antigone

How are Antigone and Ismene related?

Sisters (daughters of Oedipus)

Who are the two brothers mentioned in the prologue?

Eteocles and Polyneices

How did the two brothers die?

They fought on opposite sides of a civil war - killed each other

What is King Creon’s decree?

He says no one should bury Polyneices because he fought against Thebes

What does Antigone plan to do?

Bury him anyway according to the laws of their god

What is Ismene’s decision regarding the King’s decree?

She’s too afraid

What does the Choragos compare Polyneices to in the Parodos?

He is compared to a wild eagle swooping down on the city of Thebes

What city has “seven gates in a yawning ring”?

Thebes

What does the Chorus compare Thebes to?

A dragon

According to the Choragos, what does God hate?

People who brag about what they’ve accomplished

Who is the new King of Thebes?

Creon

How did the new King of Thebes claim heir to the throne?

Next heir after Eteocles and Polyneices

What crime has Ployneices committed in the opinion of the king?

Since Polyneices broke his exile and attacked the city of Thebes

What news does the sentry bring to Creon?

Someone has secretly covered the body of Polyneices

How was it decided which of the sentries would bring the news about Polyneices to Creon?

Since this is terribly bad news

How does Creon believe the act of burying Polyneices was carried out?

Creon believes that the sentries were paid off by his enemies and they were bribed to bury Polyneices' body

What does Creon demand that the sentry do?

King Creon demands that the sentry bring him the man who broke this rule and bury the traitor

According to Ode 1, what is the most wonderful of all the world’s wonders?

Man

Of all the winds, man has made himself secure against all except one. Which wind is that?

Man

Who has the sentry captured and brought before King Creon?

The sentry has captured Antigone (Creon’s niece) and she was brought before the king

How did the guards manage to capture Antigone?

She was "reburying" Polyneices

How did Antigone react to being captured by the sentries?

She did not try to hide what she had done and was not afraid even when she was being charged with her crime

What reason does Antigone give for defying Creon’s decree?

She believes that the laws of God in burial of the dead are more important than man’s laws

Who else does Creon have arrested in connection with the crime of burying Polyneices?

Creon had Ismene arrested as well in connection with the crime of burying Polyneices

Why is Antigone angry with Ismene?

She refused to help in the beginning but is still being punished

Besides being Antigone’s uncle, how else were Creon and Antigone related?

Creon was soon to be her father-in-law (about to marry Haimon)

What is to be Antigone’s punishment for burying her brother?

Antigone's punishment is being stoned to death publicly

According to Ode 2, who is the fortunate man?

Never tasted God’s vengeance?

Who is the god who must not be made angry, according to Ode 2?

Zeus

What is Haimon’s initial response when his father asks how he feels about the king’s decision to execute Antigone?

First he supports his father

What does Creon say that men pray for?

Their sons to as subordinate

Why is Creon intent on harshly punishing even family members, all those who break the law?

Because his people wouldn't trust him if he showed favor to his family

What does Haimon claim is God’s crowning gift to man?

Ability to reason

What does Haimon tell King Creon about the people of Thebes’ allegiance to him?

They are siding with Antigone anyway

Whose point, King Creon’s or Haimon’s, does the Choragos support?

He tries to compromise

How does the city feel about Antigone’s crime?

They side with her and respect her actions. She was doing “God’s Law”

While Creon is ranting at his son, what does the king threaten to do?

Kill Antigone in front of Haimon. Haimon says not to or else he would never see him again.

Describe Creon’s death sentence for Antigone

Left in a tomb to suffer and die

According to Ode 3, what is it that “even the pure Immortals cannot escape”?

Love

What does Antigone beg the people of Thebes to bear witness to?

The fact that she has been "unjustly judged" by Creon

Who does Antigone blame for her terrible misfortune?

The sins of her father

According to the chorus, what is considered a virtue?

Reverence to the gods

Who is the blind prophet who comes to speak to King Creon?

Teirsias

What does the prophet claim that he heard which frightened him?

He heard the birds fighting and screaming

What happened when the prophet began “the rites of burnt-offering at the altar”?

He couldn't make a fire on the altar because the Gods were mad

What does the prophet claim to be the cause of the gods’ reaction to their offerings?

Creon caused this anger to the gods with his decree about Polyneices

What does the prophet claim can be done to repair the evil performed against the gods?

He can undo this by unburying Antigone and burying Polyneices

What is King Creon’s reaction to Teiresias’ message?

He says Teiresias has been bribed

What is it that Creon claims all prophets love?

Gold

What warning does Teiresias give to King Creon if he refuses to heed the prophesies?

That curses will be thrown down at him from the gods

What advice does the Choragos give King Creon once Teiresias leaves?

To take Teiresias' advice and undo this to appease the gods

How does King Creon react to the advice of the Choragos?

He says he will go and bury Polyneices and free Antigone from the vault

Who does the messenger claim is “a walking dead man”?

Creon

How has Teiresias’ prophecy that Creon would pay to the gods “flesh of [his] own flesh” come true?

Haimon is dead

Who is Eurydice?

The queen - killed herself

What did King Creon and the messenger do as soon as they finished their tasks regarding Polyneices?

Set Antigone free

Describe what Creon saw when he looked through the crevice into Antigone’s tomb

She hung herself with the noose of her own bridal veil

Describe Haimon’s reaction when Creon entered Antigone’s tomb

Wants to kill Creon

What happened after the messenger relayed the news about Haimon and Antigone to Eurydice?

Eurydice walked silently into the house

What does the Choragos claim is “always punished” by the gods?

Pride