antigone
...s free will, but it also a test. Tragedy is an event causing great sadness or suffering. It is also a play with an unhappy ending. We are going to look at both. Aristotle once said, “In order for the play to be a tragedy the character must have free will so that he can have a fatal flaw”. We have already discovered that Oedipus did not have free will therefore I personally believe even though Oedipus was the archetype of a victim, Oedipus Rex is not a tragedy as he was destined to his fate. In December 2004, we experienced a world wide, overwhelming tragedy. The Indian Ocean tsunami washed away hundreds of thousands of poverty stricken people, simple village people, many of whom were children and babies. Tourists from around the world chose the beautiful sunny beaches of South East Asia where their magnificent holiday became their worst nightmare of death and destruction. The tsunami destroyed families, lives and land. Is this from G-d? Did the many people who lost their lives have the free will to be at a certain place at an unfortunate time? I believe they did, and we can see the tragedy as they lost their lives due to an ill-fated choice. In the play Antigone, we see Antigone’s bravery as she defies the king Creon by burying her brother Polynices. Even though men were known to be superior in those times Antigone showed her ability to stand up to a man as a woman as she says “He has no right to keep me from my own “ She did not fear the outcome as the fear was replaced by the determination to stand up for what she believed in. On the other hand, Antigone's sister, Ismene, can be accused of complacency. Who sat back and wanted to allowed her brother “ to be left unburied, left to be eaten by dogs and vultures, a horror for all to see” In today’s world we are all guilty of complacency. Whether we leave the tap running or spray ozone-damaging substances. We are all aware of the dangers of global warming but continue not to raise or voice in protest. To illustrate my point we can look back in history during the nazi era at a great hero Oskar Schindler. Unlike most of his nazi compatriots he stood up for what he believed in and saved thousands of Jews from the death camps. After reading the book “ Schindler’s arch” written by Thomas Keneally I personally believe Osker Schindler is not only a hero but an inspiration as he is a true reflection of selfless bravery. In the play we read of a sentry who says to Creon “ I’ve ever valued anyone’s life more than my own, and that’s the honest truth” people are generally more self-absorbed. They are the ones accused of compl...