Antigone Homework Questions
1 What information does Antigone give to Ismene at the beginning of this scene?
Antigone tells Ismene that Ceron is going to have Eteocles burried but Polyneices is not going to be burried. Anyone who mourns over Polyneices death will be stoned to death.
2 What has just happened in the sisters’ family?
The two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, killed each other. Polyneices was seen as the invador and they are happy that Thebes conqured Argos.
3 What does Antigone plan to do? Why?
Antigone plans to burry Polyneices because she cares about her brother.
4 Does Ismene plan to join her? Why or why not?
Ismene does not plan to join her because she believes that women can not challange men and that if they burry Polyneices they will suffer a harsher death than their brothers and their father.
5 What story does the chorus tell in the Parodos?
The chorus tells us of Oedipus’ death and how his sons were supposed to share the ruling of Thebes. However, Eteocles refused to share the thrown with Polyneices and banishes him. Polyneices then marries into the Argros royal family and invades Thebes. They end up killing each other and Thebes takes the victory.
3/4/10 Scene 1
1. Who has Creon assembled at the beginning of the scene? Why does he say he has passed the new law?
Creon asked the chorus to be assembled. He has passed the new law because he believes that since Polyneices fought against his own town, Thebes, he does not deserve to be burried.
2. How does the sentry act when he comes before Creon? What does this suggest about Creon’s personality or reputation?
The sentry acts nervous when he comes before the king. This suggests that Creon is not a very resonible person and people are scared of him.
3. What news does the sentry bring? Who does Creon think is responsible?
Sentry brings news of Polyneices’ body being sprinkled with druit and a ritutal was preformed on him. Creon thinks one of the guards is responcible and that Sentry is being paid off not to tell who did it.
4. What is the dramatic irony in this scene?
The dramatic irony in this scene is that Creon is trying to make the person who preformed a ritutal on Polynesis’ as the villian when really Creon is the villian.
3/5/10 Scene 2
1 Who does the sentry bring before Creon? How has the culprit been caught?
The sentry brings Antigone before Creon. She was caught burrying Polyneices.
2 What is Antigone’s attitude toward death?
Antigone tells Creon that, “I need no trumpeter from you to tell me I must die, we all die anyway” (210). She knows she will die and she does not care. It would hurt her more if she left her brother unburied. She rather die with nothing bothering her.
3 Whom else does Creon want to question?
Creon wants to question Ismene as well.
4 What has he decided to do with the sisters?
He decides to kill both of the sisters.
3/6/10 Scene 3
1 Who has come to speak with Creon?
His son Haemon, who is engaged to Antigone, comes to speak with Creon.
2 What does Creon say is the greatest evil that society faces? (hint: lines 33-44)
Creon says that anarchy is the greatest evil society faces because “it shatters allied ranks in broken flight which discipline kept whole:” (221) If people do not obey authority the town will come crashing down.
3 What does Haemon ask Creon to do?
Haemon asks Creon not to kill Antigone because most of the town believes she does not deserve it. They say “Should not her name be writ in gold?” (222) They believe she should be phraised for her generous cause.
4 What is Creon’s response?
Creon disagrees and argues that other people’s opnions should not matter since he is head of the state.
5 Haemon says in line 119: “Then she must die. But her death will cause another.” What does Haemon mean? What does Creon think he means?
Haemon means that he will kill himself. Creon thinks that he means a mob will be after him.
6 How has Haemon’s tone/attitude toward Creon changed from the beginning to end of scene 3?
At the beginning he respects his father’s decision by saying, “No marriage I could make would ever match the good of your abiding counsel.” (220) However at the end he gets angry at his father for not changing his mind about killing Antigone after he heard what the majorty of town was saying.
7 How will Antigone be killed?
Ceron plans to kill her by taking her down an isolated oath where he will trap her in a cave and she will starve to death.
3/6/10 Scene 4
1 What is the chorus’s attitude toward Antigone? How is this different from earlier in the play?
The chours’s attitude toward Antigone is they appreciate her, although Antigone thinks they are making fun of her. They state “And she a goddess born of gods,” (229) which shows that they respect her. Ath the beginning of the story they feel bad for her and sat, “Poor Antigone, daughter of unlucky Oedipus.” (207) This shows they had sympathy for Antigone.
2 In lines 37-44, what feelings does Antigone express about her father?
In lines 37-44 Antigone expresses that she feels her father has been displaced by both the living and the dead. She will meet him in the Heavens.
3 What is happening at the end of scene 4?
At the end of scene four Antigone is getting ready for her death and speaking her last few words.
3/6/10 Scene 5
1 According to Teiresias, what is the “new calamity” that Creon has brought to Thebes? (lines 25-31)
According to Teiresias the “new clamity” that Creon has brought to Thebes is a warning that the God’s are unhappy with with Creon not burring Polynesis. He says this because the dogs that are scraficied to the Gods are the ones eating the dead body.
2 In lines 48 to 61, what does Creon accuse Teiresias of wanting from him?
He accuses Teiresias of wanting money from him.
3 What does Teiresias predict for Creon in lines 70-87? What crime has Creon committed to deserve this?
He perdicts that Creon will lose Haemon. The crime Creon did to deserve this is was he killed Antigone and left Polynesis unburried.
4 What does the Choragus tell Creon that he must do to prevent this?
Choragus tells Creon that he must burry Polynesis and release Antigone.
5 What is a Paean?
A paean is a hymn or song of phraise.
3/6/10 Scene 6 Exodos
1 What two people does the messenger say have died? How have they died?
Antigone and Haemon both died. Antigone hung herself and Heamon stuck a sword though his ribs.
2 By the time Creon returns, who else has died?
Queen Eurydice died by stabbing herself in the stomach
3 What is Creon’s attitude at the end of the play?
Creon is upset by his actions and wishes that he had less ignorance.
4 Judging by the final speeches of the play, what do you think is Creon’s fatal flaw?
His fatal flaw is ignorance because he only cares what his opnions are.