Antigone
The main characters
Antigone
※The flat character
- A woman in the sense of her firm stand against the world, and
in her integrity. Like her father Oedipus, she pursues truth to
the end, no matter the consequence.
※Emphasize the family more than the country
- “ Give me glory! What greater glory could I win than to give
my own brother decent burial?”
Antigone
※Full of justice and be brave to resist the authority
-“Nor did I think your edict had such force that you, a mere
mortal, could override the gods, the great unwritten,
unshakable traditions…”
※Be loyal to her mind and not afraid to sacrifice
herself
-“Let the dead and the god of death bear witness! I’ve no
love for a friend who loves in words alone.”
-”You chose to live, I chose to die.”
Creon
※The round character
-He is only interested in political and social order. Creon is bound to ideas
of good sense, simplicity, and the banal happiness of everyday life.
- In his mind, he only believe himself and do what he thinks that is good to
his county no matter the thing is true or false.
※ Emphasize the country than his family and observe the traditional
rules seriously
-” I could never stand by silent, watching destruction march against our city,
putting safety to rout…Remember this: Our country is our safety.”
-” These are my principles. Never at my hands will the traitor be honored
above the patriot. But whoever proves his loyalty to the state: I’ll prize that
man in death as well as life.”
Creon
※Tend to control the
power and he is the one
who everyone should listen
to.
-”The city is the king’sthat’ the law!”
-That’s what a man prays for:
to produce good
sons…match the respect
their father shows his friend.
Ismene
※The round character
-Ismene is cautious, a rule-follower who counsels Antigone to leave
their
brother unburied and to leave to men the job of dying for one’s ideas.
-”We must be sensible. Remember we are women, we’re not born to
contend
with men. Then too, we’re underlining, ruled by much stronger hands,
so we
must submit in this, and things still worse.”
-”Oh no, my sister, don’t reject me, please, let me die beside you,
consecrating the dead together.
Hamon
※The flat character
-He is a loyal man and insist the truth.Haemon is betrothed to Antigone.
He must choose between his father (whom he has always followed) and
his lover Antigone.
-” Relax your anger-change! I am young, I know, but let me offer this: …if
a man were born infallible, right by nature. If not-and things don’t often go
that way, it’s best to learn from those with good advice.
But in the end, when he fails to avert his father from fulfilling the law to
punish his fiancee, he chooses to be buried with her in her cave, and
when he finds she has hung herself, he plunges his sword into his own
chest and dies. The love to Antigone isn’t change from the start to the end.
• Chorus
• They are a group of elder men
who comment on and interpret
the action taking place on stage.
• Messenger
• At the end, the Messenger tells
a chilling tale of Hamon’s
agonized death and Euridyce’s
death, and then departs.
• Exposition: Antigone's decision to defy
Creon's orders and bury her brother.
• Conflict: Creon decides to pardon
Antigone for defying his orders and
burying her brother, but it’s too late to
avert tragedy.
• Denouement: Creon decides to free
Antigone from the prison, but he
arrives too late and finds that Antigone
has hanged herself. Haemon kills
himself and lies down by her side.
Later, Creon's wife stabs herself.
Themes
Pride
•
•
•
•
•
A human trait
Despise by Gods
Punish without mercy
Example: Creon creates law
Does not admit his (Creon)
mistake
• Tiresias words come true
Individual vs State
• (Individual), Antigone
performing the burial of her
brother, Polynices, is thinking
for her individual need
• (State), Creon
believes Polynices should be
punished as a traitor, thinking
for the States’ need
Conscience vs Law
• (Conscience), Antigone
-Goes with her conscience of what is
right, not concerning going against
Creon, who gives out the rules for
the State
-The time when one thinks he/she is
right
• (Law), Creon
Everything follows with what the
King says
Divine Law vs Human Law
• Divine Law, (Antigone)
Brings this as a defense for her
action,
As for devotion she sacrifices
herself
• Human Law, (Creon)
Authority, his position of reign
should have the right to judge
Gender Position
• Women roles are limited in the
Greek world
• Extremely limited freedom
• Antigone’s rebellion threatens
the rules she must obey (men,
hierarchies)
• Creon, even when wrong
believes he should not be
defeated by a woman
• Ismene is a good model to
Tyranny
• Creon abuses his power
• There is a line between a ruler
and a tyrant
• Sympathetic
• Noble intentions but poor
judgement
• “tradition” vs progressive,
beneficial State (Thebans)
Symbol
Antigone’s Entombment
• Seal her rebellion against Thebes
along with her death
• To face the similarities her family
had to face (Her father, mother,
brother)
• The opposite of leaving a dead body
outside to rot
• A misjudgment of Creon that will
also lead to all his suffers
• The string of other deaths
Bibliographies
• http://www.gradesaver.com/anti
gone/study-guide/major-themes/
• http://www.sparknotes.com/dra
ma/oedipus/themes.html