Antigone Study Guide
Prologue & Parados
1. What is an example of verbal irony spoken by Antigone to Ismene?
2. What major conflict is revealed?
3. What are Antigone’s feelings for Ismene in this scene?
4. Why does Creon forbid the burial of Polyneices?
5. Why does Antigone disagree with King Creon?
6. What law is Ismene faithful to?
7. How does Ismene serve as a foil to Antigone?
8. When characters are torn by a decision, what kind of conflict is it?
Scene 1 & Ode 1
1. What motive does Creon attribute to the person who buried Polyneices?
2. How is Polyneices “buried” by the perpetrator?
3. What is the theme of Ode 1?
4. Creon declares that anarchists are behind the burial of Polyneices. Why is this dramatic
irony (audience knows something characters do not)?
5. Creon also references the perpetrators are men. Why is this ironic?
6. Why does the Sentry report the news about the burial?
7. What type of figurative language are Creon’s references to the government as a “Ship of
state” and the “recent storms” of Polyneice’s rebellion?
Scene 2 & Ode 2
1. How does the Sentry feel when he delivers Antigone to Creon?
2. What major reason does Antigone proclaim in her confrontation with Creon?
3. In Creon’s view, why is Antigone guilty of committing two crimes?
4. In Ode 2, what is Antigone compared to? What type of figurative language is this?
5. What is Creon’s motive for arresting Ismene?
6. How is Creon’s arrest Ismene proof of his hubris (pride), irrationality & abuse of power?
Scene 3 & Ode 3
1.
What metaphor(s) does Haimon use to convince his father to change his mind?
2.
What point does Haimon to further persuade his father?
3.
What does the Chorus comment on in Ode 3?
4.
What is the main motive for Creon’s refusal to pardon Antigone?
5.
What does Haimon threaten?
6.
What is the result of Haimon & Creon’s discussion?
7.
What character change does Haimon undergo in Scene 3?
8.
Who speaks up & argues that the citizens don’t want Antigone harmed?
9.
Who claims that his “hands are clean.” Why does he now consider himself guilt free?
Scene 4 & Ode 4
1.
Antigone sees her impending death as a result of what?
2.
What metaphor does Antigone use to describe her tomb?
3.
What does Antigone “hope” for Creon?
4.
In the last few lines of the Ode, who does the Chorus place responsibility on for Antigone’s
death?
5.
At the beginning of Scene 4, what is Antigone’s motive for telling the Chorus to pity her?
6.
What adjectives best describe the tone of Scene 4?
Scene 5, Paean & Exodus
1. The fact that Teiresias is blind but has greater vision than those who are sighted is an
example of what literary term?
2. What does Choragos tell Creon about Teiresias’ predictions?
3. What is Creon’s motive for finally wishing to free Antigone & bury Polyneices?
4. What does Haimon do just before killing himself?
5. Who does the main conflict take place between?
6. What is the resolution of the play?
7. What theme is expressed by the Choragos in his final lines?
8. What does Teiresias consider “the only crime” at the beginning of the scene?
Character Review
leads the Chorus
acting king of Thebes
brother refused burial
brother buried with full honors
sister who disobeys civil law
son of Creon, engaged to Antigone
father of Polyneices and Eteocles
praises human accomplishment (1)
sister who obeys civil law
goddess of love (3)
Creon’s father(1)