Three Female Characters In Grecian Calamities Essay, Research Paper

Jim CreusMrs. Baldi

English IV2/18/97

Three Female Characters in Grecian Calamities

In the times of the ancient Greeks, adult females had an unpretentious function. They were expected to make take on the recognized function of a adult female. In most instances, a adult female? s function is restricted to bearing immature, raising kids, and housekeeping. In Sophocles? Oedipus the King, Antigone, and Medea, the dominant female characters impacted upon work forces with authorization and political power. It is an ineluctable destiny that one of these characters will fall, and that the Supreme beings have control over everyone? s destiny. Each dominant female character portrays her self-control and committedness to their beliefs. This is what leads to the inevitable calamity.

In Oedipus the King, Jocasta, is Oedipus? married woman and the sister of Creon. She became a portion of doomed Theban dynasty when she married Laius, the King of Thebes. As a consequence, the matrimony had brought together two subdivisions of the household of Cadmus and seemed to vouch political strength. She became defeated because she was unable to bring forth an inheritor to the throne. Seeking a solution, Lauis went to the prophet at Delphi and asked how the proble might be overcome. Alternatively, the prophet proclaimed that the boy born to Jocasta would be his liquidator. Upon hearing the prognostication, Lauis rejected all adult females. This angered Jocasta and she had gotten Lauis rummy, and slept with him. This proves that Jocasta refuses to be outdone, even by her hubby. When Jocasta had given birth to a babe male child ( Oedipus ) , Lauis had it sent off by a courier to decease of exposure high in the mountains. A shepherd discovered the male child and gave it to his maestro King Polybus.

As old ages passed, Thebes was plagued by a Sphinx that sought the reply to a conundrum. It asked for the reply and killed everyone who had guessed falsely. This had riddled Thebes? commercialism and left its people disgruntled. To do affairs worse, intelligence reached the metropolis that Lauis had been killed by unknown attackers. Desperate and in demand of aid, Creon ( now the trustee of Thebes ) had offered up the throne and Jocasta to anyone who could work out the Sphinx? s conundrum.

In the interim, Oedipus came across the Sphinx and solved the conundrum. He ended up in Thebes because he went to the prophet at Delphi merely like his male parent Lauis. Now Oedipus is King of Thebes and another job arises, a pestilence. He searches far and broad for the solution to salvage his people. Nebiims and wisemen were brought in to assist Oedipus with the pestilence. It is discovered that the pestilence will be lifted when Lauis? decease is revenged. Tiresias, an old prophesier reveals that Oedipus is the liquidator. Creon excessively, accuses Oedipus of the slaying. Jocasta stands by Oedipus? side.

A prophesier? . . . free yourself of every charge! Listen to me and larn some peace I mind: no accomplishment in the universe, nil human can perforate the hereafter. . . .my boy wasn? t three yearss old and the male child? s male parent fastened his mortise joints, had a henchman fling him off on a waste, trackless mountain. Apollo brought neither thing to base on balls. My babe no more murdered his male parent that Lauis suffered- ( 201 )

Here Jocasta inquiries the Gods and amenitiess Oedipus, her beloved hubby. They do non detect how blind they are because the Supreme beings are ever correct.

& # 8220 ; Stange, hearing you merely now. . . my head wandered, my idea rushing back and forth. & # 8221 ; ( 201 ) Oedipus eventually begins to recognize that his trip to Delphi begins to co-occur with Jocasta? s account of Lauis? slaying. He begins to inquiries Jocasta madly. Jocasta explains that a informant of the slaying had been sent into concealing instantly after Oedipus? s coronating. Oedipus demands his presence, but Jocasta begs him to halt his probe. & # 8220 ; Impossible. Trust me, he could ne’er do the slaying or Lauis genuinely fit the prophecy. & # 8221 ; ( 208 ) Oedipus starts to recognize he had put a expletive upon himself when he had condemned the adult male who had slain Lauis. The informant verifies the truth to Oedipus and their narratives match. Jocasta prays to Apollo that Oedipus won? T be so unreassuring. & # 8220 ; What should a adult male fright? . . . Better to populate at random, Live as if there? s no Tom

orrow! ” ( 215 ) She wants him to be unagitated, for she believes he did non make it.

Both Jocasta and Oedipus are excited to hear the intelligence of Polybus? passing. This meant that Oedipus did non kill his male parent. The courier besides verifies that Oedipus? male parent was non Polybus? but Lauis. & # 8220 ; Oh no, I beg you, wear? t do this. . .No, please, I want the best for you. & # 8221 ; ( 222-3 ) Oedipus? thirst for the truth is excessively strong and he discovers the truth. His female parent is Jocasta and his male parent is Lauis.

As a consequence, Jocasta, horrified, runs to her Chamberss and bents herself. Oedipus so follows after and gauges his eyes. He suffers from his ain expletive and banishes himself faraway.

In Antigone, a war if fought and the incursive ground forcess of Argos have been driven from Thebes. Creon, who is now king, orders that all the dead encroachers are to be left unburied for the birds and animals. Antigone, Oedipus? girl, demands for her brother? s proper entombment, despite the Creon? s orders. Antigone? s sister, Ismene, on the other manus, is a typical subservient adult female. & # 8221 ; He has no right to maintain me from my own. & # 8221 ; ( 61 ) Despite the dissension between the two sisters, Ismene and Antigone, Antigone will follow through with some burial rites for her brother. Ismene agrees to maintain Antigone? s purposes a secret, but that is all. Anigone answers, & # 8220 ; Dear God, shout it from the roof tops. I? ll hatred you all the more for silence-tell the universe! & # 8221 ; ( 64 )

The lookout guards study to Creon that person has lightly dusted the organic structure with soil. Creon is furiated and has Antigone captured and buried alive. Antigone is courageous and accepts her penalty. & # 8220 ; I chose to decease. . . I gave myself to decease, & # 8221 ; ( 88 ) The prophesier Tireseas predicts more calamity as a consequence of Creon? s rebelliousness of the Gods. By non giving a proper entombment to the dead organic structures, he is robbing the Gods of the underworld. Creon shakes off his warnings.

Haemon, Creon? s boy, pleads for Antigone? s life because he is in love with her. Creon thinks of adult females in merely one manner,

Never lose your sense of judgement over a adult female. The heat, the haste of pleasance, it all goes cold in your weaponries, I warn you. . .a worthless adult female in your house, a wretchedness in you bed. Spit her out like a mortal enemy-let the miss go. ( 93 )

Antigone, in her grave, faces her destiny with grace. & # 8220 ; Very good: if this if the pleasances of the Gods, one time I suffer I will cognize that I was wrong. & # 8221 ; ( 106 )

Haemon discovers Antigone who had strangled herself. He in bend pushs himself upon his ain blade. Creon had realized what the Gods demanded and attempted to delve Antigone out himself but was excessively late.

In Medea, Medea seeks retaliation when her hubby Jason falls for Creon? s girl and marries her. Medea devoted herself to Jason and he lusts for another adult female. & # 8220 ; When you were sent to the fire-breathing bulls, I saved your life ; I volitionally deceived my male parent and left my place with you. & # 8221 ; ( 31 ) Medea feels that she must demand retaliation alternatively of forgiving and burying. & # 8220 ; Tests are yet to come for this new-wedded brace ; & # 8221 ; ( 28 ) Creon fears that Medea will harm his girl so he banishes her. She has all of one twenty-four hours to happen a place elsewhere. Medea faces her expatriate with self-respect, & # 8220 ; Nothing would bring on me to hold traffics with your friends, nor to take any gift of yours. & # 8221 ; ( 35 ) Aegeus, King of Athens, offers her a place in his land for an exchange for a remedy for his asepsis. Before go forthing, Medea poisons a Crown and a frock, presented by her two kids to the Jason? s new married woman. She bursts into fires and dies. For Medeas ultimate retaliation, she kills her two kids. Adding abuse to hurt, she does non allow him bury the kids, & # 8220 ; I will convey them to the temple of Hera, I will bury them with my ain hand. & # 8221 ; ( 60 )

Jocasta, with her ignorance to the prognostications, and her devotedness to Oedipus, act as her limelight as she breaks the cast of typical adult females. Antigone? s self-control and trueness to the Gods burial demands and her brother portray her as a strong individual. Medea? s thrust and finding, although non with good purpose, characterizes her as a strong adult female. All three have shown their credence of their destiny at one clip. They stand out in a crowd of subservient adult females.