Sophocles
A WebQuest for 10th Grade English based on the play Antigone by Sophocles
Designed by Jennifer Thomas
jthomas1@3villagecsd.org
Introduction
Sophocles was one of the most famous playwrights of his time—the 5th century BCE. He won hundreds of drama contests and awards (think of an “Ancient Tony Awards”, or “Oscars”). Though he lived into his nineties and is likely to have written hundreds of plays, only a few survive. Today, 2,500 years after his death, students are studying his works, as they have done for centuries. Why? What can we have to learn from a man who lived so long ago, on the other side of the world?
Task
You are part of a three person panel that has been asked by the school board to give evidence as to how the play Antigone, by Sophocles, relates to today’s world. You will have to answer some questions such as:
How are societal attitudes about certain issues different today from what they were in Sophocles’ time? How are they similar?
How are they dealt with in the play?
What can we learn about human nature by studying this work of literature?
What are your own views on this particular topic, and has the play given you any new insight into the issue?
The three main issues we will focus on are:
Gender Bias
Capital Punishment
Suicide
Then Now
Gender Bias: How are women treated differently from men? Consider different aspects of life including, but not limited to: home, marriage, work, education, politics, religion and property ownership? Why? What are the effects on the society?
Capital Punishment: The death penalty has been part of almost every justice system throughout history (and pre-history). However, different societies have different standards for when it is applied, how it is carried out, who decides, and what crimes are deserving of it. The government’s ability, through law enforcement, to take a person’s life for a criminal act has been debated for centuries.
Suicide: The taking of one’s own life has also been the subject of personal, political, and religious debate. In some societies it was viewed as honorable to die at one’s own hand rather than at that of an enemy. In many modern religions it is considered a sin against God. Does a person have the ultimate right to choose life or death? Are there times when it may be deemed acceptable, or is there always a better solution?
Process
First of all, you will have to do some investigation into the lives of the ancient Greeks. Regarded as Greece’s Golden Age, the time period between 500 and 300 BCE saw great advances in the arts, science, mathematics, and architecture, to name a few. Using the sources listed on the Resources page, you will investigate one of the issues in the play. Choose carefully, you will have to make a decision on your own view of this issue later on.
Choose your roles. Each group will have three members:
Historian: You are responsible for gathering specific information about your issue as it pertains to Ancient Greece. Use the resources to find as much information as you can about how the people of Athens during Sophocles’ time thought, felt, and acted upon the issue at hand.
Sociologist: Your assignment is to investigate the issue as it pertains to our society, the United States in the 21st century. Are there several perspectives on this issue? What are they? What influences people’s feelings about a particular topic? Personal opinions vary widely, but you are to present the two most prevailing attitudes of the day.
Political Scientist: You will relate the issue to the laws of the land. How did people of ancient Athens and modern America legislate this very important and divisive issue? Do people break those laws, and what are the consequences? Identify similarities and differences between our two cultures. What influence, if any, did the early democracy have on our current government?
Come together to share information. Inform your group of what you learned, and together, fill out the chart called Putting the Pieces together.
You will draft a statement detailing to the Board of Education, how the play Antigone is relevant to our lives today and what it has to teach us about the past, as well as ourselves. Use the presentation guidelinesto help with this task. (For two more resources, check out More Guides). Each group will have a chance to present its findings to the “board” i.e. myself and your classmates. You may use visual or audio aids to enhance your presentation.
Individually, you will write a 500 word essay responding to this topic:
Write a persuasive essay explaining your opinion on how understanding the cultural context of a work increases understanding and appreciation of the text.
Use what you have learned during this WebQuest to shape your essay. Use references to your research as well as to the text of Antigone itself. You may also use other examples from literature you’ve read previously to strengthen your argument.
Refer to Guidelines for pursuasive writing to make sure your argument is logical and well presented.
Use the Thesis builder website website if you are having trouble formulating your own.
Evaluation
Your work will be evaluated using the following rubrics. Make sure you familiarize yourself with both of them before beginning the assignments.
Group Presentation Rubric
Persuasive Writing Essay
Conclusion:
Well, now you know a little bit more about the life and times of Sophocles. More importantly, you’ve seen how human nature, culture, and relationships have evolved, but not necessarily changed in the 2,500 years since the play Antigone was written. Great works of literature from all times periods can give us insight into ourselves. Will someone be teaching your work in a thousand years?
Library Resources
Virtual Reference Collection
Bloom's Literary Reference
SIRS
Worldbook Online
Gale Cengage Learning Databases
Student Resource Center
Literature Resource Center
Online Catalog
Academic Integrity
NoodleTools Citation System
Citation Machine
