Download Background Stories of Antigone for Storyboard

BACKGROUND FOR ANTIGONE
THE HOUSE OF THEBES
Laius, the third descendent of Cadmus, who founded the city of Thebes, married his distant cousin,
Jocasta. Apollo’s oracle at Delphi decreed that if they had a son, he would grow up to kill his father, marry his
mothe,r and have children who would meet misfortune.
Jocasta gave birth to a baby boy. To avoid the prophecy, Laius pierced the baby’s feet with a sharp
spike and bound them together. He gave the baby to a servant to leave on a nearby mountain to die. The
servant found a shepherd to take the baby. The baby was taken to King Polybus in Corinth. Because of the
baby’s feet, he was named Oedipus – which means “swollen feet.” He was raised as the king’s son.
When grown, a friend told Oedipus that he was not really the king’s son. Oedipus was upset and went to
the oracle at Delphi to hear what Apollo had to say. He was told, “Do not return to your city or you will kill your
father, marry your mother, and have children who will be unfortunate.”
Terrified to return home, he took the road to Thebes. On the way, he met a man in a place where three
roads fork. He had four servants with him and they refused to yield to Oedipus and let him have the road. Filled
with frustration and now angry at the slightest insult, he killed the man and three of the servants. One servant
escaped.
Oedipus, caring little for his own life, went to the gates of Thebes where a sphinx with the body of a lion
and the head of a woman was guarding the city gates. She told him he would have to answer her riddle or die.
“What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?” asked
the sphinx.
“Man. He crawls as an infant, walks on two legs in the afternoon or as an adult, and uses a cane with his
legs in the evening or in old age.”
The sphinx was so furious she threw herself into the sea and drowned.
Oedipus was hailed by the people of Thebes. He married the queen and they had four children –
Polynieces, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene.
All went well for many years. Then plague and famine hit the city. The oracle at Delphi said it would end
when the murderer of King Laius was found.
Oedipus sends for the blind prophet – Teiresias- who knew many things, some he told and some he did
not. When Oedipus said that famine and plague would leave the city if Laius’ murdered could be found,
Teiresias was silent.
Oedipus asked, “Are you involved?”
Furious that he would be suspected, Teiresas exclaimed, “You are the murdered you seek.”
Oedipus thinks this is sheer madness and dismisses him as an unreliable prophet. His wife, the queen,
agrees. She tells him you can’t believe oracles because they told her and Laius that they would have a boy who
would grow up to kill his father, and everyone knows that Laius was killed by someone at the place where three
roads meet while he was traveling with four servants. One servant survived to tell us.
Oedipus looks strange and sends a servant for the survivor. He tells Jocasta of his visit to the oracle and
being told that he would kill his father.
Unexpectedly, a man enters from King Polybus’ court. He regretfully tells Oedipus that King Polybus has
died.
Jocasta says, “See how the oracles lie. King Polybus did not die by his son’s hand.”
The servant looks at Oedipus. “Oedipus was not Polybus’ son. I took him as a babe from a servant of
Laius who gave him to me on a mountain. His feet were pierced and bound.”
At that, Jocasta turned white and fled from the room.
Oedipus sends for the servant who took him as a babe to the mountain. He tells him the truth.
The servant says he was to kill the child but could not.
Oedipus cries with agony. “All true – now my light shall be turned to darkness.”
He left the room, found his wife hanged, and blinded himself. The black world would be a refuge from
the old world that had been so bright.
{BEGIN OEDIPUS at COLONUS—2nd PLAY} The queen’s brother, Creon, became regent of Thebes
and years later the people exiled Oedipus. Antigone went with him. Ismene stayed in Thebes to send news from
home.
When Oedipus was about to die, Ismene went to visit him to tell him that the oracle at Delphi said that
any place that accepted Oedipus for burial would receive special favors from the gods. He was buried in
Colunus, outside Athens.
Oedipus dies and is accepted for burial by Theseus, King of Athens. Theseus sent Antigone and Ismene
home with an escort where they find their brothers preparing for battle. Polyneices went to Argos and asked
King Adrastus to help fight Eteocles. Adrastus agrees.
Eteocles fights from inside the city of Thebes.
Antigone and Ismene get home just as the battle begins. They can do nothing but watch.
Seven men attacked the seven gates of Thebes. After the first day, there was no winner. Only
Polyneices will fight Eteocles the second day. The winner will be king. However, both of them die. Just before
Polyneices dies, he asks to be buried in Thebes.
Creon becomes regent again. He buries Eteocles, but he refuses to bury Polyneices and five of the others
who attacked the gates. When Antigone opens, Antigone buries Polyneices and faces a death decree from
Creon.