Abstract
The following paper discusses many themes revolving around the role of women in these two works. They include marriage and adultery, anger coping and revenge. The themes are compared and contrasted with both works.

From the Paper
"The play Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen and the play Medea by Euripides have independent-minded women as central characters. Hedda Gabler and Medea refuse to conform to standards set forth by society regarding their roles as women. Ibsen and Euripides show the restrictions and biases society places on Hedda Gabler and Medea by exploring the themes of marriage and revenge. Hedda Gabler takes place in Norway in the early 1900s, while Medea takes place in ancient Greece. Regardless of the setting, society's treatment of Hedda Gabler and Medea is similar. The similarity in the treatment of both women illustrates the universality of sexism. As women, Hedda Gabler and Medea are expected to adhere to different roles and standards than the men in their lives. Ibsen and Euripides use the lives of Hedda Gabler and Medea to show how stereotypes and sexist beliefs contribute to society's treatment and view of women."

Tags:brack, euripides, gabler, hedda, ibsen, jason, judge, lovborg, medea, society, stereotypes, tesman, women

From the Paper
"The story of Antigone has been told by many poets, playwrights, and others over the centuries. The relationship between Antigone and her father, Oedipus, and the conflict between Antigone and Creon, point to various aspects of the social roles of women in Thebes at the time this play was written. The tragedy of Oedipus echoes through the generations, affecting his children and determining the course of their lives for them, and Antigone can be examined using this Freudian view, much as Willbern does when he writes, Such a focus will therefore be one-sided, viewed through paternal eyes--the patriarchal perspective. Freud sometimes characterized the daughter's perspective, but he was naturally more familiar with the father's (Willbern 75-76)." "

From the Paper
" This study will examine the role of fate in the life of Oedipus in Sophocles' play Oedipus the King. Oedipus himself is largely unaware of his true situation in life and the role he has played in bringing that situation about. Is Oedipus doomed because of his anger, pride, and obsessive need to find the truth? Or is he doomed because the gods decided before he was even born that he would live the tragic life he lived, including killing his father and marrying his mother? The position of this study will be that Oedipus was predestined to experience the tragedies of his life. The theme, therefore, carries the message that individuals are not free from their fates, but must come to accept whatever destiny has dealt them.

Oedipus is ignorant of essential facts about himself and his life, and his ignorance of such facts leads to disaster. Oedipus.."

Abstract
The paper begins by looking at the differences between the classical tragic hero and the tragic hero of Shakespearian times. It then moves on to a closer examination of the characteristics of the tragic hero, as illustrated in is Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex." A brief outline of the plot is given and the paper explains how this work fits into the category of the mythological tale. The character flaws responsible for the tragic fall in the play are also discussed. Next the paper moves on to Shakespeare's tragedy, "Hamlet," comparing it with the former tragedy in terms of evidence or lack of "otherworldly forces" to spur on the tragedy and in terms of each plays philosophy concerning fate and free will. The paper concludes by explaining how both of these characters fit the mold of tragic hero.

From the Paper
"Understanding the Tragic Hero begins with an examination of Oedipus Rex. But, while he is the archetype of this particular literary character, Hamlet is, perhaps, the most well developed and psychologically complex of tragic heroes. For the Greeks, all things in life are preordained, which is what makes for the tragedy of Oedipus, his attempt to make his own destiny. Over the course of time, however, while the form of the tragic hero did not change, the reason for his being tragic did. The social world of the Renaissance had shifted from a philosophy of determinism to one of individualism that we all have the choice to accept or deny our relationship with God. This makes Hamlet a tragic hero who is punished not for a flaunting of destiny, but because he is mad. It is the purpose of this paper to examine both Oedipus Rex and Hamlet as tragic heroes who, because of their different social contexts, made for very different men."

Tags:differences, characteristics, flaw, fall, tragedy

Abstract
This paper tells what the chorus brought to Greek theater and how theater was shaped because of it. The paper discusses this topic while examining one of the most famous Greek play, "Hippolytus," by Euripides. The chorus was a crucial part of theater during that time and was used to narrate the story, give their opinion of the plot, and keep a rhythm for the play. The chorus did this in various ways, such as through costumes, stage presence, music, and singing. The Greek chorus was a precursor to operas and musicals as we know them today, and the paper discusses this evolution of the chorus.

From the Paper
"The chorus is essential to ancient Greek drama, and the plays at that time were greatly dependent on song and dance which the chorus performed (Ley 28). It accompanied the actors with sounds, gestures, postures, costumes, masks etc, and these flowing actions and stage elements brought the play to life. The various roles of the chorus are to narrate, give their opinions and keep the rhythm of the play. They do this through singing, movement, and stage presence. The ancient Greek theater is also important because it was the precursor to operas and musicals as we know them today. This paper will discuss the importance of the chorus' roles on the Greek stage by examining Euripides' Hippolytus and also how it influenced modern theater. To fully understand the reason for the chorus it is necessary to know the history."

Tags:dance, dionysus, euripides, festival, hippolytus, movement, musicals, operas, song, stage, theater

Abstract
The paper analyzes Sophocles' play "Antigone", which tells the narrative of the demise of Oedipus' daughter/sister in the context of the larger tragedy of the rulers of the ancient Greek city of Thebes. The paper discusses how, in the context of the play, Antigone does not only function as a singular individual, experiencing a single dilemma of character, she also functions as a young woman playing several roles. It shows that her first role is that of a bereaved sister, then her role is that of a daughter and sister of a uniquely tragic oedipal house. Finally her role is one of an ordinary woman dying before her time because of the fundamental, fated, and unsolvable conflict between the obligations of blood and obligations of a citizen.

From the Paper
"When her crime is discovered, Antigone adopts a new role, that of a woman whom is not only a sister of a dead brother, but also the descendant of a house uniquely battered at torn at by fate who has a unique destiny to fulfill. She assumes this destiny in contrast to her sister Ismene. When asked if she feels any hatred for the killer of her own brother, Antigone says, "Brother yes, by the same mother, the same father." In other words, both brothers slew his brother; both have committed the tragic crime of fratricide. In the face of such evil, who can judge one brother above another? That is the essence of the tragedy of Thebes, of the confusion of familial roles."

Tags:Creon, sibling, conflict, Ismene

Abstract
This essay addresses the numerous instances of irony in Sophocles' renowned Greek tragedy "Oedipus the King"; in the plot, the themes, and the dialogues. The author discusses how the audience knows of Oedipus' situation, long before he figures things out for himself, and examines one of the most ironic scenes between the king and the blind soothsayer, Teiresias.

From the Paper
"Oedipus the King is one of the best-known Greek tragedies in dramatic history. The central theme was instrumental to daily life of the early Greeks, because it demonstrates the powers of fate. The main plotline revolves around Oedipus and his quest to escape his own destiny, which turns his life to turmoil. The play is about murder, incest, and suicide. Knowing the play contains these exciting elements, one would think there would be no problem drawing an audience. When the play was produced, however, the Greek audience would have been familiar with the legend of Oedipus Rex. Sophocles faced a great challenge to develop a play that would generate interest in watching a play in which the patrons already knew the story. Sophocles captures and holds his audience's attention by introducing profound irony in the dialogue, in the plot and in the setting of Oedipus the King. "

Tags:greek, dialogue, plot, setting, sophocles, sphinx, jocasta, teiresias, audience, rex, laius, tragedy

Abstract
This paper traces the history of the architectural form and cultural function of the amphitheatre from its modest beginning in ancient Greece through to the Roman influenced theatre of today. It examines how, although some aspects of their design and function are debatable because so little of their physical structure exists today, Greek theaters can be chronologically classified into three categories: The early Athenian, Hellenistic and Graeco-Roman. It discusses how all of these theaters could be divided into essentially three parts: the theatron (or auditorium), the orchestra and the skene (or scene building) and how these standards developed over time.

From the Paper
"In its simplest form the orchestra of a theater is simply a circular plot of land designated as a place for dance and this idea defines the orchestra employed during this time. It was circular in shape with a diameter of about 66 feet and was believed to be a locus for supernatural powers. An altar (or thymele), described as "a short drum of marble decorated with low-relief carvings of garlands and satyrs, or other Greek icons? was usually erected in the epicenter of the orchestra. It was primarily used prior to performances for sacrifices in honor of the god Dionysus, however plays with religious content often incorporated the altar into the performance. A level surface area, raised one foot from the orchestra and situated below the skene, termed the proscenium, served as the area in which the majority of the dramatic action transpired."

Tags:ancient, architecture, building, drama, roman, rome, stage, skene, orchestra

Abstract
The paper discusses in great detail the evolution of the Roman theater, beginning from the Greek wooden origins to the stone monuments that became iconic with Roman architecture during the Republic and the Empire. A brief history of theater is discussed in the beginning of the paper, with special attention given to the religious implications of how theaters were originally set up. The importance of the orchestra and "skene" are given historical background, dating back to early Dionysian worship. The layout of the early Greek theaters are discussed, with a complete layout included that describes the circular performance area, the seating arrangements, background adjustments and a rudimentary stage. The rest of the paper deals with how the Romans, eager to take the art of theater from being a religious practice to more of an entertainment value for the masses, incorporated their own unique designs to the Greek theater layout to create a more efficient and clearly Roman design. Heavy attention is give to Vitruvius and his work " De Architectura" which provides a step-by-step process in which Roman theaters were built. Improvements are discussed from eliminating the completely circular stage to a half-circle, as well as creating an official stage that persists in modern theatrical performances. The paper takes each part of the theater and discusses the area extensively in terms of what the Romans did to improve upon or change from the early Greek models.

From the Paper
"Ancient Rome's concept of art and architecture was heavily influenced by the cultures that the Romans had conquered, but were in no way identical copies of the art that existed in those subjugated areas. The Romans excelled at taking artistic ideas from other civilizations and molding them into a form that could undoubtedly be identified as uniquely Roman. This technique can easily be seen in practice when one examines the Roman theater building. Roman theaters can be found throughout the area that used to be the Roman Empire, with remnants of theaters all over Europe and the Mediterranean. These theaters have details and building techniques that are exclusive to Roman designs, but when they are viewed in comparison with ancient Greek theaters, one can clearly see where the Romans received their inspiration."

Tags:ancient, architecture, greece, rome, theater, theatre, vitruvius

Abstract
This paper discusses how Greek myths are seen by western civilization as great works of art and beauty. It attempts to analyze why there is a continued fascination with them. It looks at how myths are the basis of our societal and religious practices and are therefore intrinsically treasured institution. It shows how philosophy has contributed to the understanding of the myths by interpreting them as universal allegories about humanity and existence, thus ensuring the continued fascination. It also examines how through psychoanalysis the characters in myths serve as examples of the human?s unconscious desires. Myths are true works of art that can infinitely adaptable and infinitely important as we change our values.

From the Paper
"Psychoanalysis is another field that has adopted the universalthemes and stories of the myths this time to explain the inner workings of our consciousness and thought processes. Sigmund Freud and then later Carl Jung both used the Greek myths to elaborate on their own theories of the mind. Myths according to the strain of psychoanalysis preached by Freud can explain unconscious desires; the characters in myths serve as examples of the human's unconscious desires. The Greek myths served as a good universal basis for the experience of the human condition, thus allowing them to be useful in psychoanalysis."

Tags:freud, jung, art, religion