Lesson 1, Antigone

Antigone

“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.” -Sophocles, Antigone

Here is a clear picture of Antigone's  Family tree:

I have read the synopsis of the play "Antigone" by Sophocles. 

Now answer these questions:

What do you think of this story?

I think that Antigone is a fantastic story. The story serves to highlight both political and moral difficulties, for example Creon- he is seen to be the villain of the play, but really he is struggling between his own morality and what is best for him as the new Ruler of Thebes. I love that the protagonist is a woman- a woman who is seen to be strong and, unlike Creon, chooses her morals over what the rules clearly state. Initially, i think that Antigone is a brave, selfless character that would offer her own life just for the sake of doing whats right for her brothers. Unlike Ismene, she does not believe that being a Woman means that she is weak and powerless. In total, i think the story is brilliant and I am excited to see what we do with it as a strand.

Why do you think Sophocles wrote this play?

I think Sophocles wrote this play for various reasons. One of the reasons is that firstly, having a women as a protagonist in Greek Theater was highly uncommon. We know this, because women were not allowed to even perform or watch! Perhaps Sophocles decided to challenge this by having Antigone as a strong protagonist. I also think that he uses the main characters for symbolism; Antigone and Creon represent a number of opposing forces: male vs. female, family ties vs. civic duty, man vs. nature, and man's laws vs. the laws of the gods.

Why do you think the Greek audiences might have wanted to see this play?

Greek audiences would have wanted to see the play as many Greek Tragedy's were about giving the audience a tough choice- what would the audience do if they were in this position? So, for Antigone, the audience would be presented with the choice- would you choose family or law? Greek Tragedy's were (and still are) riveting and gripping for the audiences, so I think that a story as strong as Antigone would be a fantastic watch for Greek audiences, as they may also be able to relate to some of the main themes within the play.




I have read the first scene from Antigone between Ismene and Antigone. 


1.What information does Antigone give to Ismene at the beginning of this scene?

At the beginning of the scene Antigone informs Ismene that she plans to bury their brother, in despite of the law and Creon.

2.What has just happened in the sisters’ family?

After the battle of Thebes, their brother's Polynices and Eteocles have been killed; fighting against each other. Eteocles died defending the city, however Polynices was an invader, so Creon had ordered him to be left to rot. 

3.What does Antigone plan to do? Why?

Antigone plans to bury their brother-as a sister, Antigone feels she must offer Polynices burial. She believes that leaving the dead un-buried, for any reason, offends the Gods. 


4.Does Ismene plan to join her? Why or why not?

Ismene does not plan to join her with the burial of their brother, as she wants to abide by the law of Creon. She also believes that as a woman, she is powerless. 

5.What story does the chorus tell us about?

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. The Theban army then defeated them.