THEME TOPICS FOR TRAGEDY
Date for preliminary outline__________________Date for rough draft_____________________
Date for final theme________________________
I. The role of the chorus. Consider the several functions of the chorus: to guide the audience, to
serve as a middle-ground between actors and audience, to fuse the action of the play into the
wider spectrum of culture and tradition. Bear in mind the unique role of the choragos as leader of
the chorus; he is not so much another actor as a spokesperson for the chorus as a whole. At times,
the chorus will create dramatic irony by celebrating a situation that the audience already knows to
have turned toward disaster (Parados of Antigone). Similarly, the chorus may supply background
information, or exposition (Parados of Oedipus Rex). Still another characteristic is the
enunciation of traditional wisdom, even platitudes, with reference to the preceding scene.
Account for the both the irony and inadequacy of some of the choral statements. Why has the
chorus disappeared from most modern drama, with the exception of musical comedy and the
opera?
II. Ornament. For all poetically inclined, the language of Sophocles is rich in figures of speech.
Explore the extended metaphors and other figures of speech in either Antigone or Oedipus Rex.
In the second choral Ode in Antigone, for example, the chorus uses metaphors of farming,
fishing, and hunting to describe both the feats of man in general and the skill of the wise ruler in
particular. Pay special attention to how figures of speech evoke mood and emotion as well as
ideas, and how such techniques can express aspects of human experience that resist rational,
black/white-style analysis.
III. Tragic emotions. Building on the ancient contention that the audience should feel both fear
and pity during the performance of a tragedy, fear repelling us even as pity attracts us, examine
the tragic protagonist(s) to see whether this effect is really achieved in either play. In Antigone,
some readers find that Creon, not Antigone, fits the classical description of the tragic protagonist.
Generally, we find that the fear is evoked when the character(s) cannot control events, but it may
sometimes arise when we see characters unable to control themselves in ways that we find
difficult for ourselves. Moreover, when the excellence (arete) of the character(s) is part of the
problem, we fear that our own good qualities may somehow harm us. Pity or compassion, on the
other hand, requires our acknowledgment of our vulnerability to suffering, even when we are not
the actual sufferers.
IV. Foil characters. Sophocles provides secondary characters whose roles compare and contrast
with the protagonist in significant and revealing ways. In Oedipus Rex, for example, Creon is
reasonable and restrained in his responses to harsh accusations; he is the voice of moderation,
caution, and lawful restraint. Ismene plays a similar role in Antigone. While foil characters may
generally be regarded as better, more reverent, reasonable, and compassionate people, they are
less interesting, less complex, and less tragic than the protagonists. You may choose to compare
similar foil characters in both plays, Iocaste and Haimon, for example, both of whom urge the
king to reverse his position and desist from his single-minded determination to carry out an edict.
Teiresias plays a similar but not identical role in both plays, early in Oedipus but late in
Antigone. Even minor characters can provide ample material.
V. The meaning of reverence. One of the recurring themes in the choral odes is the importance
of reverence. Sort out the various contexts in which the chorus raises this concern and what
definition is implied: submission to a power greater than oneself, respect for authority, selfrestraint. Sophocles, however, constructs both plays to show how difficult or elusive reverence
may be in conditions of stress or conflict. For example, the Delphic Oracle provides a conundrum
for the parents of Oedipus. Should they believe the prediction to be the will or only the foresight
of the gods? Should they humbly raise their only son and wait to see if the prediction will be
fulfilled? How does their drastic solution express irreverence? In Antigone, the problem takes a
different form. Creon s edict was made in good faith, to protect the stability of Thebes after an
insurrection. How could he have responded differently to Antigone s claim to be abiding by a
higher law, one requiring reverence for the dead? When is reverence most meaningful, when it is
easy and comfortable, or when is it agonizingly difficult?
Some reminders:
Get an early start on your theme. You will need to observe the writing process, assembling ideas
and information before attempting to outline, editing a full rough draft before completing a
correct, final version.
Outline entries should extend at least three levels in the body paragraphs and two in the
introduction and conclusion. Paragraph topics should be ideas, not names or events. Body
paragraphs should contain at least three pieces of evidence. Theme should contain a minimum of
five paragraphs and six direct quotations.
Use evidence accurately. Do not indulge in conjecture or mind-reading. Inferences should be
logical and precise. Avoid sweeping generalizations and overstatement.
Do not include evidence in either the introduction or conclusion. Quotations in these paragraphs
should be used for emphasis or culmination, not proof. Do not introduce new material in the
conclusion.
Do not repeat statements. Avoid repeating phrases. Sentence fragments will cause automatic
failure.
All work on the theme must be done by you alone, with the exception of any help given by me,
Wayne Batten.