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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of this study is the play entitled Antigone which is written by Sophocles, one of many great writers in the world of literature. Antigone is the
last play in the trilogy of Oedipus which is famously called as Oedipus Rex. The first play is Oedipus the King, the second play is Oedipus at Colonus, and
the last play is Antigone. The first and the second play focus more on the tragic story of the king Oedipus, Antigones father. This play was written by
Sophocles on around 442441 BC. Sophocles was born in Colonus about 496 BC. He is a great writer as stated by Richard Goldstone in his book entitled
Contexts of the Drama. Sophocles served Athens as both military leader and public official. his
lifework, however, was that of playwright; he competed for the drama prizes awarded at the festival of Dionysius and won first prize nearly
twenty times. after his death, thenians venerated Sophocles as a hero of the state. Goldstone, 1960:14
We can see clearly from the quotation above that Sophocles is famous as tragedy playwright and he had won many contests because of the plays he
wrote. He is an outstanding writer among other writers on that era. He is as famous as Shakespeare at the Elizabethan era.
The play used by the writer in this study is the English version of Antigone. It was translated from the Greek original version by Dudley Fitts and
Robert Fitzgerald. There are all five scenes and approximately 1353 words on this text. Eight characters were named throughout the play.
Greek tragedies are very well known in the world of literature. It also has great influence in society worldwide. Antigone as the object of this study is one
of many famous Greek tragedies. Sylvan Barnett, William Burto, Lesley Ferris, and Gerald Rabkin in their book Types of Drama: Plays and Contexts 8
th
edition stated that Antigone has great influence in the twentieth century. It influenced a Roman version of the play a lot 2001: 106-107.
Antigone tells a story of a woman named Antigone, a daughter of the old king of Thebes named Oedipus. Antigone decide to face the king of Thebes,
Creon and his law in order to give his brother Polyneices a proper burial who died in a war against his own brother Etheocles. Creon decided to leave
Polyneices unburied because he fights against his own homeland and country. He called him traitor and told people traitor does not deserve any proper burial.
He will punish anyone who dare to burry Polyneices. The punishment that will be given is stoned to death in public. Antigone who disagrees with Creon‟s
decision decides to bury his brother in a proper way. He asks her sister Ismene to help but she refuses because Ismene is afraid of Creons punishment so she
attempts to do it all alone by herself. At last she was captured when she tries to burry Polyneices.
Haemon, Creon‟s son who is Antigone‟s fiancée try to ask Creon to release Antigone. In the name of dignity, Creon refuses. Filled with anger
Haemon go to the place where Antigone was punished but he was late.
Antigone has hanged herself. Soon when Creon comes, Haemon strikes him with a sword but he misses and the sword strikes his own body. Creon filled
with sadness, return home with the dead body of Haemon. His sadness become bigger when he found his wife has committed suicide after hearing Haemon‟s
death. In the name of dignity, Creon loses his wife and his son at the same time. Just the same as Antigone who lose her two brothers at the same time.
B. Approach of the Study
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