Heroism

Question 1

What did herosim mean in the classical world?

Answer 1

• Herosim was a hot topic in the ancient world as many of the stories from the mythological past were concerned about the actions of a heroe: Odysseus, Aeneas, Achilles etc
• Many of the stories about heroes look at the problems these men face on their adventures
• Homeric heroes are never quite as clean-cut as we would like them to be - they all have their faults and weaknesses
• Tragic heroes are in the plays Antigone and Oedipus the King - many charcters try to do the right thing but end up with greater problems on their hands

Question 2

Antigone being heroic: Defends the rights of the gods

Answer 2

• antigone decides to bury her brother in accordance with the religous rites in ancient greece
• concerned with the correct burial is vital to entering the underworld and the afterlife

Question 3

Antigone being heroic; defends the rights of her family

Answer 3

• part of her duty is to her family and she defends polynices’ honour by ensuring that hr has an appropriate funeral
• antigone sees both her brothers as family and not as enemies/rivals

Question 4

Antigone being heroic; acting as a hero whislt being a woman

Answer 4

• sophocles is showing antigone to have heroic traits - this is unexpected for a woman in ancient times
• being heroic she fights agaisnt the restirction in her life (being a woman) to defend what she belives is right

Question 5

Antigone lacking heroism: lack of respecrt for her sister

Answer 5

• antigone does listen to the reasonable arguments of her sister who ultimatly is left isolated when antigone commits suicide
• ismene tries to corrwct her actions later in the play but antigone refuses to allow her to recive any of the credit for burying polynices

Question 6

Antigone lacking heroism: lack of respect for her city

Answer 6

• antigone is acting agasint creons intial aim (to keep thebes safe) and so does not have the welfare of the city at heart
• in the play, it is claimed that many of the thebans agree with antigone but she is acting upon her own familial needs and not those of the city

Question 7

Antigone lacking heroism: abandonment of her principles

Answer 7

• antigone claims that she would not have acted the same way with her own children as she did with Polynices (she would not have buried her own children if the law decreed it)
• here antgione is contradicting what she has previously championed (upholding the laws of the gods)

Question 8

Creon as the tragic hero

Answer 8

• creon is acting in, what he believs to be, the interests of the state
• his main aim is to keep thebes safe and free from harm of enemies
• ultimatly hsi actions fuel antigones rebellion and relsut in the death of his family
• trying to do the right thing has not worked

Question 9

Haemon acting heroically

Answer 9

• Haemon is initially in agreement with his father regarding the treatment of antigone
• ## haemon eventually stands up againt the authority of his father, the king, the state and defends what he believs to be a justified issue (Antigones honour)

Question 10

The tragic hero in Antigone

Answer 10

• many of the characters in antigone are fuelled by their desire and wnat to do the right thing
• unfortunatly most of their efforts aand actions result in causing more upset and harm than their original aim
• the tragic hero always has a downfall
• tragic heroes have flaws - creon and antigone are stubborn and unyeilding

Question 11

Oedipus’ heroic legacy

Answer 11

• before the start of the play oedipus has killed the sphinx and saved thebes
• people of thebes look to their leadr/hero to save the city again from the plague

Question 12

Defending the honour of thebes

Answer 12

• oedipus is enraged that the murder of laius was never fully investigated - he personally oversees the investigation which will ultimatly result in his down fall
• he strives to protects his people and punish those who might be the cause of the plague

Question 13

Tragic hero Oedipus

Answer 13

• oedipus has his flaws and is not perfect whihc makes him a tragic hero
• he wants to do the right things but his flaws - arrogance, stubborness end up making him realise the consequences of his actions (murderer of Laius and married Jocasta)
• oedipus cannot chnage the outcome of his actions as it is too late by the time he has all the information to relaise what has happened