Name ______-

Mr. Cecala

Eng 10

Antigone SG

ANSWER KEY

Answer the following questions as best you can with complete sentences.

Prologue

  1. Who are Antigone and Ismene?

Daughters of Oedipus & Jocasta

  1. What does Antigone plan to do?

Provide a proper burial for her brother, Polynieces

  1. What will be the fate of anyone who defies Creon’s edict?

Stoned to death

  1. What does Ismeme’s refusal to help in burying Polynieces reveal about her?

She’s scared & hesitant to go against Creon & the law

  1. What type of person is Antigone?

Daring, brave, headstrong, could be considered foolish for being so determined [**hubris]

  1. How does Ismene try to dissuade Antigone from burying her brother and with what success?

How does Antigone react?

Says they’re women; scared of consequences

Antigone says she’ll do it without her if that’s how she feels

Parados

  1. Who has summoned the soldiers of Argive to fight against Thebes?

Polyneices

  1. Briefly, in your own words, explain what the chorus is summarizing.

Retelling the story of the battle

Scene 1

  1. How does Creon address the elders about their loyalty?Explain the metaphor in the first two lines of his speech.

-Gives a speech; requests same loyalty

-Says “our ship of State has come safely to harbor at last” [Thebes = ship]

  1. How does he feel about enemies of Thebes?

Has “no use” and doesn’t matter who they [enemies] are

  1. What does he intend to do as ruler of the state?

Will not hesitate to speak up

  1. What command does Creon give the chorus?

Eteocles will get buried & Polynieces will not be touched

  1. What has the Sentry come to tell Creon and why is he so nervous about telling him?

-That someone buried Polyneices

-Doesn’t want to get accused of being the one who did it

  1. At the bottom of page 501, Choragos says, “I have been wondering, King: can it be the gods have done this?” How does Creon react to this? [Pg. 9 line 235 in packet]

Gets angry; Gods couldn’t possibly honor Polynieces more than him [**arrogance/hubris]

  1. How does Creon threaten the Sentry and what is the guard’s response?

-Will kill him if he doesn’t find the culprit

-Doesn’t think it’s fair for him to get punished

-Will disappear

Ode 1

  1. What is the theme of the ode?

How great man is

  1. What can man do that no other animals can?

-Control other animals

-Farm

  1. According to the ode, man can escape many things. What is the one thing man cannot escape?

Death

Scene 2

  1. Why has the Sentry come back after he swore we would never see him again?

Has found the person who buried Polynieces

  1. How does Creon react to the Sentry’s news that Antigone has buried Polynieces?

Surprised & in disbelief

  1. How does Antigone respond when Creon asks her about the crime?

-Doesn’t deny it

**shows her arrogance

  1. How does Choragos compare Antigone to Oedipus?

Both are headstrong

  1. Explain the quote on page 507 when Creon says, “The girl is guilty of double insolence,

Breaking the given laws and boasting of it. Who is the man here, She or I, if this crime goes unpunished?”

-Buried body & bragged [2 crimes]

-People wouldn’t respect him if he let her get away with crimes; he has to be the man

  1. What does Creon think of Ismene?

-At 1st, thinks she was involved

-Thinks she’s crazy for wanting to die for a crime she did not commit

  1. How does the scene end?

Creon orders Antigone and Ismene to be killed

Ode 2

  1. Explain the simile in the first stanza.

Damnation is compared to waves

  1. What does the chorus say about the curse of Oedipus and fate?

The whole family is doomed because of hubris

Scene 3

  1. What does Creon ask Haimon?How does he reply and act?

-Asks if Haimon is mad or ok with Antigone’s punishment

-Creon agrees with dad

  1. What does Creon think is basic in good government and children?

Discipline; all leaders must be respected

  1. Explain what Creon means in lines 19-23, on page 512.[pg. 20 stanza of line 515]

Says Antigone wouldn’t make a good wife anyway

  1. Briefly describe the argument between Creon and Haimon.What point does Haimon make about the men of Thebes and the way Creon rules?

-Haimon wants Creon to be less stubborn and more open

-Creon thinks Haimon is young and doesn’t know anything

  1. What does Haimon threaten at the end of the scene?

Creon will never see him again

  1. What changes does Creon make to his plans for Antigone and Ismene?

-Won’t kill Ismene

-Antigone will be sent to a vault of stone in the wilderness

Ode 3

  1. What does the chorus say about love?

Love conquers all

Scene 4

  1. Describe the mood/atmosphere at the beginning of scene 4.

Somber [established by Choragos]

  1. Identify specific lines of Antigone that illustrate a change in her demeanor.

Page 26 around line 685

  1. Define lament/lamentations.[line 708 page 27]

“the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping” (Dictionary.com)

  1. Who does the Chorus blame for what is happening to Antigone and where is she being taken at the end of the scene?

Herself

Ode 4

  1. Define allusion.

“an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference” (Dictionary.com)

  1. What is the point of the allusions in Ode 4?

They deal with imprisonment and loss of light [Antigone’s fate]

Scene 5

  1. Who is Teiresias and what does he do?

Blind prohpet

  1. How does Teiresias say he knows something is wrong? (the birds)

“this new calamity upon us” (lines 795-800)

  1. How does Creon react to what Teiresias tells him?How does this compare to how Oedipus reacted to Teiresias?

-Stubborn; insults him

-Same reaction

  1. What punishment does Teiresias say is in store for Creon’s stubbornness?

-Death

-“corpse for corpse” (line 843)

  1. How does Choragos react to what Teiresias has just said?

Tells Creon to listen to him because he is never wrong

  1. What change do we see in Creon and what does he decide to do?

Agrees to free Antigone and properly bury Polyneices

Exodus

  1. What news does the Messenger bring?

Haimon is dead

  1. How does Haimon die?

Falls on own sword (suicide)

  1. Explain in your own words the story the Messenger relates to Eurydice.How does Eurydice react and what does she do?

-Antigone killed herself

-Haimon charged at Creon and then killed himself

-Eurydice walks away; goes and kills herself

  1. Explain the last four lines of the play by Choragos.

Have to be submissive to Gods