Antigone Introduction
Antigone- protagonist, tragic hero, stubborn, has to
break the law to honor her religious beliefs
Ismene- Antigone’s sister, believes the law should be
obeyed
Eurydice- wife of Creon, and mother of Haimon
Creon- antagonist, King of Thebes, uncle of Antigone and
Ismene, father of Haimon and represents the state/law
Haimon- Creon’s son, engaged to Antigone, also her first
cousin
Teiresias- blind prophet who foresees both Oedipus and
Creon’s tragic ending
A sentry- is guarding Polyneice’s body
Polyneices- Antigone’s brother, he brought the Argive
army against Thebes to take the crown from his brother,
Eteocles, who refused to share it. Eteocles killed
Polyneices
Eteocles- took the crown after Oedipus’s death, and he
killed Polyneices defending Thebes
A messenger- will narrate off stage activities
Chorus- represents the everyday man of Thebes
Choragos- leads the chorus
A boy- walks Teiresias around
Guards- capture Antigone while trying to bury
Polyneices’s body
Servants- narrate Eurydice’s demise
Conflict- Antigone representing her religious beliefs that
if Polyneices is not buried, his soul will wander hell for
eternity vs Creon representing keeping order in the state
of Thebes by punishing Polyneices as a traitor
Setting- Thebes, immediately after the assault by
Polyneices and the Argives
Characterizing Antigone: is stubborn and very
challenging, and determined. Pg 816 “Creon is not strong
enough to stand in my way,” (Sophocles, line 36). They
are in the middle of talking and Ismene was arguing that
she should not bury her brother because it is against the
law but Antigone is determined because she is loyal.
Characterizing Ismene: not a bad person but not willing
to go against the law and the people in charge, has
strong morals, cares about her siblings but doesn’t want
Antigone to get into trouble and is worried for her. Pg.
817, line 66-67, “They mean a great deal to me but I have
no strength to break the laws that were made for public
good.”
Foil- a character who is opposite of the protagonist and is
able to see the main character’s traits more strongly
Ismene doesn’t want anything to do with her brother but
Antigone does
Whether you pay your loyalty to the dead or the living
depends because death is eternal and living is short
Parodos
Characterizing
Thebes- has 7 entrances and is very well guarded and a
major trade post (L. 5, pg 818)
Polyneices- brave soldier, warrior, and commander,
brutal, arrogant, and merciless, attacking his own city (L.
10, pg 818)
The war- Thebes threw back Polyneices when he tried to
attack the city. Thebes rose up like a “dragon” and
defends itself violently from Polyneices (L. 15, pg 818)
Polyneices and his men were full of themselves. (L. 25, pg
818)
Polyneices was finally brought down (L. 30, pg 818)
Thebes fought back with its troops while the two
brothers faced each other. The gods were the controllers
in this war and watched over (L. 35, pg 818)
A celebration after the war was over and the people of
Thebes ate, drank, and were merry (L. 40, pg 819)
Characterization of Creon: his post-crisis speech to
Thebes shows what he wants to be as a king to his
people.
(Sophocles, line 36-47) Paints a broader picture, (ethos)
how a traitor would be treated vs how a hero would be
treated
When he speaks he is showing he has a strong hand and
if anyone betrays them they will not receive the same
burial as someone who is loyal to the city (Sophocles,
Line 47-50)
Creon suggests that the elders of the community could
be bribed into doing something on behalf of Polyneices.
Practical but not exactly noble.
The sentry tells Creon that someone sprinkled just
enough dust over the body for the soul to rest. People
start accusing each other and people cast lots to see who
has to tell Creon because nobody wants to and this guard
was the unlucky one. Creon is angry at the guard, the
sentry is scared.
The sentry is trying to defend himself saying that he
didn’t do it and Creon doesn’t believe him. “How
dreadful it is when the right judge judges wrong.” He
refers to Creon as “The right judge” (you should be king,
you’re who I want to be king) “judges wrong” (you’re
making a mistake). The sentry is calling his foul. Creon is
paranoid. He has no proof that the guard took money to
help Polyneices but he accuses him anyways. He’s so
angry he becomes irrational and he can’t control himself.
He has a polished side and scary side that comes out
when he is angry.
Strophe 1: There’s a lot of wonders in the world but
nothing is more wonderful than man.
Antistrophe 1: Expands on the first strophe, talks about
all things man can conquer, man dominates everything
Strophe 2: Celebrates man’s skill in security. He can
conquer everything but death.
Antistrophe 2: The charge of anarchy is the greatest
crime a man can commit.
Scene 2
The sentry found Antigone with the body, performing a
burial with dust and wine. They charged her and she
didn’t do anything, just let them take her.
Antigone is proud and doesn’t feel guilty. She doesn’t
care if she dies, she did it to honor her brother. She
believes she succeeded in saving his soul. The first time
she sprinkled the dust and now she believes she finished
the burial the second time.
Name: Ezelle Robbins p.4
Seminar Topic: When is it morally right to break the law?
Text Title: Antigone
Author: Sophocles
Opening Question(s):
1. What conditions are necessary and sufficient for
“moral” civil disobedience?
2. Is Creon justified in prohibiting Polyneices’ burial?
3. Is Antigone justified in trying to save her brother’s
soul?
4. Could you ever see yourself breaking the law to do
what is right? Please explain.
1. Summary of key ideas (at least 5):
Question 2) Creon is wrong. Antigone should be able
to bury him because they’re family. And because the
two brothers should get the same treatment.
Question 3) Antigone is justified in burying her
brother because she feels obligated to save his soul.
Antigone is justified because she had to and wanted
to save her brother. They are family. She loves him
and is loyal to him, she has to do what’s right and
not let his soul wander in hell.
Question 4) Sometimes, the law has prevented
things that are right for people’s religion or beliefs.
For example, if the government banned a certain
religion, it would be right for you to continue to
practice your beliefs. If you’re honestly so passionate
about something and you know it’s wrong and
should change, if you don’t change (break) the law,
then who will? For example, riots that happen for
people who’ve been shot by police, it’s right for
protesters to stand against injustice.
Question 1) Back to what Miranda said, if you need
to do something illegal to instigate necessary change
like with rioting and Rosa Parks, it’s not wrong.
There’s not really a right or wrong to morals, you
have your own morals. You have to make your own
decisions based on what you know and have
experienced. Not everything is black or white.
2. Reaction: Identify what at least three inner circle
members said; write down his/her comment.
Evaluate his/her statement and evidence. Provide
your own evidence to agree, disagree or qualify with
his or her claim.
Question 2) Regardless of the fact that they are
brothers, they should be treated based off their
actions. If they did the same thing, equal treatment
would be fair, but they should be treated according
to their actions. Polyneices did betray Thebes.
Polyneices brought the army against them. However,
Eteocles should not be buried with honors because
he broke the agreement and exiled his brother with
unjust cause. Eteocles was not in the right either.
It’s wrong to prohibit the burial, but it is his right
because he is the king. The burial of the body should
be decided by the family members, not the king
It’s Creon’s decision as king to punish Polyneices for
his treason had he survived, but it’s not his job to
condemn his afterlife. He shouldn’t be buried with
honors, but he should be buried so he doesn’t spend
eternity in hell.
Question 3) I agree that she was justified because its
her belief, and she loves him, the king only has
power over Thebes and can’t stop her belief. It’s her
brother and she doesn’t want his soul to be lost
because she loves him. She would feel guilty if she
could have buried him and didn’t and knew his soul
was suffering. Antigone knew what she got herself
into and isn’t upset over her capture because she did
what’s right regardless of the law. She did what’s
right because it would be awful to see your brother
rotting outside your window. By not doing the right
thing (burying him) and obeying Creon’s orders, it’s
allowing him one more victory along with everything
else he controls. It would have been wrong not to
bury her brother, but what happened after she was
captured was wrong. It’s fine that she was pleased
with herself but she was disrespectful and insulted
the king, which she shouldn’t have done.
Question 4) In China, they have secret underground
churches because religion is banned, I’d still do that
because it’s morally right even though the
consequences are severe. In the Middle East, the
government has no control over the religious killings,
they happen anyways, and there’s nothing they can
do about it. Sometimes you have to break the law
for what you believe, but because of the law you
might feel guilty even if what you are doing is right.
Your beliefs are your beliefs, you shouldn’t have to
change because someone with higher power says
you should.
Question 1) If you have a solid reason to break the
law, you can and should. However, you should take
laws and consequences into consideration most of
the time because they exist to protect others. If
someone killed someone I love, I would want to
avenge that injustice. But is that right or virtuous?
Generally you shouldn’t react with violence because
that doesn’t help.
3. Explain how the Seminar influenced your thinking
about the topic or the text(s).
4. Socratic connections: Identify and explain a
connection to at least three of the following