully establish their personalities and occasionally reveal their changes in character through their specific word choice and tones in their dialogue (with each other).
In her initial argument with Creon, Antigone exposes her inner self without hesitation. As the heroine of the play, Antigone is required to be unshakeable in her belief because the consequence of breaking a law with a penalty of death sentence demands an iron will. Sophocles successfully presents Antigone as a self-righteous figure by careful diction. The first impression of Antigone under accusation is one of outright defiance. When Creon asks her whether she performed the burial right on Polynices, her response is concise and