| Antigone | The protagonist of the play. Defies Creon’s orders and gives her brother, Polynices a proper burial. She believes that the burial is part of the unwritten rules from the gods even though it is against the law Creon sets. Has a little arrogance. Believes she should honor dead because death is forever vs life being temporary. |
| Ismene | Sister of Antigone. Tries to discourage Antigone to bury her brother and not cause more pain the family. When Creon sentences Antigone to death, she tries to take credit of burial and convince Creon to change his mind toward Antigone’s death sentence. |
| Creon | The antagonist of the play. Uncle of Antigone and Ismene and father of Haemon. He believes in the rule of law and the authority of the state above all. He rules in tyranny which leads to anarchy. His ignorance toward Haemon, Antigone and Tiresias leads to the death of his son and wife. |
| Haemon | Fiance of Antigone and son of Creon. He tries to convince his father to be compassionate towards Antigone, because that is the will of the Thebans. He attacks his father and kills himself when he finds Antigone’s dead body. |
| Tiresias | A blind prophet who warns Creon that his actions towards Antigone and the burial will lead to the death of 2 of his family members. Creon gets mad and insults him. Tiresias then says the gods will punish him by taking the life of his child. |
| Eurydice | Wife of Creon and mother of Haemon. Blames Creon for Haemon’s death and kills herself because of her son’s death, while cursing he husband’s name. |
| Chorus | Represents the elders of Thebes. Speaks as one voice, or sometimes the voice of the leader of the group of elders. It praises, dams, cowers in fear, ask or offers advice, and generally helps the audience interpret the play. |
| Guard | Tells Creon the news of the illegal burial and how Antigone commits the crime. Acts cowardly towards Creon asking him to not kill him and also talks back to Creon. |
| Have I not always followed your good council? | Creon |
| She closed her eyes in death | Messenger |
| Can we make loyal friends? | Creon |
| In remorse he drove the blade. | Creon |
| A voice that spoke of death. | Eurydice |
| Have you no shame? | Ismene |
| But why attempt a hopeless task at all? | Ismene |
| My lord, thought has risen in my mind do we not see the hand of god? | Chorus |
| I have to please the dead far longer. | Antigone |
| Boy lead me home again. | Teiresias |
| No, lay that burden on some younger man. | Chorus |
| If one who is still young can speak with sense | Haemon |
| The man who profits from the wisdom of another. | Haemon |
| Parados | Ode to Apollo |
| First Ode | Ode to man. |
| Second Ode | Vengeance of gods. |
| Third Ode | Love conquers all |
| Forth Ode | Ode to fate. |
| author of antigone | sophocles |
| what type of drama is antigone | tragedy |
| mythical background story for antigone | ill fated house of thebes |
| who is laios | father of oedipus, kings of thebes, grandson of thebes’ founder |
| who is laios’ wife | jocasta |
| prophecy from the oracle | his son would kill him |
| what is an oracle | connected to the gods and can tell the future |
| how does laios keep from getting killed by his own son | pierces feet and gives to the shepherd to abandon the baby on the mountain |
| what does king polybus do when he finds the baby | adopts him |
| what does king polybus name the baby | oedipus |
| what does oedipus mean | swollen foot |
| when oedipus is a man, what is revealed to him by another oracle | he will kill his father and marry his mother |
| why does oedipus leave corinth | wants to prevent the prophecy |
| what happens at the crossroads with the stranger | they argue and he kills the man |
| Who is the stranger Odeipus kills? | oedipus’ father |
| what is a sphinx | winged monster, body of lion, face of a woman |
| what does oedipus become due to the thebians request | king |
| what does becoming the king mean | he marries his mother |
| who are oedipus and jocasta’s kids | eteocles, ismene, polyneices, antigone |
| what is creon’s relationship to the family | uncle |
| who is teiresias | bling prophet |
| what does jocasta do when she finds out she married her son | hangs herself |
| what does oedipus do to punish himself for murdering his father | takes his eyes out, he didn’t see the truth so he didn’t want to see at all |
| why does oedipus leave thebes | banishes himself |
| what happens to the brother in the battle | they kill each other |
| why is the battle significant | fulfils their fathers curse |
| how does creon treat the slain etocles | hero |
| what is creons decree concerning polyneices | enemy of the state |
| what reasons does ismene give for not helping antigone | fear of creon, doesn’t want to break laws |
| what reasons does antigone give for defying creon | giving rest to her brother, pleasing to the gods |
| how does antigone feel about ismene’s refusal to help | angry, hatred, betrayed |
| what does creon say about putting private friendship above public good | he will not |
| why is the sentry so afraid to relate his news to creon | he’s afraid he will be blamed |
| what is the message the sentry brings | the body of polyneices has been buried |
| what did the men see antigone doing | performing burial rights |
| why would creon feel that ismene is also guilty | loyalty of sisters |
| who is haimon | creon’s son, antigone’s fiance |
| in what manner does haimon greet his father | obediently |
| what does he say is the feeling of the thebians about antigone and what she has done | they respect her |
| if creon carries out his plan, what does haimon tell his father will happen | there will be two deaths and he will never see him again |
| what punishment did creon plan for antigone | lock her in a vault |
| what are some of the omens that have worried teiresias | the fire wouldn’t start, flying brides |
| what advice does teiresias give creon | don’t fight with the corpses |
| in what way is creon insulting to teiresias | accused him of accepting bribes |
| what is the warning that teiresias gives to creon | there will be punishment for corpse or corpse |
| what is creon’s decision | to release antigone |
| who is eurydice | creon’s wife |
| what do the messenger and creon do with polyneices’ body | prayed over it |
| what happens to antigone | hung herself with a linen veil |
| what does haimon attempt to do when creon speaks | spit in his face, tries to kill him |
| how does haimon die | drives his sword in his side |
| from whom do we recieve all of this informtion and to whom is the information related | messenger of choragus |
| what does the messenger tell creon about his wife | she has killed herself |
| who is eurydice’s directed to and what is it | cursed creon for the death of her sons |
| what is creon’s reaction to his wifes death | he is guilty |
| what is tragedy | a serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character |
| what is creons tragic flaw | stubborn pride |
| “There is no happiness where there is no wisdom.” (MAJOR THEME) | choragos |
| “How deadful it is when the right judge judges wrong” | Guard |
| “Think; all men makes mistajes, / but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong…” | teiresias |
| “Are you sure that is is my voice, and not your conscience?” | Guard |
| “Reason is God’s crowning gift to man…” | Haemon |
| “A fortune won is often misfortune.” | Creon |
| “Fate rise up / And fate casts down the happy and unhappy alike: / No man can foretell his fate.” | Messenger |
| “…Can it be that the gods have done this?” | Chorus |
| “I must yield / To those in authority.” | Ismene |
| “The state is the king!” | Creon |
| “The time is not far off when you shall pay back / Corpse for corpse, flesh of your own flesh.” | teiresias |
| “This girl is guilty of double insolence, breaking the given laws and boasting of it.” | Creon |
| “The only crime is pride.” | teiresias |
| “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say the crime is holy.” | Antigone |
Antigone Notes
February 15, 2020