Study / Review Notes
ENGLISH 3201
Introduction
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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.
Introduction (Tragedy)
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Keeping in line with Aristotle’s definition of tragedy,
most Greek dramas, including Antigone, were
tragedies as they contained four necessary tragic
elements :
serious issues
complete (a beginning, middle and end)
magnitude/elistist (about important people)
events evoked pity and fear in the audience, in
order to effect a catharsis (emotional release).
Tragic hero aroused most pity.
Introduction (Chorus)
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Greek tragedies also contained a chorus: a group
of actors speaking in unison who :
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provided a running commentary/summary
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represented the point of view of the common man
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established the mood
Background
So what happened before “Antigone”?
Background
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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).
Background (2)
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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.
Background (3)
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Creon is now the undisputed king of Thebes, and this
is where the play Antigone begins.
Who is Who in the Zoo?
The Characters & The Plot
Antigone
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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
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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.
The Chorus
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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
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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.
Haemon
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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
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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.
The “Others”
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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.
Sentry: brings the news that Polynices has been buried. He
also captures Antigone.
The Struggles
Conflict in “Antigone”
Conflict (1)
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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)
Conflict (2)
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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).
The Main Message
Themes in “Antigone”
Pride Can Result in Man’s Downfall.
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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.
“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)
Morals and Laws Differ.
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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.)
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‘I will bury my brother; And if I die for it, what
happiness!’ (Antigonep.128, text)
The state Versus The Individual.
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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)
Divine Law Versus Man-Made Law.
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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)
Women should not challenge men.
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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)
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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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)
Where have we seen this theme in other novels?
Inaction Stems From Fear.
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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)
Other Themes
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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.)
One cannot escape fate. (Oedipus cursed his sons to death if they
could not reconcile.)
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)
Isn’t it Tragic!
Creon as the Tragic Hero
Definition of a Tragic Hero
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Aristotle defined a ‘tragic hero’ as one who is :
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
What Makes Creon a Tragic Hero?
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Creon is King of Thebes, hence from noble origins.
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)
Creon’s Flaw
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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)
Creon’s Pride
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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)
Creon’s Downfall
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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)
Summary (Creon as a Tragic Hero)
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‘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.’
Review Questions
These will be used for review / study purposes only.
Let’s Review
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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?
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?
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?
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?
Review (2)
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How does Creon decide to punish Antigone? Why?
What are Antigone’s feelings before she is led away to
die?
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.
What news does the messenger bring? What
comparison does he make between Creon’s
circumstances before and presently?
Review (3)
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Comment on Creon’s situation as the play concludes.
What does he ask for?
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.
THAT’S A WRAP!
“Antigone” – The Theban Plays