Conflict- a struggle between opposing forces.
Protagonist- central character and the one
who the reader sympathizes with.
Antagonist- is the person or force that
opposes the protagonist.
Imagery- the “word pictures” that appeal to
the senses and bring the written word to life.
BackgroundThis play takes place in Ancient Greece, in
the city of Thebes. The Greeks of Sophocles’s
time (Sophocles is the author) believed that if
a corpse was not buried or cremated
according to strict ritual, its soul would be
forced to wander the earth, bringing shame
upon the relatives and angering the Gods.
What are Ismene and Antigone talking
about?
The death of their brother Polyneices.
What do they say Creon, the King, is telling
everyone?
If you mourn or bury Polyneices it is a
crime.
The conflict in the play could be…
Who is going to betray Creon’s orders and
be true to the family.
What does Antigone plan on doing? How
does Ismene feel about it?
Antigone plans to bury her brother
Polyneices. Ismene says she’s not going to
have any part of it. Ismene will not break the
law.
Antigone is doing this to please the gods and
not shame her family.
Ismene swears she will keep it a secret, but
Antigone says, tell people. They will hate you
when they find out you didn’t help.
Even though Ismene disagrees with
Antigone, she recognizes she is loyal.
Polyneices and his brother are at war. The
chorus sets up the battle scene.
Scene I
Creon is the King of Thebes. He delivers this
speech to the elders/ people who are in
charge of the city. The people never hesitated
duty to past kings, and please don’t do that
to me. Explains that you respect your
friends, but when they wrong you, you
remember.
Explains that Polyneices came back to fight
his city. Because he fought against his city,
he will not receive a proper burial. He will
lay there and the birds can eat him.
However, his brother, Etocles, will get a
proper burial.
Older men of group wonder why Creon is
telling them this info. Creon explains that
they should not support anyone who breaks
the law.
A sentry (soldier) came in to tell Creon that
someone has tried to bury Polyneices.
They’ve given the body a light dusting of
dirt.
Choragos questions if the Gods could have
done it. This puts Creon in the position to
think that his decision could be wrong.
Creon is upset because he thinks that people
have schemed against him in anarchy. He
thinks that people have been paid off so this
burying could have happened. Creon says to
the Sentry, if you don’t find who did this,
you will die.
SCENE 2
The Sentry brings in Antigone. He tells
Creon that she is the one trying to bury her
brother Polyneices. He explains that they
found her weeping over the body and she
was covering it with dust.
Creon is shocked that Antigone would do
such a thing. She’s a princess and he thought
she would follow his law. However, she was
following the God’s law so her family had no
shame.
Antigone confesses that she did try to bury
him.
Creon asks the servants to bring Ismene that
both the girls are guilty.
Antigone begs for her death. She also says
that others would speak out against Creon
only if they were not afraid of him.
Creon is a little flustered, because he can’t
understand why Antigone would honor a
traitor. She believes that both brothers
should be honored. Creon explains that
she’ll die too. Creon believes the two sisters
are going after his throne.
Ismene is brought before the king. Creon
thought both of them were guilty.
Ismene had refused to help Antigone bury
him.
Before the king, Ismene is now saying she is
guilty. Antigone is a little upset because she
is taking the credit when she didn’t do
anything.
Both of the girls are being sent away. Creon
says to guard them well.
Ode 2
Zeus’s ultimate sin is being prideful.
Pg. 685
Greeks believed that if someone died and
went to the underworld, the unfortunate
were condemned to Tartarus. Tartarus was
the deepest pit of hell. They were then
tortured by hideous women called Furies.
Tragic Flaw- a fault within a character.
Haimon- is Creon’s youngest son. He was to
marry Antigone.
Creon explains that a son should respect his
father and not lose his head over a woman.
Creon thinks that Antigone is guilty and not
worth his son. Even though his son loves
Antigone, Creon will not go back on his
word.
Haimon argues with is father that what
Antigone did does not deserve death. She
should be honored for her respect for her
family. Haimon knows how stubborn Creon
is and Creon has to change his mind. He will
not be seen as weak for doing so.
Haimon questions the loyalty of his father to
the gods. Creon reacts by striking back at
him he says that he is “taken in by a
woman”. Everything he does is for Antigone.
Creon has a tragic flaw. He cannot control
his emotions. He feels that his power is
threatened.
Creon says he will send Antigone deep into
the woods, put her in a stone building and
feed her. She will have to pray to the gods of
hell for what she’s done.
Ode 3- The theme of this ode is love. Love
can be anywhere and is a strong emotion.
Sophocles (author) shows that the public is
now openly sympathizes with Antigone’s
fate.
Scene 4
Antigone is preparing for her death. She
feels sad and depressed. She is starting to
feel sorry for herself. She blames the
relationship between her mother (Jocasta)
and brother/father (Oedipus).
Antigone think wronged any gods and that if
she hasn’t Creon should get equal
punishment.
Tragic Flaw- Antigone’s fate might have
been caused by her stubbornness and refusal
to follow Creon’s authority. 695
Ode 4
Sophocles (author) compares Antigone to
Danae. Danae was imprisioned by her father
when it was foretold that she was going to
have a baby that would kill her father.
Danae had Zeus’s baby and did end up
killing Danae’s father. They are similar
because things were foretold about each ones
future.
Antigone, again, is compared to Dryas’s son.
He refused to worship the God Dionysos. He
was locked up and went mad.
Fate will have it’s place for Antigone.
Scene 5
Teiresias comes to Creon to tell him what he
has heard.
Teiresias sits on a bench and listens to the
birds. He interprets the bird’s chatter as
messages from the gods. This has allowed
him to foretell the future. The birds have
been fighting, and he interprets that the
situation is not good.
Creon’s tragic flaw is that he is too prideful.
He will not admit he has made a mistake and
it could cost him in the end.
Creon questions Teiresias’s loyalty. He says
that because Teiresias is paid for his wisdom,
that it may not be true.
Teiresias gives Creon his final warning. A
time will come when Creon will pay, flesh for
flesh. Because Antigone is locked up, Creon
has not given a child to the underworld
(Polynieces). Denying him the grave is
Creon’s crime. Creon will be punished.
Choragos tells Creon to let Antigone out of
the vault and build a tomb for Polynieces.
Creon agrees. Choragos tells Creon he must
do it himself.
Sophocles builds suspense when Creon starts
to go to free Antigone, it may be too late!
Creon has changed his attitude about
obeying the gods. Choragos had told Creon
that Teiresias has never been wrong about
his messages.
p. 700
Paean- song of praise, joy or thanksgiving.
The chorus sings to Dionysos to come to
Thebes and drive out the evil.
Dionysos was raised by nymphs, or longlived women who were associated with trees
and other parts of nature.
They urge Dionysos to bring forgiveness and
mercy to their city.
Exodos- last part of the play
The messenger gives his view on life. He
states that you cannot change your fate.
People are fated to be happy or unhappy.
The messenger gives Creon’s life as an
example, he started out happy with
wonderful things around him, but when he
lost those things, he has nothing but his
money and unhappiness.
The messenger comes to tell Choragos that
Haiman is dead.
Creon’s men go to bury Polyneices. When
they are done they go to Antigone’s vault.
When they get there they see that Antigone
has hung herself. Haimon is with Antigone’s
body.
Creon asks Haimon what has he done.
Haimon spits in his father’s face. Haimon
draws his sword. Haimon tries to hit Creon
with the blade and misses. He takes the blade
and kills himself.
Creon says “Why did it take me so long to
realize the truth.” He chose to go by the law
of man rather than the law of the gods.
Creon then finds out that his wife, the Queen
Eurydice, is now dead. She has stabbed
herself.
Creon begs for his death to come. He just
wants to end it all. Choragos says don’t
worry about the future, it will happen.
Why do you think Sophocles (author) lets
Creon live while others all die? Suffer
because he’s made bad decisions. Going
against the Gods will not be a good outcome.
What is the play’s final position on loyalty?
Your loyalty must lie with the gods.