The Seven Against Thebes

THE SEVEN AGAINST THEBES


This article was originally published in A Short History of the Drama. Martha Fletcher Bellinger. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1927. p. 29.
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A single incident connected with the Oedipus legend is made the basis of this play, whose underlying theme is the fulfilment of a curse. Of the two sons of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polynices, the prophecy had been made: "They shall divide their inheritance with the sword in such a manner as to obtain equal shares." When the play begins, Eteocles is in possession of the city, while Polynices with an army of Argive soldiers advances to attack it. In the battle which follows by the walls of Thebes, both brothers are killed. Their "equal share" is a grave. Antigone, the sister, here appears for a moment, announcing her determination to give her rebel brother the decent burial which had been denied him.

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Aeschylus and His Tragedies - Biography of the Greek dramatist and analysis of his poetic qualities. Aeschylus Characterized - A brief poetic impression of the works of Aeschylus. Aeschylus Forever Lost - An account of the destruction of the complete works of Aeschylus. Changes Made by Aeschylus - An analysis of the innovations made by Aeschylus in the drama. The Eclipse of Aeschylus - Revered as Aeschylus was in his life and honored in his death, yet there arose a generation that laughed at his archaic diction and ridiculed his plots. The Oresteia - Summary and analysis of the dramatic trilogy by Aeschylus consisting of: Agamemnon, The Choëphoræ, and The Eumenides. Patriotic and Religious Ideas of Aeschylus - Like most of the earlier Athenian poets, Aeschylus was intensely national. His plays reveal a constant care and anxiety for Greece and the traditions of greatness which she inherited. Prometheus Bound - Summary and analysis of the play by Aeschylus. The Renown of Aeschylus after his Death - An account by Victor Hugo of the near deification of Aeschylus by the Greeks after his death. Seven Against Thebes - An analysis of the play by Sophocles. Aeschylus (c. 525-456 BC) - A biography.