The opening scene of the play is of great significance. In it, Antigone discusses the central conflict of the play—her piety and devotion to her brother Polynices against the edict of Creon
Creon
Creon, is a figure in Greek mythology best known as the ruler of Thebes in the legend of Oedipus. He had four sons and three daughters with his wife, Eurydice: Henioche, Pyrrha, Megareus, Lycomedes and Haimon. Creon and his sister, Jocasta, were descendants of Cadmus and of the Spartoi. He i…
Thebes
Thebes is a city in Boeotia, central Greece. It played an important role in Greek myths, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus, Heracles and others. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed a Mycenaean settlement and clay tablets written in the Linear …
Full Answer
What does Ismene say about Antigone in the opening scene?
Ismene replies that Antigone must do what she feels she must, even though she is foolish but nonetheless faithful to those who have given her love. Antigone opens focusing on the struggle for power, which emerges as a central theme of Sophocles's play.
What happens in lines 1-116 of the play Antigone?
Summary and Analysis: <i>Antigone</i> Lines 1-116. Antigone tells Ismene of her plans to bury their brother Polynices in defiance of Creon's orders. When Ismene refuses to join her sister, pleading their weakness as women and subjects of Creon, Antigone leaves her angrily, determined to bury her brother, even if it means her own death.
What is the theme of Antigone by Sophocles?
By rebelling against Creon, Antigone reveals yet another theme of the play: feminine resistance to male domination. Antigone, in accordance with the practices of ancient Greek society, must obey Creon not only because he is the king, but also because he is a man.
What happens in the prologue of Sophocles'Antigone?
In literature from American University and an M.F.A. in English from The University of Iowa. In the prologue to Sophocles' ''Antigone'', Oedipus's daughters Antigone and Ismene mourn the deaths of their two brothers.
What is the opening scene of Antigone?
The opening scene sets up the problem of the play: Creon's strict order to leave Polynices unburied as punishment for his treason, and Antigone's determination to offer her brother the final rituals that will assure his soul's rest.
What does the prologue reveal in Antigone?
In the prologue to Sophocles' ''Antigone'', Oedipus's daughters Antigone and Ismene mourn the deaths of their two brothers. The sisters disagree for several reasons about whether or not they should comply with sacred laws or the orders of the king.
What is the significance of Antigone?
Antigone came to symbolize democracy and resonated with Greece's war of independence against the Ottoman Empire, as well as America's struggle against communist Soviet Russia during the Cold War.
What does the first ode in Antigone mean?
The Chorus sings an ode about how man dominates the earth and how only death can master him. But it warns that man should use his powers only in accordance with the laws of the land and the justice of the gods; society cannot tolerate those who exert their will to reckless ends.
What is the conflict between Antigone and her sister in the play's prologue?
While the sisters are not engaged in a literal battle, they disagree about where their loyalty should lie. Like Eteocles, Ismene chooses to be loyal to the government. Like Polyneices, Antigone is willing to defy human authority to follow what she believes to be right.
What does the Chorus reveal about Antigone as the play begins?
What does the Chorus reveal about Antigone as the play begins? She will become beautiful.
What's the moral lesson of Antigone?
In Antigone, the moral of the story is that of fate. This moral is incorporated through the actions of both Creon and Antigone. The moral also corresponds with a recurring theme of the abuse of power, something that Creon is more than guilty of.
Who kills Antigone?
HaemonThe king is super mad and confronts his son, telling Haemon that he's still got to kill Antigone. Hercules, who's a god by this point, comes down and tries to reason with Creon. Creon won't listen, though. So, Haemon ends up killing Antigone and then killing himself.
What was the lesson in Antigone?
Sophocles offers another lesson in Antigone. Namely, that a single person in power, if he persuades or frightens enough people, can cause the suffering of innocents and the loss of institutions and customs on which civil order rely. It is a lesson we have witnessed more than once, in living memory.
Why does Antigone bury her brother?
Antigone buried her brother out of devotion and loyalty to both the Gods and her family. Without one or the other, she would not have had the courage or thought of going against Creon's law and putting her life out on the line.
What is the point of ode 1?
The meaning of Ode 1 in Antigone is to highlight how humans are alike and different from the gods.
What's the purpose of the Chorus in Antigone?
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.
What happens in Scene 2 of Antigone?
The second scene from Antigone explores the conflict between the laws of government and the laws of religion. As monarch, Creon is the embodiment of the government of Thebes and believes he has the right to determine who is to live and who is to die, as well as who is honored and who is disgraced after death.
What story does the chorus tell in the parodos?
What story does the chorus tell in the Parodos? They tell the story of the battle. The Argive army attacked all 7 gates of Thebes at once in the middle of the night. Zeus didn't like their boastfulness, so he struck down the first attacker with lightning.
What happens to Ismene at the end of the play Antigone?
After Antigone is captured by Creon, Ismene states that she helped because she wants to be executed with her sister. Antigone states that she is innocent, and therefore, Ismene is set free.
What happens in the parados of Antigone?
In Antigone, Sophocles uses the parados to give back-story. The Chorus sings all about the terrible battle that has just been fought. We also get the sense that the people of Thebes are furious at Polyneices for betraying and attacking them. This helps to strengthen Creon's position about the traitor's burial.
What does Creon do when the chorus suggests that the gods might be responsible?
When the leader of the Chorus suggests that the gods might be responsible, Creon becomes wild with rage. He bellows that the gods are not his foes. Certain that an enemy, a faction in Thebes who despise Creon has bribed the sentry to disobey him, Creon threatens the sentry with torture and death if he does not bring Creon the man who has defied him.
What is the role of the chorus in Antigone?
An important role of the Chorus in this scene from Antigone is to suggest an alternative to Creon's views. We clearly see this alternative when the leader of the Chorus mentions that the attempted burial of Polynices might be the work of the 'gods,' a comment that infuriates Creon. He immediately thinks of his enemies and assumes they have paid off the sentry. As monarch, Creon reacts to this imaginary challenge to his government by threatening the sentry with an agonizing death. He does not, however, consider the real possibility (real, at least, to the minds of the ancient Greeks) that the gods have ignored his edict.
Why is the chorus uneasy in Antigone?
Although Thebes is peaceful now, the Chorus is uneasy because Creon has insisted on meeting with them. When Creon arrives, he orders that Polynices is not to be buried.
What would Creon do if he were to focus on this possibility?
If Creon were to focus on this possibility, he would have to consider the gods his enemies or decide that the laws of the gods take precedence over his own. Creon does not wish to make enemies of the gods nor forfeit his power. He opts to avoid the situation by shifting his attention to the sentry. In threatening him, Creon can again exert his authority and not be bothered, at least until later in the play, by questions of whose power is greater, his own or the gods'.
What does the sentry explain to Polynices?
Stammering as he searches for the right words, the sentry manages to explain that someone has partially covered Polynices' body, with 'new dust on the slimy flesh.' Enraged, Creon demands to know who would dare defy his edict, but the sentry has no idea.
What is the opening chorus about?
The Opening Chorus. The Chorus sings about combat so violent it almost destroys Thebes. As spears fly through the air and blood soaks the ground around them, Polynices and Eteocles, the sons of the former Theban king Oedipus, battle and kill one another. Like a 'wild eagle,' Polynices attacks at night, almost destroying Thebes.
How does Creon avoid the situation?
He opts to avoid the situation by shifting his attention to the sentry. In threatening him, Creon can again exert his authority and not be bothered, at least until later in the play, by questions of whose power is greater, his own or the gods'. Lesson Summary.
Why does Antigone tell Ismene to leave her alone?
Antigone says that Ismene should tell everyone so others won't despise her for keeping her sister's plan a secret. Wanting to be by herself, she tells Ismene to leave her alone and adds that she will soon despise Ismene, as will the dead. Ismene replies that Antigone must do what she feels she must, even though she is foolish but nonetheless faithful to those who have given her love.
What does Antigone and Ismene say in the prologue?
In the prologue to Sophocles' ''Antigone'', Oedipus's daughters Antigone and Ismene mourn the deaths of their two brothers. The sisters disagree for several reasons about whether or not they should comply with sacred laws or the orders of the king.
What does Antigone want to tell her sister?
Antigone needs to share horrifying news with her sister Ismene, and so she leads Ismene out of earshot from the palace where they live. Although the palace once belonged to their dead father Oedipus, it now belongs to their uncle Creon, a man whom their father mistrusted. Antigone does not want Creon to hear what she is about to tell her sister.
Why did Polyneicês and Eteoclês kill each other?
Eteoclês and Polyneicês have battled and killed each other because Polyneicês would not accept Creon as king. As a result, Creon declared that Eteoclês was heroic, honoring him and burying him with 'military honors.' In contrast, Creon denounced Polyneicês as a traitor, ordering that his body be left on the battlefield to decompose and be eaten by birds of prey; furthermore, he ordered that anyone caught attempting to bury the body will be sentenced to stoning in the public square.
What is the conflict between Ismene and Antigone?
This argument between Ismene and Antigone expresses a key conflict in the play: how human beings may be forced to choose between the sometimes contradictory messages of secular and sacred laws.
What is the theme of Antigone?
Antigone opens focusing on the struggle for power, which emerges as a central theme of Sophocles's play. We learn, for example, of the struggle between Eteoclês and Polyneicês, which ends in the death of both. The brothers' conflict parallels the struggle between Laius and Oedipus that also ends in death.
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Why does Antigone tell Ismene to bury Polynices?
Antigone tells Ismene of her plans to bury their brother Polynices in defiance of Creon's orders. When Ismene refuses to join her sister, pleading their weakness as women and subjects of Creon, Antigone leaves her angrily, determined to bury her brother, even if it means her own death.
Why does Antigone reject Ismene's passive obedience to the state?
In rejecting Ismene's passive obedience to the state, Antigone responds to a higher, religious law, a power that overrules even Creon's authority, because leaving the dead unburied — for any reason — offends the gods. To her sister, Antigone makes her declaration that she will obey the gods before the state at whatever cost, even her own life. Antigone will deliver the same passionate, strident speech throughout the drama, unmoved by either pleadings or threats.
What does Polynices represent?
As an invader of the city and the killer of his brother Eteocles, Polynices represents the enemy of the polis, a traitor unworthy of the most basic privileges. For his crimes, and as an example to the city, Creon refuses him burial — the ceremony that will put his soul to rest.
What is Creon's threat of death to anyone who tries to bury Polynices?
And Creon's threat of death to anyone who tries to bury Polynices also stands as a civil defense measure.
What does Antigone do in Creon's order?
In this scene, Antigone displays offense at Creon's order. First and foremost, she takes it as a personal rebuke against herself. But she also sees the civil order as forbidding her participation in a rite reserved for women, thus denying her fundamental role in society.
Does Antigone offer Polynices burial?
As a sister, Antigone feels she must offer Polynices burial — in fact, she promised him this favor specifically in Oedipus at Colonus. With the argument of tradition, and with reminders of their common identity as the children of the doomed Oedipus, Antigone encourages Ismene to join her, literally to lift their brother's body together, ...
Who is Polynices sister?
Antigone , Polynices' sister, has a very different view. Outside the city walls — symbolically, outside the law — Antigone looks for Ismene's help in her plan to bury their brother, a duty traditionally carried out by the women of the family.