Antigone Author’s Purpose Activity: Scenes 3, 4, and 5
Directions: Sophocles wrote with the purpose of entertaining the people of Greece, but we are going to go a
step further than this in looking at author’s purpose. Complete the chart below by answering each question
regarding the author’s purpose. The questions refer to the sections highlighted in blue in your book.
Questions about Purpose
Answer Identifying the Purpose
Pg. 741: Why do you think Sophocles makes Haimon
appear so calm and reasonable.
Sample Answer: Sophocles tries to show that
Haimon is like an opposite for Creon, who is not calm
and reasonable, but extremely proud and emotional.
Pg. 744: How does this observation by the Choragos
affect Creon?
What point does Sophocles make by including this?
Pg. 746: What happens here for the first time? (top of
page)
Pg. 747: Why might Sophocles have opened Scene 4
with this observation by the Choragos?
Pg. 750: How do the legends Ode 4 relate to
Antigone’s situation?
Pg. 751: How does Sophocles prepare the reader for
the importance of Teiresia’s prediction?
Pg. 753: Why might Sophocles have Creon say these
words?
Pg. 754: How does Sophocles build up suspense in
this passage?
Pg. 755 (bottom of page): What is the point the
Messenger is making here?
Pg. 756: Why might Sophocles introduce Creon’s
wife at this late point in the play?
Pg. 757 (middle of page): Why might Sophocles
have included this description?
Pg. 759: Why do you think Sophocles allows Creon’s
character to live on after those around him die?