Dialogue
CREON Had you told anybody
what you meant to do?
ANTIGONE No.
CREON Did you meet anyone on
your way-coming or going?
ANTIGONE No, nobody.
CREON You’re quite sure of that?
ANTIGONE Perfectly sure.
CREON Very well, Now listen to
me. You will go straight to your
room. When you get there, you
will go to bed. You will say that
you are not well and that you
have not been out since
yesterday. Your nurse will tell the
same story. [He looks toward
arch, through which the Guards
have gone out.] And I'll dispose
of those three men.
ANTIGONE Uncle Creon, there’s
no reason to kill those three
guards. You must know that I'll
do it all over again tonight.
[A pause. They look one another
in the eye.]
CREON Why did you try to bury
your brother?
ANTIGONE I owed it to him.
CREON I had forbidden it.
ANTIGONE I owed it to him.
Those who are not buried wander
eternally and find no rest
Polynices…
CREON Polynices was a rebel and
a traitor, and you know it.
ANTIGONE He was my brother.
CREON You heard my edict..
ANTIGONE Yes.
CREON You knew the
punishment I decreed for any
Verb
Breakdown
C
Nominative Phrase
Backwards/Forwards
The Discovery
ACTIONS TRIGGERS/HEAPS
C asks if anyone knew of A’s plans
C asks if anyone besides the guards
saw her try to bury P
C asks if anyone besides the guards
saw her try to bury P
A assures C no one saw her
A assures C no one saw her
C devises a plan to cover up A’s
involvement
C devises a plan to cover up A’s
involvement
C states he will kill the guards
C states he will kill the guards
A tells C to kill the guards is futile
A tells C to kill the guards is futile
A tells C she will try again
A tells C she will try again
C asks why A tried to bury P
C asks why A tried to bury P
A proclaims she owed P a decent
burial
A proclaims she owed P a decent
burial
C declares P as a traitor
C declares P as a traitor
A claims P as her brother
A claims P as her brother
C asks A if she was aware of the
edict
person who attempted to give
him burial.
ANTIGONE Yes, I know the
punishment.
CREON Did you by any chance
act on the assumption that a
daughter of Oedipus, a daughter
of Oedipus' stubborn pride, was
above the law?
ANTIGONE You are mistaken. I
never doubted for an instant that
you would have me put to death.
[A pause, as Creon stares fixedly
at her.]
CREON The pride of Oedipus!
Oedipus and his headstrong pride
all over again. I can see your
father in you--and I believe you.
Of course you thought that I
should have you killed! Proud as
you are, it seemed to you a
natural climax in your existence.
Your father was like that. Let me
tell you, Antigone: those days are
over for Thebes. Thebes has a
right to a king without a past. I
have decided that so long as I am
king-- --I shall merely devote
myself to introducing a little order
into this absurd kingdom; if that
is possible. It is my trade and
since it is my trade, I take it
seriously. And if, tomorrow, some
wild and bearded messenger
walks in from some wild and
distant valley--which is what
happened to your father--and
tells me that he's not quite sure
who my parents were, but thinks
that my wife Eurydice is actually
my mother, I shall ask him to do
me the kindness to go back
where he came from; Kings, my
girl, have other things to do. [He
C asks if A was aware of the edict
A confirms she knew about the edict
C asks if A understands her actions
A states she knows the
consequences
A states she knew the consequences
C inquires if A thought she was
above the law
C inquires if A thought she was
above the law
A affirms she knows death is her
choice
A affirms she knows death is her
choice
C is frustrated over A’s pride
C is frustrated over A’s pride
C observes A’s pride
C observes A’s pride
C compares A to C
C compares A to C
C remembers O’s quest for doom
C remembers O’s quest for doom
C asserts Thebes need for a king
C asserts Thebes need for a king
C recalls O’s dilemma
C recalls O’s dilemma
C speaks of kingly responsibilities
C speaks of kingly responsibilities
C scoffs at A’s purpose of Death
C scoffs at A’s purpose of death
C informs A he has other plans
looks at her and smiles.] Hand
you over to be killed! [He rises,
moves to end of table and sits on
the top of table.] I have other
plans for you. Now, you will go to
straight to your room, and do as
you have been told; and not word
about this to anybody.
[A pause. Antigone says nothing,
rises, and crosses slowly below
the table toward the arch. Creon
turns and watches her.]
CREON Where are you going?
ANTIGONE [stops downstage;
without any show of rebellion]
You know very well where I am
going.
CREON [after a pause] What sort
of game are you playing?
ANTIGONE I am not playing
games.
CREON Antigone, do you realize
that if, apart from those three
guards, a single soul finds out
what you have tried to do, it will
be impossible for me to avoid
putting you to death?
ANTIGONE I know all that. I
know it. But that much, at least, I
can do. And what a person can
do, a person should do.
[A pause.]
CREON Antigone You must want
very much to die.
ANTIGONE Do as I do. Do your
job. But if you are a human being
do it quickly.
CREON [takes a step toward her]
I want to save you, Antigone.
ANTIGONE Only this can you do:
have me put to death.
C informs A he has other plans
C tells A to go to her room
C tells A to go to her room
A heads off in a different direction
A heads off in a different direction
C asks a where she is going
C asks where she is going
A maintains where she is going
A maintains where she is going
C asks what type of game A is
playing
C asks what type of game A is
playing
A states she isn’t playing games
A states she isn’t playing games
C attempts to see if A understands
the consequences
C tries to see if she understands the
consequences
A commits to her decision
A commits to her decision
C attempts to reason with A
C attempts reason with A
A begs C to do his job
A begs C to do his job
C avows to save A
C avows to save A
A demands C put her to death
A demands C put her to death
C threatens torture for A
C threatens torture for A
A taunts C
CREON Have you tortured,
perhaps?
ANTIGONE Why should you do
that? To see me cry? To hear me
beg for mercy? Or swear
whatever you wish, and then
begin over again?
[A pause.]
CREON You listen to me. You
have cast me for the villain in this
little play of yours, and yourself
for the heroine. And you know it,!
But don't you drive me too far! If
I were one of your little tyrants
that Greece is full of, you would
be lying in a ditch this minute
Instead, I let you go on arguing;
and you taunt me, you take the
offensive. [He grasps her left
wrist.] What are you driving at,
you she devil?
ANTIGONE Let me go.
CREON [gripping her tighter] I
will not let you go.
A taunts C
C threatens A
C threatens A
C talks of A mocking him
C talks of A mocking him
C Demands to know what A is
driving at
C demands to know what A is
driving at
C grabs A
C grabs A
A yells to be let go
A yells to be let go
C refuses to let A go
C refuses to let A go
C takes command of A with brute
force
C takes command of A with brute
force
C scoffs A’s with families history
ANTIGONE [moans] Oh!
CREON I should have done this
from the beginning. I was a fool
to waste words. [He looks at
her.] I may be your uncle--but
we are not an affectionate family.
Are we, eh? [Through his teeth,
as he twists] Are we? [ Creon
propels Antigone round below
him to his side.] What fun for
you, eh? To be able to laugh in
the face of a king who has all the
power in the world; a man who
C scoffs A’s with families history
A spits in C’s face
A spits in C’s face
C slaps A
C slaps A
C states he is soft
C states he is soft
C burns A with cigarette
has done his own killing in his
day; who has killed people just as
pitiable as you are--and who is
still soft enough to go to all this
trouble in order to keep you from
being killed.
[A pause.]
ANTIGONE It doesn't hurt.
[ Creon stares at her, then drops
her arm.]