Antigone Study Guide Part I
English II CP
The following provides you with the specific study guide questions that were assigned
during the Antigone unit. Make sure you answered the questions thoughtfully, in
complete sentences, and using key words from the prompts.
Prologue
1. What might Antigone be referring to in her first lines: “the curse that’s on the House of
Oedipus”?
2. What does Antigone tell Ismene, her sister, is Creon’s ban on their brother Polyneices?
3. What will happen to anyone who defies his ban?
4. What is Ismene’s main reason for not fighting back and defying her uncle, Creon?
5. What kind of girl is Antigone? Use two examples with page numbers to support your
claim.
6. Complete the attached Venn Diagram, provide text to support your ideas, and write a
topic sentence.
Entry Ode
1.
2.
3.
4.
What event does the chorus summarize?
What does Zeus hate most in a mortal man?
What does Zeus do to help the city of Thebes win? Why?
Is the chorus optimistic or pessimistic? Why?
First Episode
1. What are the two rulings about the deaths of the brothers?
2. What motivates Creon to refuse to bury Antigone’s brother?
3. How do the rest of the citizens feel about Creon’s edict?
4. What extended metaphor does Creon use in his speech?
5. What kind of leader does Creon say he will be?
6. Whom does Creon blame at first for the burying of Antigone’s brother?
7. How does the Leader of the chorus respond to Creon?
8. What does Creon’s outburst reveal about his trust of his own Citizens?
9. What does Creon threaten of the sentry? How does he contradict what he said earlier?
10. How does the sentry respond to Creon’s accusations?
First Choral Ode
1. What does the Ode say about man?
Antigone Study Guide
Part II
English II CP
Complete these questions on notebook paper. Note specific lines from the text, as well
as page numbers.
Second Episode
1. Who has returned? Whom did he bring with him?
2. What signs show the gods helped Antigone?
3. Based on the sentry’s story, what are some elements of the Greek burial ritual?
4. How did she act when the Sentry captured her?
5. Why does the Sentry say that capturing Antigone makes him “glad and sad?”
6. How does Antigone act when Creon confronts her about her crime?
7. What lines indicate that Antigone follows Divine Law?
8. What lines indicate that Antigone is motivated by familial loyalties?
9. What lines indicate that Creon is confident he can break Antigone?
10. Note 3 “Don’ts” of Just Action that Creon has committed thus far.
11. What are Creon’s motivations (page 211)?
12. Why does Antigone say that people are not praising her actions?
13. Antigone argues with Creon about her actions. The arguments (212-213):
Antigone
Creon
14. Why does Ismene say that she deserves punishment even though she would not help
Antigone?
15. What is Antigone’s reaction to Ismene’s pleas to join her sister in punishment?
16. What does Creon say about both girls’ minds?
17. Which loyalties does Ismene appeal to both Antigone and Creon?
18. Describe Creon’s state of mind at the end of this scene.
19. Who has the advantage at this point?
Antigone Study Guide
Part III
English II CP
Complete these questions on notebook paper. Note specific lines from the text, as well
as page numbers.
Third Episode
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How do father and son regard each other when Haemon first enters (p. 221)? Why?
How does Haemon first act toward Creon?
What characteristics does Creon believe make a good son?
What advice does Creon give Haemon about choosing a wife?
What does Creon mean by “How can I, if I nurse sedition in my house,/not foster it
outside?” (221).
6. Which lines on page 221 suggest Creon sees a change of mind as a sign of weakness?
7. List Creon’s motivations revealed in his speech on pages 221-222. Give three.
8. What does Haemon tell his father about the Theban citizens’ feelings about Antigone?
9. What are Haemon’s views on good leadership? Write at least two quotes to support your
idea.
10. What two metaphors does Haemon use to illustrate the outcome of an overly rigid man?
11. What type of government is Haemon arguing for?
12. What is your opinion of Creon after this argument with his son? Give two adjectives
with details to support.
13. Creon changes his rulings toward Ismene and Antigone. Explain what has changed.
Fourth Episode
1. What change in Antigone’s attitude from earlier in the play do you notice on pages 228229?
2. How does the chorus try to console Antigone?
3. How does Creon treat her? What does he say?
4. What beliefs does Antigone maintain even though she laments her fate?
5. What lines suggest Antigone considers herself a martyr for her cause?
Antigone Study Guide
Part IV
English II CP
Fifth Episode
1. Who is Tiresias? How does Creon regard him at first?
2. What happened during Tiresias’ sacrifice?
3. Explain Tiresias’ words (237): “To err is human, true,/and only he is damned who
having sinned/will not repent, will not repair.”
4. According to Creon, not even _________ and ________ will make Creon bury the corpse.
Explain these things which will not persuade Creon.
5. Note two ways Creon insults Tiresias. Provide quotes and page numbers
6. What’s Tiresias’ final prediction?
7. What does the leader of the Chorus say to help convince Creon that he was wrong?
8. What does Creon say that shows he has changed, has “gotten it”?
9. What two things will Creon do to change the course of his fate?
10. What does Creon mean when he says the following: “In the end it is the ancient codes—
oh my regrets!--/that one must keep: To value life then one must value law.”
Epilogue
1. What does the messenger mean when he says, “The luck we adulate in one today,
tomorrow is another’s tragedy./There is no stable horoscope for man.”
2. How does the above quote relate to the entire play?
3. What is the tone of the messenger’s first speech?
4. What does Creon discover when he enters the vault?
5. How did Haemon act when he saw Creon?
6. When Creon returns to his palace, what more bad news does the Messenger have for
him?
Choral Dialogue
1. What does Creon mean when he says Haemon died “by not youthful foolishness/But by
my folly”?
2. What words does Creon to show he believes he is being punished by the gods?
3. How does the audience know Eurydice blames Creon entirely for the death of Haemon
when she herself commits suicide?
4. How does the Chorus Leader remind man that we must live in the moment?
5. What is Creon’s punishment?
6. What are the Chorus’s words of wisdom in the last lines of the play?