The Tragedy Of Antigone-Prologue & Scene 1
Lesson Objectives
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Explain Antigone’s motivations and the character traits revealed by them.
Explain how Sophocles establishes the conflict between loyalties to family and law early on.
Characters
❖ Antigone: The play’s protagonist and daughter of Oedipus, the former King of Thebes. She is a fierce protector
of her family and strives to honor the gods.
❖ Ismene: Antigone’s sister. Although more hesitant than her sister, she is also loyal to her family.
❖ Eteocles: Antigone's brother and former king of Thebes. He was supposed to share the throne with his
brother. When he dies, King Creon gives his body a proper burial.
❖ Polynices: Antigone and Eteocles’ brother. He attacks Thebes in order to gain his right to be king but dies in a
fight with his brother. King Creon refuses to bury his body because of his traitorous act.
❖ Creon: Antigone's uncle and the king of Thebes. Determined to be a powerful leader, he is a strict interpreter
of the law and believes in civil law over divine law and familial loyalty.
❖ Haemon: Antigone’s fiancé. As Creon’s son, he is heir to the throne.
❖ Eurydice: Creon’s wife and Haemon’s mother. She is a mother figure for Antigone and Ismene.
❖ Guards: They are Creon’s guards who protect him and follow his orders.
PART 1: Essential Question
Directions: Please answer the following question in complete sentences.
1. Loyalty: To which do we owe our ultimate loyalty—our family or our laws? Why?
PART 2: Read and answer the text-dependent questions.
Directions: As you read the sample research paper, pause to answer the questions beside the text.
WHOLE CLASS READING
NARRATOR: After Oedipus, the king of Thebes who unwittingly
killed his own father and married his own mother, blinded himself
with pins from his mother’s dress, he cursed his two sons, Eteocles
and Polynices, to divide the kingship of Thebes among themselves.
In order to avoid all-out war, Eteocles and Polynices decided to
rule Thebes in alternating years, switching out every year. Of
course, the desire for power and the desire to share are, by nature,
QUESTIONS
1. How are Antigone and Ismene related?
1
feelings that fill up the human heart, each leaving no room for the
other. In the same way, each of Oedipus’ sons desired the whole
throne, not a share of it. After his first year of rule, Eteocles
refused to surrender the kingship, leading Polynices to gather an
army and commence a bloody civil war, which would end in the
death of both brothers. The deaths of both brothers left a power
vacuum in Thebes, which was filled by Oedipus’ uncle (and
brother–in law), Creon. After a whirlwind civil war and a new king
crowned, Oedipus’ daughters, Antigone and Ismene, grieve and
struggle to comprehend the shattering changes to their lives. To
talk in private, both sisters secretly meet outside of the walls of
the royal palace.
ANTIGONE: (whispering) Ahhhh, Ismene! What destruction Zeus
has brought into our lives! As if it were not enough that our
brothers dishonored our family with their fighting, but have you
heard about this new law that Creon has decreed?! Don’t you get
it?!
2. Who are the two brothers mentioned in the prologue?
3. How did the two brothers die?
4. What is King Creon’s decree?
5. What does Antigone plan to do? Why
ISMENE: What?!
ANTIGONE: Shhhh!
ISMENE: (whispering) No, I know! I know. I mean, what about this
new law? I haven’t heard about it. To be honest, I haven’t heard
anything since the day our brothers died.
6. Does Ismene plan to join her? Why or why not?
ANTIGONE: (whispering) I thought so. That’s why I wanted to meet
you out here, so we could talk freely.
ISMENE: (whispering) Okay, so what is it?
ANTIGONE: (whispering) It’s about our brothers. Creon isn’t
allowing Polynices to be buried! (louder) Eteocles is already buried,
saluted, and sent off to the underworld with all honor and dignity,
but Polynices still lies out for the birds to pick at! (shouting) Like
we’re not allowed to bury and mourn our own brother!
ISMENE: SHHH!
7. PART A: Which of the following best states Antigone’s
central motive? Highlight the correct answer.
a.
b.
c.
d.
ANTIGONE: (whispering again) Sorry, sorry.
ISMENE: (whispering) Well, if Creon has issued the order, what can
we do about it now?
8. PART B: Which piece of evidence best demonstrates the
motive above? Highlight the correct answer.
a.
ANTIGONE: (no longer whispering) You’re going to help me bury
Polynices. I can’t carry his body by myself.
Antigone wishes to prove her sister wrong and
illegally bury her brother.
Antigone wishes to bury her brother with honor,
despite King Creon’s orders not to.
Antigone wishes to adhere to her culture and bury her
brothers.
Antigone wishes to exert her power over her uncle,
King Creon, by rebelling.
b.
ISMENE: (still whispering) Ohhhh, Antigone, we can’t do that! Our
family has suffered enough internal conflict. Now, you want to
create more by going against the king?!
c.
ANTIGONE: Polynices is our brother, just like Eteocles. I’ve already
d.
ANTIGONE: You’re going to help me bury Polynices. I
can’t carry his body by myself.
ISMENE: Ohhhh, Antigone, we can’t do that! Our
family has suffered enough internal conflict. Now,
you want to create more by going against the king?!
ISMENE: This will never work… I will do the only
things left for me to do: pray for Polynices’ soul,
forgive him… and do exactly what Creon commands.
ANTIGONE: Fine! I’m not going to beg for your help.
2.
been separated from him by death; I’m not about to be separated
from him further by some law! It’s our sacred duty as his sisters!
ISMENE: (whispering) This will never work… I will do the only
things left for me to do: pray for Polynices’ soul, forgive him… and
do exactly what Creon commands.
ANTIGONE: (angry) Fine! I’m not going to beg for your help. You
obey Creon; I’ll obey the gods.
Scene 1
NARRATOR: Ismene wanted to stop her sister as she turned to walk
away, but she stayed silent. She wanted to tell her of all the fears
she had about her sister’s plan. Instead, like their brothers, the
two sisters parted ways. Not long after the sisters’ secret meeting,
Creon convened a meeting of the elders of Thebes in the meeting
room of the palace to spread the word of his new decree. Creon
explains his reasons for refusing to bury Polyneices. The people are
worried, however, that the gods might be angry. Then word comes
that someone has disobeyed Creon’s order. The king swears that
the person who did so will not get away with it.
CREON: Gentlemen, what the gods have thrown into turbulence,
they will set right again. And so it will be with Thebes. I have called
you together to reaffirm that I, as your ruler, will never be silent in
the face of any danger to the state. It takes a steady hand to keep
a ship on course in a storm, and, for us, a strong hand comes in the
form of strong laws. As Zeus is my witness, I will hold our city
strong by these laws. Therefore, I proclaim that Eteocles, who
fought and died for his city, were given all honors and prestige. As
for Polynices, who burned his country end to end and betrayed his
own brother, his own blood, no one shall make for him a grave nor
shall any tear be shed for him. Let him be food for dogs and
vultures! May his body be left uninterred for beasts to peck and
mangle and make a mess, much like he treated his own city. So let
it be written; so let it be done!
NARRATOR: The Theban elders looked around at one another, some
nodding, some shaken, all silent. Just then, a guard rushed into the
meeting room, panting but not exhausted.
You obey Creon; I’ll obey the gods.
9. Which of the following quotes best characterizes Antigone?
Highlight the correct answer.
a. ANTIGONE (to Ismene ): Polynices is our brother, just
like Eteocles. I’ve already been separated from him by
death; I’m not about to be separated from him further
by some law! It’s our sacred duty as his sisters!
b. ANTIGONE (to Ismene): It’s about our brothers. Creon
isn’t allowing Polynices to be buried!
c. ANTIGONE (to Ismene ): I thought so. That’s why I
wanted to meet you out here, so we could talk freely.
d. ANTIGONE (to Ismene): You’re going to help me bury
Polynices. I can’t carry his body by myself.
10. Whose laws does Antigone say she follows? Highlight the
correct answer.
a. the gods’
b. Oedipus’
c. her own
d. Creon’s
Scene 1
11. Who has Creon assembled at the beginning of the scene?
Why does he say he has passed the new law? Provide
evidence to support your answer.
12. How does the guard act when he comes before Creon?
What does this suggest about Creon’s personality or
reputation?
13. Read the following lines and answer the question below:
Well, no, my lordliness. I mean, Your Lordliness. Forgive me, my
despot. See, I wasn’t even the guard on duty. But the one who
was on duty called us all in to look at the buried corpse and
we got to arguing with and blaming one another. Then, we all
felt ashamed, so we decided to draw straws for who would
tell you… um, Your Altitude.
CREON: (bellowing) What is the meaning of this?!
GUARD: (breathing heavily) My king, I have come to deliver news.
What is inferred about Creon based on the Guard's view of
Him? Highlight the correct answer.
CREON: (pauses) … Well!! What news?!
GUARD: Well… you see, my liege, I have come… I know I seem out
of breath but it is not as urgent as all that. I didn’t quite run here,
just walked briskly, you know, for the king to hear the news…
(panting)
a.
b.
c.
d.
He is an understanding leader.
He is intimidating.
He is the king.
He is intelligent and decisive.
14. What news does the guard bring?
3.
CREON: (pauses) … Well!! What news?!
GUARD: Someone… (panting) someone has… You should know,
my lord, I had nothing to do with this matter. I watched over the
body, of course, as you commanded, but nothing whatsoever to do
with burying him…
CREON: (very angry) If you don’t tell me the news IMMEDIATELY, I’m
going to bury y--… wait, wait a minute, burying him? Burying
whom?!
15. What is the dramatic irony in this scene?
GUARD: Sir, King, someone has buried, well not really even buried,
just, you know, tossed a bit of dirt on top of Polynices’ body. Just
some dry dust. Most of it blew away. Really, not on top, but kind of
at his body… mainly.
CREON: Someone threw dust at Polynices’ body? Like, from a
distance?
GUARD: Yes, Your Royalty, from quite a distance… And then
performed all of the sacred burial rites before running away,
unseen.
CREON: What?! You didn’t even see who did it?
GUARD: Well, no, my lordliness. I mean, Your Lordliness. Forgive
me, my despot. See, I wasn’t even the guard on duty. But the one
who was on duty called us all in to look at the buried corpse and
we got to arguing with and blaming one another. Then, we all felt
ashamed, so we decided to draw straws for who would tell you…
um, Your Altitude.
CREON: Shut. Your. Mouth.
GUARD: Aye, aye, Your Honor.
CREON: (regains composure) Guard, leave this place at once and
find the criminal who violated my policy. Otherwise, suffer the
punishment yourself.
GUARD: (clacks sandals together) Sir!
4.
5.