Antigone - Valhalla High School

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Antigone
by Sophocles
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eNotes: Table of Contents
1. Antigone: Introduction
2. Antigone: Sophocles Biography
3. Antigone: Summary
¤ Scene I Summary
¤ Scene II Summary
¤ Scene III Summary
¤ Scenes IV-V Summary
¤ Scene VI Summary
¤ Scenes VII-VIII Summary
4. Antigone: Essential Passages
¤ Essential Passages by Character: Antigone
¤ Essential Passages by Theme: Law vs. Love
5. Antigone: Themes
6. Antigone: Style
7. Antigone: Historical Context
8. Antigone: Critical Overview
9. Antigone: Character Analysis
¤ Antigone
¤ Creon
¤ Other Characters
10. Antigone: Essays and Criticism
¤ Family versus Community in Antigone
¤ The Antigone and its Moral
¤ Dramatic Effect in Sophocles
11. Antigone: Compare and Contrast
12. Antigone: Topics for Further Study
13. Antigone: Media Adaptations
Antigone 1
14. Antigone: What Do I Read Next?
15. Antigone: Bibliography and Further Reading
16. Antigone: Pictures
17. Copyright
Antigone: Introduction
Greek playwright Sophocles wrote the last play in the Theban Trilogy, Antigone, around 442 B.C. The Theban
Trilogy consists of Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King), Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone, but the play
considered the last of the three was, ironically, written first. Only seven of Sophocles's one
hundred-twenty-three tragedies have survived to the modern era—with the trilogy surviving the ages intact.
These three plays are perhaps the most famous of the seven, with Antigone performed most often.
Antigone tells the story of the title character, daughter of Oedipus (the former king of Thebes, who
unknowingly killed his father and married his mother, and who renounced his kingdom upon discovering his
actions), and her fight to bury her brother Polyneices against the edict of her uncle, Creon, the new king of
Thebes. It is a story that pits the law of the gods—"unwritten law"—against the laws of humankind, family ties
against civic duty, and man against woman.
Many playwrights in Ancient Greece used mythological stories to comment on social and political concerns of
their time. This is what Sophocles may have intended when he wrote Antigone. Based on the legends of
Oedipus, Sophocles may have been trying to send a message to the Athenian general, Pericles, about the
dangers of authoritarian rule.
These tragedies were written to be performed at the Great Dionysia (a festival in honor of the god Dionysus,
the god of fertility, theater, and wine) in Athens. Attending these plays was considered a civic duty, and even
criminals were let out of jail to attend. Antigone won Sophocles first prize at the festival and was an enormous
success. It is still performed today, and has been adapted by French playwright Jean Anouilh, who set the play
during World War II.
Antigone: Sophocles Biography
Sophocles lived from c.496 to c.406 B.C., during the Golden Age of Athens (480-404 B.C.), the Greek
city-state of which he was a citizen. He was an active citizen, participating in the city's infant democracy. He
was involved in the war against the Samians and during the war became friends with Athens's popular
general, Pericles. He founded the Thiasos of Muses (a society for the advancement of music and literature),
and was an ambassador to many foreign countries throughout his lifetime. He was also a priest of the healing
god Amynos and kept the sacred snake representing the god Aeschulapius while his temple was being built.
He was a very well-rounded citizen, not only leading an active political and religious life but also writing one
hundred and twenty-three tragedies, of which only seven remain intact for modern readers.
Sophocles was married to a woman named Nicostrata, with whom he had a son, Iophon; he also had a son (out
of wedlock) with Theoris of Sicyon named Ariston. He studied music under Lamprus and tragedy under
Aeschylus before writing his own tragedies. His was a wealthy family and powerful in political and religious
affairs. Of his seven plays to survive, Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) (c. 430 B.C.), Oedipus at Colonus (c.
404 B.C.), and Antigone (c. 442 B.C.), comprise the "Theban Trilogy," three plays which deal with King
Oedipus's tragic fall from power and the ruin of his children. Sophocles also wrote Ajax (c. 450 B.C.),
Trachiniae (The Women of Trachis) (440 B.C.), and Electro and Philoctetes (both c. 409 B.C.). The titles of
ninety other Sophoclean dramas survive, including Triptolemos, which was honored at the dramatic
competition the Great Dionysia c. 468 B.C., when Sophocles defeated his onetime mentor Aeschylus.
eNotes: Table of Contents 2
In Antigone, the title character asserts that the laws of Zeus and "unwritten law" justify her burial of her
brother, Polyneices. The popular general Pericles himself addressed the issue of unwritten law. To many
scholars the play was Sophocles's message to Pericles on the dangers of authoritarian rule, and the
playwright's assertion of the general's need to remain conscious of his duty to the citizens of Athens. It was
the duty of playwrights in Athens to address social and political issues, and this play not only addresses
authoritarian rule, but also familial duty and the status of women in society. When Antigone stands up to
Creon she not only defies the edict, but also the traditional behavior of Greek women of the time.
During the Golden Age of Athens, Sophocles was one of the city's most prolific and beloved playwrights.
Antigone is still performed all over the world, and though it may seem different in theme and structure to
modern works, it continues to move audiences just at it did when it was first produced. Many scholars have
remarked on Sophocles's ability to create dramatic, complex, and unique characters and situations, all of
which have withstood the passage of time.
Antigone: Summary
Scene I Summary
Antigone opens shortly before dawn outside of the palace at Thebes, where Antigone meets her sister Ismene.
Together they grieve over the losses their family has suffered. First, their father, Oedipus, had unknowingly
murdered his own father, ascended the throne, and married his mother. When Oedipus discovered this, he put
out his eyes and wandere'd as an exile from Thebes until his death. Then their brothers Polyneices and
Eteocles had killed each other in a battle between Thebes and the city of Argos. Now, because Polyneices
fought against Thebes, Creon, the new king of Thebes, has ordered that his corpse remain unburied, thus
condemning his spirit to roam the earth for one hundred years.
Grieved, Antigone calls on Ismene to join her in carrying out their duty to their brother in spite of the edict.
Antigone appeals to her sister's familial duty. Ismene, on the other hand, argues that, as women, they should
not question the decisions of men— especially an edict from the king. Each fails to persuade the other and the
sisters exit as the chorus of elders approaches.
Scene II Summary
Because Thebes has stood victorious in the battle against Argos, the chorus calls for a celebration. Then, as
they begin to wonder why they have been summoned to the palace, Creon, newly crowned as king over the
city-state, comes from the palace. He asks the elders to show him the same loyalty they had previously
awarded Oedipus. He restates his edict that Polyneices shall not be buried, vowing that no foe of the city shall
be his friend. The chorus seems uncertain about administering Creon's edict and ask that younger men
perform the task. One of the young men guarding the body of Polyneices comes forward.
The sentry guard tells Creon that someone has sprinkled dust on the body of Polyneices—an attempt at burial
that violates Creon's decree. An elder suggests that the act is the work of a god. Creon disagrees and warns the
old man against such foolish proclamations. It is base, he argues, to defy the state, not the glorious act of a
god. The king suspects that money has provoked someone to attempt Polyneices's burial. Creon tells the
sentry that he will be held responsible for the crime until the guard finds the actual perpetrator. He sends the
sentry back to his post, commanding that he find the lawbreaker.
Antigone: Sophocles Biography 3
Scene III Summary
The chorus praises the wonder that is man and the cunning by which he can capture all of nature, or,
conversely, escape nature's snares, all, that is, except death. Then the guard returns bringing Antigone as his
captive. The guard reports that just after they had removed the dust from Polyneices, Antigone was caught
trying to bury her brother a second time. When questioned by Creon, Antigone admits to both attempts at
burial. Creon condemns her; Antigone asserts that she has done a noble deed by honoring her family and
following the "unwritten law."
Creon suspects that, due to her odd behavior earlier, Ismene may be an accomplice in her sister's crimes.
When she comes forth, the chorus of elders recognizes that Ismene is innocent; her tears are not of guilt but
sorrow for her sister. Yet Creon demands her confession, and she gives it. Upon hearing this, Antigone states
that she acted alone, absolving her sister of guilt. Ismene pleads for Antigone's life, reminding the king that
not only is his prisoner family (Antigone is Creon's niece), she is also betrothed to his son, Haemon. Despite
this, Creon will not reverse his judgment.
Scenes IV-V Summary
Scene IV
As Antigone and Ismene are led away, Haemon appears. He appeals to his father's ego, asking that he let
Antigone go free to show the people that he is a kind and forgiving ruler. Though Creon briefly considers his
son's advice, when Haemon notes that citizens are concerned for Antigone's welfare, the king sees that the
argument is only made to free Antigone. He rejects his son's proposal, stating that he will not have his laws
questioned by a woman, nor will he accede to the desires of his son. He vows to execute Antigone in
Haemon's presence, but his son leaves, vowing that his father will never see him again. Creon decides to bury
Antigone alive with enough food and water so that the city itself is not held to blame for her death.
Scene V
Antigone is led to a cavern where she will be sealed inside of a tomb. The chorus of elders mourn for her,
speaking of comparisons to Persephone, who also died young and without a husband. The chorus also seems
to mock Antigone, however.
Scene VI Summary
After Antigone has been led away, Teiresias, a blind seer, is brought before Creon. The prophet warns Creon
that he is responsible for a sickness that has descended on Thebes. Polyneices's unburied body has polluted
the city and the gods will hear no more prayers. The body is also polluting the cities close to Thebes, causing
ill will toward Creon's city-state. Creon accuses the old man of trickery, stating that some enemy must have
paid the seer to come and upset him. Teiresias accuses Creon of tyranny and selfishness, warning the king that
he will lose his son and great grief will befall his house.
After Teiresias exits, Creon becomes fearful. He decides to heed the advice of the elders, allow Polyneices to
be buried, and set Antigone free. When he exits the elders pray to Bacchus for the safe-keeping of the city.
Scenes VII-VIII Summary
Scene VII
A messenger enters and reports that Haemon has taken his own life. Eurydice, Creon's wife, comes from the
palace to receive this information. She learns how Creon and his men first gave Polyneices an honorable
Scene III Summary 4
burial, and how, when they came to Antigone's crypt, they found that she had hanged herself. Haemon, in
grief, tried to stab his father and, failing this, impaled himself. Eurydice bears this news in silence, returning
to the palace.
Scene VIII
Creon returns to the palace bearing the body of his son. He is grief-stricken over the results of his own
stubbornness. He then learns that Eurydice has also taken her own life. Creon begins to rave, calling himself a
rash, foolish man whose life has been overwhelmed by death.
Antigone: Essential Passages
Essential Passages by Character: Antigone
Essential Passage 1:Lines 82-99
ISMENE:
Alas, how I fear for you, daring girl!
ANTIGONE:
Don't worry for me; straighten out your own life.
ISMENE:
Then, at least, proclaim this deed to no one;
but keep it secret, and I shall do the same. (85)
ANTIGONE:
Oh, denounce it! I will hate you the more
if you don't tell these things to everyone.
ISMENE:
You have a hot heart for chilling matters.
ANTIGONE:
But I know I'll please those I should please most.
ISMENE:
If you can—you want the impossible. (90)
ANTIGONE:
Well, then, I shall stop whenever my strength fails.
ISMENE:
You should not start an impossible quest.
ANTIGONE:
If you say this, you will be hateful to me,
and the dead will hate you always—justly.
But let me and my foolish plans suffer (95)
this terrible thing, for I shall succumb
to nothing so awful as a shameful death.
Scenes VII-VIII Summary 5
ISMENE:
Then go, if this seems best to you, but know that
your friends truly love you, however foolish.
Summary
Antigone has learned of her uncle Creon’s decree that Polynices, who had fought against his native Thebes,
will not be buried. As punishment, he shall instead be left in the open to be devoured by dogs and vultures.
Antigone has told her sister Ismene of this new law, and both women lament the dishonor brought upon their
brother. Antigone, however, is determined to defy her uncle’s decree and plans to give Polynices an
honorable burial. Ismene is well aware, as is Antigone, that Creon has stated that anyone who dares to bury
Polynices will be put to death, yet Antigone vows to perform this service to her brother in defiance of the law
and its proposed consequences. Ismene urges her sister not to do this, or if she does, then to do it quietly. In
contempt, Antigone turns from her sister. Ismene is appalled at Antigone’s seeming hard-heartedness and
tells her that she is on a hopeless quest, sure to bring about her own doom. As Antigone leaves, Ismene tells
her departing sister that, as irrational as she is, she is still loved by those who are dear to her.
Essential Passage 2:Lines 487-500
CREON:
But know that hard minds fall the hardest, and
that iron, so powerful of itself,
baked to exceeding hardness, you might see
crack and break into pieces. I know that (490)
spirited horses are broken with a small bit,
for no one is allowed to think big thoughts,
if he is another man's slave. She showed
herself capable of insolence then,
going beyond the laws put before her. (495)
Her second insolence, after she had
done it, was to exult in her deed and
laugh that she had done it. Now I am no man,
but she is a man, if power lies with her
with impunity.
Summary
The report is brought to Creon that Polynices has had dust spread over his corpse, a direct defiance of
Creon’s decree against any sort of burial. The sentry, having been blamed for this, goes out to find who is the
actual culprit. In triumph he returns, leading Antigone as the guilty party. Creon is shocked at first, but in a
sense of justification states that she is just like her father, Oedipus, who was struck down by his insolence
against his fellowman, never learning from the punishment of the gods. Creon predicts that likewise Antigone
will fall, especially since she is a woman and thus not allowed to think “big thoughts” in contradiction to her
ruling male (in this case Creon). In his own pride, Creon vows that she will not go unpunished, for this would
mean that she had gained victory over him. Pleading the good of his gender, besides the welfare of the state,
he promises that Antigone will face death for her defiance.
Essential Passage 3:Lines 896-920
ANTIGONE:
O tomb, O bridal bower, o underground
Essential Passages by Character: Antigone 6
home everlasting, whither I journey
to my own people, whose great number—
so many destroyed—Persephone has
received among the dead. To these I go down— (900)
the last of them all and worst by far,
before my allowance of life is spent.
Nevertheless, as I go, I nurture
the hope that I will come dear to my father,
dear to you, mother, and dear to you, my own (905)
dear brother. When you died, with my own hands
I washed and adorned your bodies, and I poured
libations at your tombs. But now, Polynices,
after burying your body, I reap
rewards like these. Still, I honored you well (910)
in the eyes of the wise. No, if somehow
children whose mother I was or my husband
had died, I would not have undertaken
this labor in defiance of the citizens.
Shall I tell you the code I follow? (915)
I could get another husband when mine died,
and a child from another man, if I
lost one from him, but since my mother and
father both lie in Hell, there is no field
where I could grow another brother. (920)
Summary
Accepting Creon’s punishment of death for burying her brother Polynices, Antigone laments her lost
opportunity of marriage and motherhood. The grave will be her groom, and she will be reunited with her
parents and her brothers in Hades. She goes with the confidence that she did not betray them. She herself
prepared their bodies for death, and it is for this reason that she did the same for Polynices. She has no regrets.
The only hesitancy she states is that if it were her husband or child for whom she defied the decree and thus
accepted her own doom, she would not have done it. A husband can be replaced by another; more children
can be born to take the place of the dead. However, a brother, especially by a mother and father who are dead,
is irreplaceable. It is for this reason, and this reason only, that Antigone justifies giving her own life.
Analysis of Essential Passages
To Antigone, family love is the highest good, worth the laying down of her own life. However, it is not the
individual that commands her loyalty but the concept of family love itself. This may require her to go against
the wishes or demands of her family in order to reach that goal. As she determines to bury Polynices against
her uncle’s wishes, she must reject both her uncle Creon and her sister Ismene. Although Ismene does not
hold the same standard of family loyalty that Antigone does, Ismene understands that Antigone wishes to do
so, but pleads for her to do it secretly. To Ismene, the deed done is enough, not requiring any public
proclamation of it in order to restore Polynices’ honor. Antigone, however, rejects such secrecy. She obeys
the gods in sprinkling the dust over her brother’s body, and she believes that this must be done publicly, with
full knowledge of the consequences.
In standing for the principle of love, Antigone goes against the head of state as well as the head of her family
in the person of Creon. By rejecting Creon’s decree, Antigone assaults his manhood as well as his leadership.
It is this that Creon fears more than just the act of rebellion. To be shown up by a woman weakens his position
Essential Passages by Character: Antigone 7
as a leader. Antigone has threatened his throne beyond the simple fact of her rebellion.
In a seemingly heartless speech, Antigone states that she would not give her life to renew the honor of a
husband or child, which can be “replaced.” A brother of deceased parents is irreplaceable. Her logic may
seem cold, especially coming from a woman of ancient Greece, but in this she is again seeing the larger
picture of the continuation of the family. The fact that her brother is already dead does not seem to matter. It is
his legacy, rather than his life, that she must redeem.
Antigone’s decision to take her own life is not one of cowardice in the face of a prolonged death by starvation
sealed in the vault. She ends her life in the manner of a ritual suicide, choosing death rather than dishonor and
living in a world that holds Law over Love.
Essential Passages by Theme: Law vs. Love
Essential Passage 1:Lines 42-49
ANTIGONE:
Will you share in the labor and the deed?
ISMENE:
What is the venture? Where have your thoughts gone?
ANTIGONE:
Will you lift the corpse with this very hand?
ISMENE:
You want to bury him, although it's forbidden in the city! (45)
ANTIGONE:
I'll bury my brother—your brother, too,
though you refuse! I'll not be found a traitor.
ISMENE:
Madwoman, even when Creon forbids it?
ANTIGONE:
He has no right to keep me from my own.
Summary
As Antigone prepares to defy the decree against burial of her rebel brother Polynices, she is confronted by her
sister Ismene for joining Polynices in this seeming rebellion against the state. Ismene reminds her that this act
is forbidden, making her a traitor. Yet Antigone says that refusing to bury her brother would be the deed that
makes her a traitor. To Ismene’s horror, Antigone says that Creon, though now king, has no right to keep her
from obeying the obligations of love, an obligation that requires her to show honor to Polynices by a proper
burial. Ismene reminds Antigone that their father, Oedipus, died in dishonor, leaving his sons and daughters a
stained legacy that they cannot erase by disobeying the law. Now that their two brothers are dead, it is only
Antigone and Ismene who remain to redeem some type of family honor. In addition to being subjects to the
state, they are women and therefore subject to the leadership of men. Ismene says that she will not join
Antigone, stating that the dead will forgive her, but the state will not.
Essential Passages by Theme: Law vs. Love 8
Essential Passage 2:Lines 162-193
CREON:
Gentlemen, the gods have set right again
our city's affairs, after shaking them
in a storm, and I have summoned you here
out of all the citizens, knowing well (165)
how you always revered the power of
Laius' throne; then, both when Oedipus saved
the city and when he fell, you stood in
consistent support of their children.
And so, since in the same day they both fell (170)
by twofold fate, each striking and spreading
fratricidal pollution, now I hold
sole power and the throne, because I am
the closest relative of the fallen.
It is impossible to know the soul, (175)
the mind, and character of any man,
until he has proven himself in the law.
For if someone rules an entire city
and does not take hold of the best counsels,
but holds his tongue out of fear, I think him (180)
to be the worst of men, now and always;
and the man who considers more important
than his fatherland his friend, I think him
worthless. For—and may all-seeing Zeus
be my witness—I would never be silent (185)
if I saw madness creeping among
the citizens in place of salvation,
nor would I consider an enemy
of my country a friend to myself,
recognizing this: that my country is (190)
safety itself, and only when she is upright
can our sailing find friends. With laws like these
I will make our city grow.
Summary
After the rebellion by Polynices and the death of Eteocles, Creon assumes the throne as next in line to rule. He
reflects on both the good and the bad that Oedipus, the former king, had done, as well as the mutual
destruction of the two sons of Oedipus, each killing the other in battle. Yet one of Oedipus’ sons had betrayed
his father’s throne, making war against it. To Creon, this cut down all allegiance to his nephew. His loyalty is
to the state, and anyone who betrays the state also betrays Creon. Rebellion destroys all duties of love and
family. To Creon, it is the state that makes the condition of friendship possible; a person shows the inner
character of his soul by his obedience to the state. A ruler, regardless of his family lineage, shows himself
worthy by his obedience to and enforcement of the Law of the state.
Essential Passage 3:Lines 753-757
CREON:
Worst of all men, at odds with your own father!
Essential Passages by Theme: Law vs. Love 9
HAEMON:
Not when I see you at odds with justice.
CREON:
Am I wrong to protect my own empire? (755)
HAEMON:
You don't protect it when you trample the
honors of the gods!
Summary
In accordance with his decree, Creon sends Antigone off to be sealed in a cavern, with enough food for her to
survive a minimal amount of time, but her death is assured. Haemon, Creon’s son and Antigone’s betrothed,
confronts his father. Though he insists that he is loyal to Creon, Haemon cannot countenance this act. Beyond
losing his beloved, Haemon sees this as a sin against justice. Creon accuses Haemon of betrayal to his father,
as Antigone has betrayed her king. Creon states that it is his right to protect his empire against all traitors,
regardless of their relationship. Haemon states that Creon has gone beyond protection to outright defiance
against the gods. Deprived of his betrothed, and deprived of an honorable father, Haemon tries to attack Creon
but fails. He then thrusts the sword into himself, thus ending his life, as Antigone has ended hers. In response
to this, his mother Euridyce also commits suicide, cursing Creon for his injustice.
Analysis of Essential Passages
Creon and Antigone live in two different worlds. Creon inhabits the State, in which Law is paramount over all
other considerations—family, friendship, or personal honor. It is the state, not the gods, that makes all else
possible. Presented at a time when Greeks held democracy as the ideal, the drama shows that Creon goes from
a position that most citizens could accept to a stance that can only be called tyranny, in which he says that the
state exists solely for him. Antigone, however, holds to the concept of Love over Law. To her, that love is a
gift of the gods and as such, it is the duty of all humans to honor love before all other considerations. To chose
love is to follow the will of the gods; to chose law is to follow the whims of humanity. Each main character,
Creon and Antigone, believes that his or her particular standard will last when the other fails.
Some critics think Sophocles is showing that each gender has a different foundation on which he or she bases
a life. The state, personified by Creon, is the realm of the male, traditionally held to be the leader of society.
The family, personified by Antigone, belongs to the female, whose primary sphere of influence is the home.
Yet Haemon, and eventually Creon himself, rejects this notion and chooses to follow Antigone’s course,
albeit too late to save Antigone. As Antigone has stated, and as Tiresias also warns Creon, love is not limited
to the female but is demanded of all humankind, because it comes directly from the gods. The state comes
solely from the hand of man, thus subservient to the gods. Creon’s worldview has become out of balance. It is
only at the end that he sees that love is the foundation of all choice. By rejecting Antigone, he has not only
lost his niece, but his son and his wife as well.
As Antigone points out, justice falls within the realm of love. The law may dispense justice, but love demands
it. The democracy of Greece was built on the concept of individual choice. Thus the underlying theme of
Antigone shows that the fear of tyranny is justified when law overrides love.
Antigone: Themes
Antigone: Themes 10