Antigone
The Story Behind the Story
The Myth of Oedipus
• Laius (King of Thebes) and Jocasta (Queen)
conceive a child.
• Laius consults the Oracle at Delphi for a
prediction of the future
• The Oracle predicts that a son born to Laius
and Jocasta will kill his father and marry his
mother.
 If you were the parent of this soon-to-be-born child, what
would you do?
OMIGOSH!
• When the son is born, Laius and Jocasta
attempt to avert their fates:
o
o
They drive a rivet into the child’s ankles
They give the child to a servant and instruct him
to abandon the baby on Mt. Cithaeron.
 What do you think of these parents’ attempt to avert
fate?
A Guilty Conscience intervenes
• The servant cannot abandon the child to die, so he
gives the child to a shepherd who carries it to
Corinth.
• The child is raised by the King and Queen of
Corinth, who name the baby Oedipus (means
“swollen foot”).
• When Oedipus is a young man, he begins to think
“I need a life…”
• He consults the Oracle.
 What did the Oracle predict for him?
Fate averted again (or not)
• Oedipus leaves Corinth to avoid his awful
fate.
• On the journey, he meets a man who rudely
forces him from the road.
• In retaliation, Oedipus pulls the man from his
chariot and kills him.
 What do you think of Oedipus’ action here?
Oedipus travels to Thebes…
• Thebes is under seige by the Sphinx.
• Oedipus saves the day.
• Oedipus receives the throne of Thebes (the Queen is the
bonus).
• All goes well for 20 years, until the truth of Oedipus's past is
revealed.
• The bulk of Oedipus the King tells how this truth "comes to
light."
• Oedipus reacts by blinding himself, and Jocasta kills herself.
•
What do you think of their reactions?
Where Antigone comes in…
• Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and
Jocasta
• She has three siblings:
o
o
o
Ismene, sister
Polyneices, brother
Eteocles, brother
• Antigone, Ismene live with their uncle,
Creon, King of Thebes
 As Princess of Thebes, what kind of life does Antigone
enjoy? Think about everything!
Prior to the story of Antigone (before the
play opens)
• In a fight for control of the throne of Thebes,
Eteocles and Polyneices kill each other on
the field of battle.
• Because Polyneices raised an army against
Thebes, Creon brands him a traitor.
• He accords Eteocles full burial honors; but
not Polyneices…
The characters of the drama
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Antigone (daughter of Oedipus)
Ismene (her sister)
Creon (their uncle, the brother of Jocasta)
Eurydice (your-id-i-see) wife of Creon
Haimon (son of Creon & Eurydice)
Teiresias (Tie-ree-see-as) a blind prophet
Essential Questions in Antigone
• When, if at all, is it our responsibility to protest or
break an unjust law?
• What price should someone be willing to pay if
s/he breaks an unjust law?
• What is good leadership? Can a good leader show
uncertainty and maintain leadership?
• How much power do we have over our fates?
Show me your thinking.
• Write your responses to the presentation
questions in your notebook. All questions are
in red.
• Title should be, My Thinking about Antigone