Marley Michel

Classics 9
Mr. Bryant
12/01/19
Antigone
Prologue/Ode of entrance
1. Creon’s edict at the beginning of the play is that Polyneices cannot be buried. He gives this order
because Polyneices was a rebel who attacked Thebes, betraying his own country.
2. Antigone vows to bury her brother, Polyneices. Antigone wants Ismene to help her because she
believes it’s their duty as his sisters to honor Polyneices with a burial. Also, she wants to defend
what’s left of their family honor.
3. Antigone is loyal to the laws of the gods, which emphasize the importance of burial, whereas
Ismene is loyal to the laws of the state, which means she must follow the king’s edict. Also,
Antigone cares about her honor, whereas Ismene cares about self preservation.
4. Antigone relates her family’s history to her decision to bury Polyneices by talking about the
shame her family has suffered. She believes that because of her family’s shame, she must bring
honor to them by burying Polyneices. Ismene believes that because of the shame their family has
suffered they shouldn’t disobey the edict and bury Polyneices. She’s focused on their family
survival; Ismene and Antigone are the only family members left, so Antigone can’t die.
5. Antigone’s choices reflect her idealistic nature. She has too much pride and thinks she can do
what she wants and get away with it. Ismene’s practical nature is shown by her choices. She
desires stability and is willing to follow the edict because of the consequences that disobeying it
could cause.
6. The chorus supplies information about the battle to take Thebes. It talks about Polyneices being
an invader, two brothers killing one another, and the victory of Thebes, which they claim to be
primarily the work of the gods. The chorus provides a link to the subsequent action of Creon
entering and giving the edict that Polyneices cannot be buried.
Scene 1/Ode 1
1. The principles Creon states concerning government and its relation to the governed are that the
country comes first, meaning if you hurt the country, you’re Creon’s enemy, and to never hide
from good advice, meaning he’s always willing to listen to good advice from others.
2. Creon’s principles for ruling Thebes are opposed to Antigone’s intention because Creon considers
Polyneices an enemy of the state, meaning he shall not be buried. Antigone wants to bury her
 brother, but because of Creon’s principle to hate the state’s enemies, he denies burial to
Polyneices.
3. By suggesting that the gods may have buried Polyneices, the Chorus is implying that perhaps the
gods don’t approve of Creon’s edict.
4. Creon rejects the suggestion that supernatural forces buried Polyneices because of his hubris. He
claims that he knows what the gods want and they wouldn’t disapprove of his edict. Creon claims
that it must have been a group of conspirators who hate him because he’s king.
5. The sentry thinks Creon’s conscience might be bothering him because he knows he did something
wrong. It’s his guilt that’s bothering him, not the sound of the Sentry’s voice.
6. The sentry represents democratic principles like individual liberty because he exercises his right
to speak freely to Creon. He has freedom of speech in a democracy and can demand fairness
under the law.
7. Creon’s scene with the sentry contradicts his own principles for ruling because Creon claims that
he’ll always listen to good ideas, but immediately shoots down the idea that the gods disapprove
of his edict.
8. Creon demonstrates hubris as the ruler of Thebes by claiming he knows what the gods want.
9. The first ode’s praise of man relates to the themes of the play because it describes that man has so
many amazing accomplishments to be proud of, but when the pride turns to unsavory ambition
it’s destructive. It’s cautioning against hubris, a way of foreshadowing Creon’s fate.
Scene 2/Ode 2
1. The sentry is glad to avoid further responsibility because he feels caught up in a situation that
could get him in trouble for no reason. His attitude is typical in people in general because he is
just an innocent person caught in the middle of a complicated situation that he doesn’t want to be
a part of. He is concerned with self preservation, not crazy and heroic like Antigone.
2. Antigone’s statement that “Zeus never promulgated/ Such a law” demonstrates the theme; divine
law versus laws of the state. The edict is the law of the state, which Antigone believes is inferior
to the divine law which states the importance of burial. Law of the state versus law of the gods is
a common theme that comes up frequently throughout the play.
3. Antigone is very proud. The entitled way she speaks to Creon demonstrates her excessive pride. I
think that she is too proud because she’s willing to die for her family honor/pride. Her pride gets
in the way of her reasoning.
4. By the statement, “They think as I but trim their tongues to you,” Antigone means that everyone
else holds their tongue and obeys Creon, even though they think his edict is unfair.
 5. Ismene tries to take equal blame because she doesn’t want her only living relative, Antigone, to
die and leave her alone.
6. Antigone rejects Ismene because she resents sharing credit where none is due. Antigone asked
Ismene to help her and she refused. Now Antigone feels like Ismene is trying to take credit for
the action that Antigone sees as heroic.
7. Creon disgraces his own son by saying he has bad taste in women and can find a better wife than
Antigone.
8. Creon shows his view of what role women should play in society when he says, “Off with them
and lock them up. No more roaming. They are women now” (Sophocles 184). The quote shows
that he thinks women should be powerless and dominated.
9. Antigone does want to die. In the society she lives in, women are repressed. The only way
Antigone can become empowered and a hero is by dying. Society won’t let her be a hero any
other way.
10. Ode two relates to the scene preceding it because the ode describes that the gods punish
transgressors, like Oedipus by punishing their family for generations. Since Oedipus commited
incest, all of his children are doomed by the gods. In the scene prior Creon sentenced Oedipus’
two remaining children to death, fulfilling the will of the gods.
Scene 3/Ode 3
1. Creon believes a son’s first duty is unremitting deference to his father’s will. It’s reflective of
Creon’s view of his rule of Thebes because he thinks citizens should have the same duty to their
king.
2. Creon believes that Antigone is an anarchist because she refuses to recognize his authority. She
disregards the authority that Creon holds as king.
3. Haemon warns his father that he needs to listen to the opinions of others. He tells him that a wise
man has much to learn without a loss of dignity.
4. Haemon’s lines about bendable trees not snapping and stubborn trees being torn up parallel the
advice Creon gave to Antigone in scene two. The idea is that the toughest will is first to break.
5. a. The first reason Creon gives for rejecting Haemon’s warning is that Haemon is too young to be
wise.
b. The second claim Creon makes to reject his son’s advice is that Haemon is pleading for a
criminal.
6. a. The third reason Creon rejects his son is because the state belongs to only him, meaning there’s
no need to let the views of citizens sway him.
 b. The fourth reason Creon gives for why his order to kill Antigone should be obeyed is that
Haemon has become the slave to a woman; Antigone.
7. Haemon describes his father’s ideal state as being in total control and making decisions with no
regard for others. He uses the metaphor of ruling in a desert and yelling at the sand.
8. Creon accuses Haemon of dispensing wisdom which he ill could spare.
9. Creon interprets Haemon’s statement, “Well then dead- one death beckoning another,” as a threat.
Perhaps Haemon could also be saying that he’ll kill himself if Antigone is gonna die.
10. Haemon is more admirable in his argument with Creon than Antigone because he listens to and
considers Creon’s ideas, rather than only thinking about his own. Both Antigone and Creon refuse
to acknowledge the thoughts of the other side during an argument.
11. At the close of the scene, Creon alters his orders by deciding Ismene will not be killed, seeing as
she didn’t have a part in Polyneices’ burial. I think that although he’d never admit it, Creon
altering his orders is a concession that he was wrong before.
12. There are lots of love connections in this play. For example; the love of power, the love of law,
the love of siblings, the love of family, the love of gods, etc. The love relationships show that
every character thinks their actions are justified since they’re actions are out of love. It shows that
a positive intention doesn’t ensure a positive outcome.
13. The attitude of the chorus has changed from supporting Creon’s position as king to recognizing
his arrogance. The chorus’ attitude reflects the attitude of the citizens of Thebes. Initially they
support Creon completely, but over the course of the play their support wavers.
14. The third Choral Ode expresses the thematic idea; the power of love. It says that love it
everywhere and in everyone, and love makes people do crazy things
Scene 4/Ode 4
1. Antigone delivering an epode following the strophe and antistrophe sections of the ode is a way
for her to speak directly to the audience as if she’s a member of the chorus. It adds to the drama
of the scene and allows Antigone to ask for the compassion of those around her.
2. The author uses language like ‘wedding’, ‘wedding march’, ‘bridal song’, and ‘wedding
chamber’ to make the scene seem like it’s describing a wedding. Antigone will soon be married
to Hades, the god of death, seeing as she is currently unmarried. She’s heading to her “wedding
chamber” where she will be wed with death.
3. Antigone remains proud to the moment of her imprisonment. It seems like her only regret is not
being able to marry Haemon and have children with him. She does not repent burying her brother,
she did it for honor and will be empowered by dying.
 4. The stories in Ode four are about heroes and heroines who endured terrible punishments at the
hands of fate, just like Antigone is in Scene four. The stories are a statement about justice by
showing that it isn’t always upheld. Sometimes things happen just because of fate.
Scene 5/ Paean
1. The omens that tell Tiresias that Creon is on a “razor’s edge” are the birds screaming and uneven
cooking of the sacrificial thigh fat, a sacrifice not accepted by the gods.
2. It’s ironic that Tiresias is blind because he is the one who can see the truth. He can’t see with his
eyes, but he’s able to see the truth, whereas Creon can see with his eyes, but is unable to see the
truth. The author references the boy being Tiresias’ eyes and Tiresias being Creon’s eyes.
3. The statement, “To err is human, true/ And only he is cursed who having sinned/ Will not repent,
will not repair” applies to Creon because he has made a mistake but will not admit to it and make
things right because of his hubris.
4. The reason Creon gives for rejecting Tiresias is that he’s a false prophet who works only to earn
money. Giving that reason keeps with Creon’s overly proud character because he refuses to hear
anything that he isn’t in agreement with. He thinks that anyone who doesn’t agree with his views
must be corrupt or a criminal.
5. Tiresias lays the curse on Creon that if he leaves Polyneices’ body unburied the furies will punish
him. His house will be filled with weeping, war will follow, and many other curses will be given
to him, like the death of his son.
6. The fear of death does affect Creon. After hearing Tiresias’ prophecy, Creon decides to free
Antigone in a desperate attempt to change his awful fate. He only does it out of fear for the
consequences he’s destined to face.
7. Creon is still demonstrating pride despite his action of freeing Antigone because by doing so he
thinks he can change his own fate. Creon believes that he has the immense power to change his
own fate simply by freeing Antigone. He hasn’t learned anything and thinks he’s in control.
8. The fourth choral ode is related to the end of scene five because it’s asking the gods to restore
peace to Thebes. Tiresias told the awful prophecy of Creon and the consequences that will follow
because of his poor leadership. The chorus is concerned for Thebes and makes a plea to the gods
to fix the wrong Creon has done.
Epilogue
1. The Messenger adds drama to the play by presenting a dramatic recount of all the deaths. Since it
was not considered appropriate to show gruesome deaths in the play, the messenger is a way of
informing the audience of the events that occurred. The messenger and sentry are similar because
they’re both the relayers of awful news that helps move the story along.
2. The messenger tells Eurydice that her son, Haemon killed himself in response to Antigone’s
suicide.
3. Eurydice goes back into her house to take her own life. Her son just died and it’s her husband’s
fault. The pain is too much for her to bear.
4. Tiresias’ prophecy comes true by Haemon dying. Also, right before leaving Tiresias says in
reference to Creon, “He’ll learn a little modesty in time, a little meekness soon”, and Creon does.
He blames himself for the death of his family and finally sees the error in his ways. The prophecy
ends up even worse than Tiresias predicted because it only predicted the death of Haemon, not
Eurydice, too.
5. I think that Creon is sincere in his actions and decisions in the epilogue. He finally understands
that he was wrong and is remorseful for his actions. Almost every line Creon says in the epilogue
expresses regret and self-blame.
6. I don’t think that there’s any note of happiness at the end because although Creon has realized the
error in his ways and his excessive pride, it’s too late and everyone he loves is dead. Creon’s
understanding of his crimes only brings him more pain. He’s all alone, so his newfound wisdom
is useless.
7. I think that Creon is the central figure of the tragedy. Throughout the play he goes through a
distinct character arc and is more important to the story than Antigone is. I think Creon
contributes more to Aristotle’s definition of tragedy than Antigone does. He goes through reversal
and recognition, and has misfortune brought by his own error. Both characters are crucial to the
story, though. It is Antigone who drives the action, after all, without her no one would have ended
up killing themselves. It’s very hard to choose between those two important characters.