Ninth graders in Mr. Baum and Ms. Alston’s classes are reading the play Antigone by Sophocles. The play is the third in a series of tragedies in the story of Oedipus, who married his mother Jocasta unknowingly, and the reverberating sorrows of his family. His daughter Antigone works to bury her brother Polynices, who has been killed in battle with her other brother Eteocles. Despite Polynices betraying the laws of his community of Thebes, Antigone feels that she must properly bury her brother to please the Gods. This results in further tragedy, when her angry uncle Creon decides to punish her. Students are enjoying a taste of classical Greek Theater, including the rhyming Greek Chorus. This has also been a great chance for students to boost their vocabulary and practice Greek roots of language.
