... should carry him stinking bit by bit to heaven." This is extreme hubris. He thinks his laws are above those of the gods. Antigone starts out the play in despair. She doesn't gain or lose anything during the course of the play except her life. Her death is of no surprise to ... she already knows the penalty for breaking Creon's law. Creon, on the other hand, starts off with a family and the respect of his constituents. In the end, his wife and son both commit suicide. Everyone around him tells him how wrong his edict is. All of this happens because he is ... inflexible and is trying to...

• Word Count: 498
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... The plot may be either simple or complex, although complex is better. Simple plots have only a "change of fortune" (catastrophe). Complex plots have both "reversal of situation" (peripeteia) and "recognition" (anagnorisis) connected with the catastrophe. Both peripeteia and anagnorisis turn upon surprise. Peripeteia leads directly to the anagnorisis. This creates the catastrophe, leading to the final ... . Thus tragedy is a sort of moral story to show the futility of human wealth and power. A great German philosopher and critic, Hegel, stresses the importance of 'moral conflict" in...

• Word Count: 559
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School