English 3201 Workbook
November 2013
Student Name :
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English 3201 - Antigone Notes
I. INTRODUCTION
Author :
Sophocles (496 – 406 B.C.)
Genre :
Drama
Setting :
Athens, Greece
Greek drama originated from the Greek ritual of honouring the God, Dionysus. Its
purpose was to celebrate the power of the Gods and to show the vulnerability of
humans who make errors in life.
Keeping in line with Aristotle’s definition of tragedy, most Greek dramas, including
Antigone, were tragedies as they contained four necessary tragic elements :
1. serious issues
2. complete (a beginning, middle and end)
3. magnitude/elistist (about important people)
4. events evoked pity and fear in the audience, in order to effect a
catharsis (emotional release). Tragic hero aroused most pity.
Greek tragedies also contained a chorus: a group of actors speaking in unison who :
1. provided a running commentary/summary
2. represented the point of view of the common man
3. established the mood
II. BACKGROUND
The play Oedipus Rex details how Oedipus had unwittingly killed his father (Laius),
married his mother (Jocasta), had fathered four children with her (Antigone, Ismene,
Eteocles, Polynices), refused to listen to the blind prophet, Teiresias, uncovered his true
parentage, led his wife to suicide, blinded himself, and was exiled to Thebes. Upon his
banishment, Oedipus’ loyal daughter, Antigone, decides to accompany and guide him.
Oedipus kept travelling because no land wanted to be polluted by having his body buried
in their soil (Oedipus at Colonus).
In Antigone, Oedipus' other daughter, Ismene, arrives with terrible news : Oedipus' two
sons, Eteocles and Polynices have quarrelled over who is to rule Thebes. Polynices leaves
home to find help for his claim to the throne. He requests Oedipus' blessing - but
Oedipus is appalled at his sons’ behaviour and curses them both - a curse that they
should kill each other. Old Oedipus then dies. Oedipus' daughters return to Thebes,
where Eteocles now rules alone. Polynices eventually reaches Argos where he marries the
king’s daughter and is promised the throne of Thebes. Seven armies led by seven heroes
(Polynices and his father-in-law) attack the seven gates of Thebes. Thebes, under
Eteocles and his uncle Creon, resist - there is a stalemate. To settle the quarrel, it is
decided that seven Argive champions should face seven Theban champions in single
combat at each of the seven gates. The Thebans are successful, however both Eteocles
and Polynices die. Each kill the other in fulfilment of their father's curse.
Creon is now the undisputed king of Thebes, and this is where the play Antigone begins.
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III.
CHARACTERS & PLOT
Antigone: Daughter/sister of Oedipus. After her father went into total exile, she and her
sister resided in the house of Creon. Her brothers Polynices and Eteocles were casualties
in a brutal war for power, each brother dying by the other's hand. Creon has declared a
law or edict or proclamation that Eteocles will be honored with burial, while
Polynices' body is left to rot. Antigone will not leave one brother unburied, despite the
edict. Defiant and self-righteous, Antigone ranks her conscience, loyalty to her family,
and respect for the Gods above the authority of the state (Creon).
Ismene: Antigone's last surviving sibling, she is the foil for her stronger sister.
Compared to Antigone, she has almost no agency; she is characterized by inaction. She
neither helps bury Polynices, nor is she able to die with Antigone.
Chorus of Theban Elders: The Chorus comments on the action and interacts with
Creon, actively interceding with advice at a critical moment late in the play. They are
Theban elders, important for maintaining order in the city, and Creon summons them to
win their loyalty. They watch the unfolding of events with sympathy and a discerning
eye, pitying Creon and Antigone, but also commenting critically on their faults.
Creon: Ruler of Thebes in the wake of war, Creon cherishes order and loyalty above all.
He cannot bear to be defied, any more than he can bear to watch the laws of the state
defied. He leaves Polynices' body to be defiled, while honouring Eteocles. He feels that he
cannot give equal recognition to both brothers when one was a traitor and the other was
loyal. He does not recognize that other forms of justice exist. In his pride, he condemns
Antigone, defies the gods, and brings ruin upon himself. He is the tragic hero.
Sentry: brings the news that Polynices has been buried. He also captures Antigone.
Haemon: Son of Creon and Eurydice. Haemon is engaged to Antigone. In a dramatic
dialogue with his father, Haemon defends the moral grounding of Antigone's actions,
while warning his father that the people of Thebes sympathize with the girl. He and his
father part in anger. Haemon's devotion to Antigone is clear; at her death, he is so
distraught that he tries to kill his father and then kills himself.
Teiresias: The blind prophet. He warns Creon that the Gods do not approve of his
treatment of Polynices' body or Antigone. Creon then insults him. Teiresias responds
with a prophecy foretelling the death of one of Creon's children, warning that all of
Greece will despise the king if he does not relent. The prophet is an important part of
Sophocles' vision. Through him, the will of the Gods is conveyed & his existence implies
that one must obey and defer to the will of the Gods.
Messenger: The Messenger reports the respective suicides of Antigone and Haemon to
the Chorus and Eurydice. He leaves to follow Eurydice when she runs off in grief.
Eurydice: Creon's wife and Haemon's mother. Broken by her son's suicide, she kills
herself, calling curses down on Creon for causing the tragedy.
Second Messenger: The Second Messenger reports Eurydice's suicide to the Chorus &
Creon. Creon, already broken by Haemon's death, has to confront the suicide of his wife.
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IV. CONFLICT
The beginning of the play reveals that Antigone feels that it is her duty to bury her dead
brother. Burial rites assumed great importance for the ancient Greeks. Antigone,
therefore, is determined to carry out her promise to her brother But she is also, in her
view, fulfilling a higher law –she is acting according to her religious duty. Her comment
to Ismene: ‘I owe a longer allegiance to the dead than to the living’ implies that she
cannot dishonor the laws which the Gods have established. (Divine Law)
The basic theme of Antigone is developed by conflict - conflict caused by divided
loyalties: between Antigone and Ismene, Antigone and Creon, Creon and the Gods,
Creon and Teiresias, Creon and the Sentry, Creon and himself, and Haemon and Creon
based primarily on the idea of Divine Law (it is sacred to bury the dead) versus Creon’s
edict (Civil Law).
V. THEMES
1. Follow the will of the Gods. (In Greek society, the Gods were revered and
worshipped. One did not challenge the Gods. To disrespect the Gods in this
manner was a heinous violation of societal norms. To do so would invite the
wrath of the Gods.)
2. One cannot escape fate. (Oedipus cursed his sons to death if they could not
reconcile.)
3. Wisdom is gained through suffering and experience. (Creon)
“Of happiness the crown and chiefest part is wisdom, and to hold the Gods in
awe. This is the law that, seeing the stricken heart of pride brought down, we
learn when we are old.” (Chorus, p.162, text)
4. Pride can result in man’s downfall. (Both Antigone and Creon suffer from
pride that is coupled with arrogance. Neither of them is willing to heed wise
advice. In literature, excess pride is referred to as hubris. Antigone’s pride
makes her a heroine, a noble figure who would die for her family’s honour.
However, Creon’s pride cripples him, rendering him the tragic hero. Creon
creates a law that he believes is equivalent to divine law, yet no mortal has such
power. When Teiresias informs Creon that he has overstepped his bounds, Creon
only relents for self-preservation. He simply wants to save his own life. He still
does not realize that he has deeply offended the Gods. For his lack of
understanding, the Gods exact revenge with the deaths of Haemon and Eurydice.
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“The blight upon us is your doing. . .Only a fool is governed by self-will. . .It is
no glory to kill and kill again.” (Teiresias, p.153, text)
“You shall have given a son of your own loins to death in payment for death –
two debts to pay: one for the lie you have sent to death . . . one for the dead still
lying above ground . . .you cannot alter this. The Gods themselves cannot undo
it. It follows from necessity from what you have done.” (Teiresias, pp.154-4)
5. Morals and laws differ. (Antigone’s conscience, loyalty, devotion to the Gods,
and love and respect for her family propels her to break Creon’s edict and bury
her brother. She then proudly admits her role in the crime. She understands that
she is breaking the law, but feels she had little choice. She has to do the right
thing. To do otherwise – to let her brother’s corpse rot – is immoral. She is so
dedicated to her convictions that she is willing to die for them.)
‘I will bury my brother; And if I die for it, what happiness!’ (Antigonep.128, text)
6. The state is more powerful than the individual. (Creon banishes Antigone
to a cave and sentences her to death when she challenges his rule.)
‘Away with her at once, and close her up in her rock vaulted tomb. Leave her
and let her die, if die she must, or live within her dungeon.’ (Creon, p.150, text)
7. Divine Law supercedes man-made law. (Despite the fact that Creon was
King of Thebes, his failure to heed the will of the Gods - divine law – resulted in
his downfall. Creon makes the mistake of condemning Antigone to death for
burying her brother contrary to his edict. The Gods, in turn, condemn Creon as
he does not condemn Antigone in order to protect his state; he does so to protect
his reputation as both a king and a man).
“That order did not come from God. Justice, that dwells with the Gods below,
knows no such law. I did not think your edicts strong enough to overrule the
unwritten unalterable laws of God and heaven, you being only a man.”
(Antigone, p.138)
8. Women should not challenge men. (Particularly so in Greek society, women
were subservient to men. We witness this weakness with Ismene who dares not
challenge the edict of her uncle. Antigone ignores her gender and upsets the
status quo by openly and proudly challenging her Uncle’s law. She is both defiant
and rebellious, two “unladylike” traits for the era. And even when Creon realizes
he may be wrong, his pride will not let him admit defeat to a mere woman.
‘Take them and keep them within – the proper place for women.” (p.142, text)
9. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. (Tyranny reigns when a leader rules without
concern for his subjects. Creon’s intentions are initially noble as he wants to do what is
best for Thebes, but he becomes prey to human weakness and poor judgment.)
“The people of Thebes! Since when do I take my orders from the people of Thebes?”
(Creon, p.146, text)
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10. Inaction stems from fear. (Ismene is reluctant to challenge Creon, men in general, or
the law. She refuses to help Antigone bury their brother. Her “lack of agency” or inaction
is based both in her fear of consequences and her uncertainty about her role as a woman
in Greek society. At the end of the play however, she catches some of Antigone’s strength
and begs unsuccessfully to die with her sister.)
“O think Antigone; we are women; it is not for us to fight against men; our rulers are
stronger than we, and we must obey in this, or in worse than this. May the dead forgive
me, I can do no other but as I am commanded; to do more is madness.” (Ismene, p.128)
VI. CREON AS TRAGIC HERO
Aristotle defined a ‘tragic hero’ as one who is :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
a person of noble birth
has some good in him, but is not overwhelmingly virtuous or just
has a flaw in his character
which brings about an error in his judgement
and he moves from happiness to misery
i.
Creon is King of Thebes, hence from noble origins.
ii.
He wants to be a strong leader for Thebes, hence he is basically good.
‘As God above is my witness, who sees all, when I see any danger threatening
my people, whatever it may be, I shall declare it. No man who is this country’s
enemy shall call himself my friend. Of this I am sure – our country is our life’
(Creon, p. 131, text)
iii.
His fatal flaw is his pride mingled with arrogance - he refuses to listen to
Antigone’s rationale for breaking his law. Refuses to listen to Haemon.
“So, father, pause and put aside your anger. I think, for what my young
opinion’s worth, that, good as it is to have infallible wisdom, since this is rarely
found, the next best thing is to listen to wise advice.” (p.145, text)
iv.
His pride brings about an error in his judgement as he refuses to accept that he
has overridden the Gods and he refuses to listen to Teiresias.
‘You take me for your target, reverend sir, like all the rest. I know your art of
old, and how you make me your commodity to trade and traffic in for your
advancement.’ (Creon, p. 153, text)
v.
He loses his family as a result of his flaw, reflecting a move from happiness to
misery. He eventually acquires understanding of his flaw through the sorrow he
feels at the deaths of Haemon and Eurydice.
“The sin, the sin… O the curse of my stubborn will” (p.160, text)
‘The central character of the play is Creon, a distinctly tragic figure who acts from sincere, patriotic,
and selfless motives, but who is too inflexible and narrow in outlook to heed criticism or admit error
until it is too late. At the close of the play Creon recognizes and accepts his guilt, but the consequences
of his acts can no longer be changed. Creon’s tragedy is his inability to recognize that anyone
else can be right and his failure to acknowledge a higher good than that of the state. In
part, the characterization of Creon is Sophocles commentary on the corrupting influence that absolute
power has even on a good man, and is typical of the democratic Athenian attitude.’
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Assignment #1 : Questions
INSTRUCTIONS: Independently complete the following questions in the spaces
provided. Submission date:
.
1.
What news does Antigone break to Ismene? What does she ask Ismene to do?
Why does Ismene refuse? How does Ismene try to dissuade Antigone from taking
action and with what success?
2.
Explain three (3) character traits describing Antigone in the opening scene.
3.
What is Creon’s view of kingship and the state? Why does he decide to treat the
dead brothers unequally? What is your initial reaction to Creon?
4.
What news does the sentry bring? Explain Creon’s reaction to the news?
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5.
When Creon asks Antigone why she has defied his order (edict), how does she
answer? How does Creon respond? What vow does Creon make? Why does
Antigone refuse to allow Ismene to share the blame?
6.
What major points does Creon make in his speech to Haemon? In response, what
argument does Haemon make? When does Haemon lose control? Why? How
does the chorus react when Haemon leaves?
7.
How does Creon decide to punish Antigone? Why?
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8.
What are Antigone’s feelings before she is led away to die?
9.
In this final scene where we see Antigone, what human trait does she reveal?
10.
Who is Teiresias? What advice does he give Creon? Why? How does Creon
receive the advice? What punishment does the blind prophet say is in store for
Creon because of his stubbornness? At this point Creon experiences internal
conflict. Explain.
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11.
What news does the messenger bring? What comparison does he make between
Creon’s circumstances before and presently?
12.
Comment on Creon’s situation as the play concludes. What does he ask for?
13.
The chorus states a major theme at the conclusion of the play. What is it?
******Major issues to consider: character traits of major characters; Creon’s character
change as the play progresses; conflicts, including motivations and resolution; theme(s)
and how it is developed; climax; atmosphere; irony.
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Assignment #2: Creative Expression of Antigone
DUE :
Creatively illustrate one of the following major concepts explored in Antigone:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
(viii)
(ix)
(x)
(xi)
(xii)
(xiii)
Pride
Family
Anarchy
Divine Law
Civil Law
Respect for the Dead
Gender
Crime and Punishment
Filial Piety
Curses
Fate/Prophesy
Leadership
Vengeance
Make an original poster/painting/sketch OR an original electronic masterpiece OR an
original dramatic representation (play, song, etc.) illustrating a concept from the list
above.
Include the following:
- 1-2 sentences about how your concept is related to the characters/events in the
play
- At least 4 direct quotes from the play that illustrate your concept. Include the
speaker and page number in parentheses after the quote.
- Photos/drawings/symbols/representations that illustrate your concept.
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Antigone : English 3201
Creative Project Grading Sheet
Name(s) :
Topic :
Date :
Clearly Illustrated Concept
5
4
3
2
1
0
Creativity
5
4
3
2
1
0
Presentation
5
4
3
2
1
0
4 Relevant and Properly Sourced Quotes
5
4
3
2
1
0
4 Well-Developed Explanations
5
4
3
2
1
0
TOTAL:
/25 =
%
Commentary:
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