| Antigone | Protagonist, characteristics include being impulsive, loyal, and hard- headed Buries polynices, argues with Creon and is sentenced to isolation, then commits suicuide |
| Ismene | Older sister of Antigone, models what a greek girl is suppossed to be like, parallel to Antigone, chooses man’s law over god’s |
| Chorus | The main functions of the Chorus are to comment on the action of the play, give back story, and to connect the play to other myths. Sophocles also uses the Chorus to expound upon the play’s central themes, we get choral odes on everything from the dangers of pride, to the hazards of love. |
| Antistrophe | means “to turn back”, second stanza of choral ode, answer/ response to the strophe, performed by the chorus while it moved from left to right on the stage |
| Strophe | means “to turn” , the first stanza of a choral ode (poem), first half of a debate presented by the chorus , performed by the chorus while it moved from right to left on the stage |
| Eteocles | One of thw two brothers who is killed during the power struggle for thebes,, properly buried |
| Polynices | One of the two brothers wo is killed duriing the power struggle for thebes, banned from being properly buried and looked upon as a criminal by Creon |
| Creon | brother- in- law to Oedipus, King of Thebes, Antagonist but not villan, his initial ruling that no one may bury polynices results in his own downfall, fatal flaw is pride |
| Guard | keeps watch over the dead body of Polynices to prevent its burial. Somehow, Antigone slips through and sprinkles dust on the body. When the Guard reports to Creon, Creon threatens him with death if this should occur again. He wants the perpetrator caught and brought to him. The Guard catches Antigone and brings her to the king, |
| Haemon | Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiance; attempts to kill Creon and when he fails commits suicuide |
| Tiresias | The blind prophet of Thebes Creon follows advice Tiresias gives him, since he owes so much to his past advice. Advised Laius and Oedipus, before Creon. His auguries show that the gods are angered by Creon’s decision to leave Polynices unburied. warns Creon to free Antigone and bury Polynices |
| Messenger | A man who tells of the deaths of Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice. |
| Eurydice | Queen of Thebes, wife of Creon. On hearing of the death of her son, she kills herself, blames Creon for son’s death |
| Setting | Thebes |
| Overall plot | upon her arrival in Thebes, Antigone learns that both of her brothers are dead. Eteocles has been given a proper burial, but Creon, Antigone’s uncle who has inherited the throne, has issued a royal edict banning the burial of Polyneices, who he believes was a traitor. Antigone defies the law, buries her brother, and is caught. When Creon locks her away in prison, she kills herself. Meanwhile, not realizing Antigone has taken her own life, the blind prophet Teiresias, Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiancé Haemon, and the Chorus plead with Creon to release her. Creon finally relents, but in an instance of too-late-timing, finds her dead in her jail cell. Out of despair, Haemon and Creon’s wife have by now also killed themselves, and Creon is left in distress and sorrow. |
| prologue | Ismene and Antigone argue over whether to bury polynices, gives setting, and introduces conflicts |
| Scene 1 | Creon explains why he is the ruler (closest male relative) and tells people to follow his rules, chorus supports him, someone buries polynices but they don’t know who, Creon believes the guard has been bribed, wants the guards to find who did it |
| Scene 2 | Antigone is caught after she tries to bury her brotherr a 2nd time, Antigone is sentenced to death after arguing with Creon,Ismene and Antigone argue again and Antigone leaves Ismene out of the death sentence. We learn that Antigone and Haemon are engaged and if married Haemon will be the king |
| Scene 3 | Creon and Haemon argue, Haemon rveals that the people of Thebes disagree with the punishment ad tells Creon he is being too stubborn, Creon changes Antigone’s punishment to just isolation in a cave believeing it will be more favorable because he is not diectly killing Antigone |
| Scene 4 | Antigone has changed because now she is realizing her consequences for her actions, sees herself as a victim, she compares herself to Niobe, and the chorus believes it was fate she die |
| Scene 5 | Creon talks to Teiresias who determines the gods are mad at Creon(birds, sacrifices). Teiresias advises Creon to bend and bury Polynices+release Antiogne, Creon reveals that he is corrupt and has used the prophets for his own power, chorus agrees with Teiresias because he is credible, Creon has learned to follow the god’s law |
| Epilogue | Creon changes his plan and buries Polynices 1st to please gods, Antigone, and people. He discovers Antigone has killed herself. Haemon attempts to kill Creon due to anger, fails, and then commits suicuide. Eurydice stabs herself and blames Creon, Creon is left to suffer and asks to be led off stage. Ending message is don’t defy the gods |
Antigone characters/ plot/ setting
February 14, 2020