Grade 10 Dramatic Arts

Term 1 2023 Dramatic Analysis of

Antigone by Sophocles

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 1 of 23

ATHENS IN THE 5TH CENTURY

INTRODUCTION
Athens of the fifth century has traditionally been viewed as the high point of ancient Greek
civilisation. The city gained moral, political, and later, financial supremacy within Greece after
effectively leading the Greek city states to victory over the Persians. By the 440 BCE, when
Antigone was believed to have to been written, the city had become the hub for intellectual,
artistic and literary life in the Greek-speaking world and even beyond.

The democratic system, first introduced in 508 BCE, was an influential part of this dynamism:
authority was held by the popular assembly and law courts, and positions of power were held
only for a year, based on election, rather than by hereditary privilege. Although a traditional
aristocracy still managed to wield great influence. They maintained their separate, exclusive,
and powerful identities through religious cults and family priesthoods even under the democracy.
The tension between democratic virtues and aristocratic values is reflected in the tragedies,
most particularly in Antigone. Antigone’s loyalty to her brother (princess and prince of Thebes)
over the polis (the Greek-city state), represented by Creon/Kreon, demonstrates this tension.

In an Athenian democracy, like our modern-day democracy, it is the majority that wins the vote.
However, unlike today, participation was not open to all residents: to vote one had to be an adult,
male citizen i.e. neither a foreign resident, slave or a woman, which thus totaled no more than
30 percent of the total adult population. Even though a leader could only hold their position for a
year, sometimes leaders were re-instated yearly.

Athens developed not only its own distinctive forms of writing and performance (such as a
tragedy and comedy), but also created a new breed of teacher and thinker: the sophist, whose
stock-in-trade was teaching rhetoric (the art of using language effectively and persuasively).
This was important when the power to persuade a large audience was the key to political
success. It was this intellectual climate which led to the philosophical enquiries of Socrates,
and the writings of his student Plato.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 2 of 23

THE LABDACID SAGA

OEDIPUS THE KING

THE “FIRST” PLAY IN THE SAGA
Oedipus the King. Thebes was afflicted with a plague after
many years of Oedipus’ reign. The oracle at Delphi advised
the Thebans that the plague had been caused by the
pollution of the murderer of Laius living in their city. Oedipus
was determined to find out the murderer’s identity, yet he
refused to believe the prophet, TIRESIAS who told him that
he was the murderer. A messenger (who was the same
shepherd to whom the infant Oedipus had been given by
the Theban shepherd) came from Corinth to announce the
death of Polybus and offer the throne of Corinth to Oedipus.
He told Oedipus, who refused to return to Corinth because
of the prophecy that he would marry his mother, that he was
not the son of Polybus. Oedipus sent for the Theban
shepherd and the truth was discovered. Jocasta had
already silently gone into the palace, where she hanged
herself; Oedipus rushed into the palace and blinded himself
with the brooches from Jocasta’s robe.

OEDIPUS AT COLONUS
THE “SECOND” PLAY IN THE SAGA
Oedipus at Colonus. CREON, the brother of
Jocasta, became king and Oedipus went into exile
accompanied by his daughters, ANTIGONE and
ISMENE. He wandered eventually to COLONUS,
and was kindly received by THESEUS, king of
Athens. At Colonus Oedipus bid farewell to his
daughters and then miraculously disappeared from
the earth, observed only by Theseus. A hero-cult
was established at the place where he vanished.

ANTIGONE
THE “THIRD” PLAY IN THE SAGA
(written first)
Antigone. Antigone defied the edict of Creon/Kreon
forbidding the burial of Polynices. Obeying instead
the decrees of Zeus, she gave her brother symbolic
burial and was condemned to death by Creon/Kreon.
HAEMON/HAIMON, Creon/Kreon’s son.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 3 of 23

SYLE AND GENRE = TRAGEDY

DEFINITION
“A tragedy is an imitation of an action that is worth serious attention; in language
enriched by a variety of artistic devices; presented in the form of action, not narration;
by means of pity and fear bringing about the catharsis of these emotions.” – Aristotle

CAUSES OF THE TRAGEDY IN ANTIGONE

1. Character – the protagonist is responsible for his/her death which is the result of
his/her tragic flaw or harmatia.
For example: Antigone’s hubris leads her to disobey Creon/Kreon’s decree
purposefully and publicly, even though she knows the consequence is death by
stoning.

2. Hubris – this is exaggerated self-pride or a sense of overbearing pride. When a

mere mortal behaved in a way that was outside the law or attempted to appear
superior to others, the Gods would want to punish them, resulting in fatal
retribution.
For example: Creon/Kreon is punished by losing both his son and wife for
withholding burial rites to Polynices and for condemning Antigone to die because
of her fulfilling her obligatory duties as a woman in Ancient Greece.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 4 of 23

STRUCTURE & PLOT

STRUCTURE OF A TRAGEDY
Before we discover the specific structure and plot of Antigone, it is worthwhile noting
the unique features of this genre when it comes to structure.
• Prologos / Prologue: A monologue or dialogue setting out the topic of the
tragedy.
• Eisodos / Parados: The entrance song of the chorus. We know little about how
the chorus sang and danced, but they very likely did both. Choral odes were
usually structured as follows: first, the strophê (‘turn’), in which the chorus
moves in one direction; then the antistrophê (‘counter-turn’), in which it moves in
the opposite direction (in the same metre as the strophê); and finally, the epode
(‘after-song’, sometimes omitted) in a slightly different metre, delivered standing
still.
• Epeisodon / Episodes: There are several of these (3 - 5), on which the modern
acts of a play or opera are based, each punctuated by choral singing.
• Stasimon: The choral ode reacting to the episode which is chanted. Each
stasimon punctuates the episodes.
• Hyporchema: a lively mimic dance sung by the chorus.
• Exodos: The departure scene and then song of the chorus, after the last
episode, usually reflecting or moralising on the aftermath of the tragedy.

INTRODUCTION TO THE STRUCTURE AND PLOT OF ANTIGONE

The original audience would have come to Sophocles’ Antigone already knowing
the basic narrative. Sophocles, however, significantly altered the story and
introduced new emphases. An original dispute between Athens (or Argos) and
Thebes over the corpses of the Seven is turned into an internal family dispute

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 5 of 23

between Creon/Kreon and Antigone. The characters of Haemon/Haimon and Ismene
are both introduced in a new and significant way, as foils to Creon/Kreon and
Antigone, respectively. The role of the gods and the introduction of divine
disapproval of Creon/Kreon for failing in his familial duties seems also to be a
Sophoclean innovation.

The action of the play starts the day after Eteocles and Polynices have died
battling for Thebes. Eteocles is buried with full honours, but Polynices is denied burial
rites, branded a traitor by Creon/Kreon (now Thebes’ ruler), and Creon/Kreon
publishes an edict proclaiming the death penalty for anyone who dares to bury his
body. Antigone refuses to comply, and asserts that her religious duty to her brother,
traitor or not, is more important than obedience to the laws of the city. Antigone is
captured and sentenced to be walled into a tomb, alive.

PROLOGUE [pg53]
Antigone brings Ismene outside the palace gates late at night for a secret meeting:
Antigone bewails their fate, daughters of a doomed mother and father, and sisters of
two brothers who have killed each other. She then informs Ismene that she wants to
bury Polynices' body, as was the duty and privilege of women at this time. She
claims it is to honor the gods, which is true, but another reason that she chooses to
defy Creon/Kreon's edict (that anyone who buries Polynice’s body will be killed by
public stoning), is she believes that as the last two surviving family members of the
house of Oedipus, Creon/Kreon has specifically targeted them.

Antigone tries to convince Ismene to help her. Ismene refuses to help her, fearing
the death penalty and defying both the law and men. She is unable to stop Antigone
from burying her brother publicly and is unable to see Antigone’s argument of the
directness of the decree on them, causing Antigone to disown her
contemptuously and harshly.

WOMEN AND BURIALS:

Women in ancient society were offered little opportunity to act as individuals outside
the context of their families. They could certainly be courageous, but never truly
independent. Creon/Kreon’s decree, “denial of burial” was a traditional penalty for
treason, as Polynices had fought against his polis.

But Antigone has the moral sensibility to see that his decree counters another
established custom, the obligation of family to bury and worship the remains of
their deceased members. Antigone believes she is doing what her family might
expect of her, as she mentions in the second episode “I have given my brother burial.
What greater honour could I wish?” Even though she knows the penalty is death, the
important link for her is not life but blood-kinship, as was common belief that she
would be reunited with her family in the underworld.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 6 of 23

CREON/KREON’S DECREE:
Creon/Kreon’s decree is not anti-religious as Antigone claims; in fact,
he claims that he has religion on his side. The gods, for him, are the
gods of the city, which contains their shrines and is a place to
celebrate their festivals and sacrifices. Creon/Kreon finds it
unthinkable that these gods should demand the burial of a traitor of
the city who came with a foreign army to destroy it.

Many in the audience would have Athenian-Persian army. Denial of

burial in their homeland to traitors was not unknown in Greece e.g.,
Themistocles, an Athenian who was accused of pro-Persian
conspiratorial activity, died in Persia and his family’s request to have
his bones buried in Athenian soil were denied.

PARADOS [pg57]
The Chorus describe the siege of Thebes, the unpatriotic wickedness of
Polynices, the death of the two brothers, the embarrassment of the Argive army,
the glorious victory over the enemies of Thebes. The main point in the choral verse
is that it emphasises the guilt of Polynices.

FIRST EPISODE [pg61]

Creon/Kreon meets with the elders (chorus), and his harsh, stern, tyrannical
temper, declares itself at once in his first speech. He announces his edict - Eteocles
shall be honoured with burial, Polynices shall not. A sentry has been set to see
that no one gives the banned one his funeral rites, and death is the penalty for any
such attempt. While he is speaking, one of the sentinels appointed to watch the body
announces that someone has strewn dust over the corpse, thus paying to it the
prohibited funeral rites. The Chorus fearfully asks if God buried the body. In the rage
he shows, Creon/Kreon's unrestrained character is further displayed; he dismisses the
man with threats of a terrible death for himself and for the other guards if the culprit is
not discovered.

FIRST STASIMON [pg68]

This beautiful, and famous choral ode celebrates the wit and works of man, his
daring, his cleverness, his inventiveness. However, these attributes can only bring
him honour so long as he keeps within the bounds of the law - if he breaks those
boundaries, this can result in ruin. Man must still obey the gods. The application of
this to the conduct of Antigone and Creon/Kreon is obvious.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 7 of 23

SECOND EPISODE [pg70]
The sentry, re-entering, brings in Antigone, who has been arrested in the act of
repeating and completing the forbidden rites. Creon/Kreon asks her whether what
was alleged by the sentry is true - she replies that it is. He then asks whether she
knew of the edict. She answers that she not only knew of it but gloried in
disobeying it. Then follows the noble speech in which she justifies her act and
draws a distinction between laws issued by mere men and the divine unwritten laws
which have the sanction of divinity. The tone of her speech is fierce and unyielding,
revealing disapproval form the Chorus.

Creon/Kreon, incensed that a woman should set him and his laws at defiance,
dooms her to death. But suspecting that Ismene was also an accomplice in this
defiance of his powers, he orders her to be summoned. The scene is a three-way
dialogue, but pointedly, Antigone and Creon/Kreon avoid directly interacting.
Instead, Creon/Kreon and Ismene first converse, and Ismene admits to the charge.
However, Antigone, who had not forgiven her for refusing in her womanly timidity to
take part in what should have been a common duty, angrily rejects this and tells
Ismene to save herself. Creon/Kreon reasserts himself in the dialogue, and despite
Ismene’s protestations that Antigone is his son’s fiancée, confirms his command that
both sisters shall die.

SECOND STASIMON [pg79]

This choral ode emphasises the power of destiny. Woe after woe pursues a doomed
family; of the house of Labdacus the two sisters are all that are left; now they too must
perish. All powerful is the might of Zeus; powerless is the will of man. Ruin is never
far away, always following on the heels of greatness. The reference of this Chorus to
the fate of Antigone and, in a measure to the fate of Creon/Kreon also, is obvious.

THIRD EPISODE [pg82]

Haemon/Haimon, the son of Creon/Kreon and the betrothed lover of Antigone, now
enters. His character is finely drawn, and the scene which ensues is a masterpiece.
Knowing well his father's temper and the relative position in which they stand to each
other, he makes no sentimental plea; but, self-controlled and calm, with the utmost
respect and in affectionate consideration for his father's welfare and reputation,
he points out to him that the citizens are not with him in the course which he is
pursuing, that it is reasonable to listen to the opinion of others, and that to be
unbending and unchangeable is both unwise and perilous. The chorus supports
Haemon/Haimon’s reason.

"Am I to take lessons at my time of life from a fellow of his age?" thunders
Creon/Kreon in answer. But still Haemon/Haimon keeps his temper, while
Creon/Kreon with every word he speaks becomes more unreasonable, imperious,

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 8 of 23

and brutal. At last, the young man realises that all pleas are in vain, and the pent-
up passion flaming forth uncontrolled, he rushes out to die with Antigone. After
Haemon/Haimon's departure, Creon/Kreon now announces the form of death which
he had designed for Antigone. She shall be buried alive in a cave; but Ismene's life
shall be spared, as, on reflection, he is satisfied of her innocence.

THIRD STASIMON [pg88]

This, one of the most purely beautiful lyrics which have come down to us from the
Greeks, appropriately celebrates the power of love, its strength and danger. The
chorus asserts that in her own way, Aphrodite is undefeatable.

MARRYING FAMILY MEMBERS:

By Athenian law, a citizen was not allowed to marry a foreign woman, nor conversely.
However, proximity by blood or the same descendent, was not, with few exceptions,
a bar to marriage in any part of Greece; only direct lineal descent was. Thus, brothers
were permitted to marry even with sisters, if not born from the same mother.

FOURTH EPISODE [pg89]

Antigone, surrounded by guards, is on her way to her living tomb. She mourns her
fate; “death will be all my bridal dower”, and she likens her death to that of Niobe
who too was imprisoned. The Chorus, touched with pity, but lamenting the infatuation
which constrained her to fatal disobedience, express sympathy for her (she went
against the law and fell but they suggest she is paying for the sins of her father).

Creon/Kreon, re-entering, scolds the guards for delaying her passage. Antigone
prepares herself for the punishment, rationalising why she did so much for her brother
considering she could never have another with both parents’ dead. And then, strong in
the belief that “if this is God’s will”, she "shall learn (her) lesson in death," Antigone
takes her final leave of the world.

FOURTH STASIMON [pg97]

The fate of Antigone recalls to the Chorus the fate of two others who suffered a
similarly cruel imprisonment, and they are commemorated - Danaë and Cleopatra.

FIFTH EPISODE [pg99]

In this scene, the most critical in the play, the catastrophe hinges. The aged, blind
prophet Teiresias comes with an urgent warning to the king. The Gods are angry
with Thebes; the city is polluted, and the cause of the pollution is the fact that the
corpse of Polynices is still lying unburied: let it be buried at once. Creon/Kreon/Kreon
treats Teiresias as he had treated Haemon/Haimon before. He angrily refuses to

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 9 of 23

retract his edict, and taunts Teiresias with being the corrupt mouthpiece of
complainers amongst the citizens. Then the prophet tells him that for the living soul
whom he has sent to the tomb, and for the corpse which he is keeping festering on the
ground, he shall compensate with the life of his own son.

Creon/Kreon is struck with anxiety - never has the word of that prophet been found
false. His will is broken, and he chooses to yield. He gives Polynices his funeral
rites, Antigone shall be saved. This sudden change on the part of Creon/Kreon has
been criticised as untrue to nature. Nothing could be truer to nature, for nothing is as
unstable and fragile as stubbornness, in which reason has no part.

HYPORCHEMA [pg104]
The Chorus, gladdened by Creon/Kreon's repentance, and anticipating that all will
soon be bright and joyous in Thebes, break out into a dance-song in honour of
Dionysus. We may here pause to note that Sophocles almost invariably ushers in the
catastrophe of his tragedies by these ironic preludes like bursts of sunlight just
before the clouds gather blackest for storm.

EXODOS [pg110]
A messenger now announces the catastrophe, and while he is telling his terrible
story Eurydice/Eurydike, the wife of Creon/Kreon and the mother of Haemon/Haimon,
enters. As soon as Creon/Kreon had seen that Polynices had had his funeral rites
- so meticulously were they fulfilled that he even stayed to build a mound - he and his
attendants had hurried to the tomb in which Antigone had been imprisoned that she
might be released.

But on breaking into it a fearful sight met their view. Antigone had hung herself, and
Haemon/Haimon was clinging to her corpse, a sword at his side. As soon as the boy
saw his father, he drew his sword and, spitting in his face, furiously stabbed at him,
but missing him, turned and plunged the sword into his own side, and fell dying with
his arms around the dead Antigone.

Creon/Kreon then himself enters in an agony of remorse with the body of his son.
But the cup of his misery is not yet full. A second messenger announces that
Eurydice/Eurydike has stabbed herself, cursing, as she died, the husband who
had been responsible for the death of her son. Childless, wifeless, and utterly broken
with grief and remorse, Creon/Kreon prays for death, and cold indeed is the
comfort the Chorus offer him.

He is led into the palace, and as he leaves the stage the Coryphaeus (leader of the
chorus) points the moral of his conduct and of his fate: "Of happiness the crown and
chiefest part is wisdom, and to hold the gods in awe. This is the law that, seeing the

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 10 of 23

stricken heart of pride brought down, we learn when we are old."

The Chorus ends the play by using Oedipus’ story to illustrate the famous moral
that one should not judge a man’s life until it is over.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 11 of 23

LANGUAGE

VARIATIONS IN STYLE
The actors’ dialogue was a mixture of:
1. Rhesis = extended monologues.
2. Agon = a contest or argument between two speakers.
3. Stichomythia = line-by-line conversations which are expressed as
irregular, less stylised dialogue between two or three speakers.

STICHOMYTHIA – THE HEART OF TRAGIC CONFLICT

The use of this formal device of tragedy can be powerful; the tension and conflict
the quick line-by-line dialogue creates is one of the reasons Greek tragedy
remains so engaging to a modern audience. Stichomythia generally sees the lines
closely connected in grammatical composition as well as the character’s sense
of self-importance but contrasts the two speakers in mood or attitude. For
instance, in the opening exchange between Antigone and Ismene, the latter’s lines
express her doubt and fear, while Antigone is assertive and sure. Ismene’s
rhetorical question is answered by Antigone continuing her sentence with a
conditional. Almost every line given by Ismene is a question, contrasted with
Antigone’s firmness.

There are three major climatic moments which are all conveyed through
stichomythia.
1. Antigone and Creon/Kreon’s first encounter after she has been confirmed
as the culprit is conveyed through stichomythia, where their difference of view
is aggressively contrasted by their heated question and answer clash. Antigone
is unrepentant and aggressive in her opening speech, and the stichomythia is a
furious exchange, in which resolve on both sides is hardened.

2. The second is between Creon/Kreon and Haemon/Haimon. Haemon/Haimon

requires that his father listen to his council and take heed of his advice, as he
speaks on behalf of the people of Thebes. However, Creon/Kreon refuses to
listen to someone who is younger than him and thus less wise and accuses
Haemon/Haimon of being bowled over by a woman (and hence weak).

3. The third between Creon/Kreon and Teiresias. Teiresias is trying to tell

Creon/Kreon that his actions were unwise, that he has angered the gods and
should thus repent and correct the wrongs. Creon/Kreon believes that
Teiresias is treating him as a commodity and that he has been paid to talk to
him so disrespectfully.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 12 of 23

THEMES

PRIDE: MAN’S GREATNESS AND DOWNFALL

The pre-Christian era saw pride as a complex set of weaknesses and virtues. The
post-Christian era creates a binary between humility and pride – Jesus was humble
when hung on the cross to die and Satan’s pride led to his falling. It is important to
remember that this binary is not central to the Greek understanding of pride, and in
analysing this play you will need to be aware of this.

Over-bearing pride is a central theme of Antigone. It is a trait despised by the

God’s, who bring suffering to the overtly proud. However, to the Greek people,
pride is also an inextricable part of greatness. Pride is the origin of both dignity
and determination; but also brings stubbornness, blindness and cruelty.
Ismene warns Antigone in the Prologue: “Go then, if you are determined, to your
folly”.

Both Antigone and Creon/Kreon are

incredibly proud, making it impossible for
either one of them to back down once they
have taken a stand. Pride is also a part of
what makes Antigone heroic. She is a
typical Greek tragic hero in that her
greatness goes hand in hand with her
excess – hubris. The chorus’ warning
about hubris: The Father of heaven abhors
the proud tongue’s boasting. A king whose
lips are sealed by fear, unwilling to seek
advice, is damned. But he
that, too rashly daring, walks in sin in
solitary pride to his life’s end.

GENDER: THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY

The play is set in a time in which patriarchal power reigned supreme. Antigone’s
gender has profound effects on the meaning of her actions – she is not the typical
submissive Greek woman, who is meant to be seen and not heard. Creon/Kreon
says that the need to defeat her is more important because she is a woman; “Better
be beaten, if need be, by a man, than let a women get the better of us”.

The freedom of Greek women was extremely limited; the rules and censures placed
on them were great even for the ancient world. Antigone’s rebellion is especially

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 13 of 23

threatening because it upsets gender roles and
hierarchy. By refusing to be passive, she
challenges one of the fundamental rules of her
culture. Antigone’s actions have a fatal
consequence – she knows she will be killed for
what she did, but instead of running away from
this fact she embraces her fate. This has led critics
to believe that she is in love with death. Her
“martyr attitude” gives her power in the play, as it
is an act she can control regardless of her gender.
No one can stop her from taking her own life.

Ismene, on the other hand, is the epitome of a Greek woman – she does not step
out of line and believes that being a woman makes them weak and vulnerable.
They are powerlessness and should accept their fate.

STATE CONTROL AND HUMAN LAW VS. THE INDIVIDUAL AND

DIVINE NATURE

1. STATE CONTROL – CREATING THE MODEL CITIZEN

The concept of state control over the individual’s rights appears most clearly in the
values clash between Creon/Kreon and Antigone. Creon/Kreon defines citizenship
as utmost obedience to the will of the state, and thus condemns Antigone to death
when he feels that she has abandoned her citizenship by disobeying him. Antigone
allows more room for individualism within the role of the citizen. The debate over
citizenship, however, extends beyond just the argument between Creon/Kreon and
Antigone.

Creon/Kreon's decree to leave Polynices unburied makes a bold statement about

what it means to be a citizen, and what constitutes abdication of citizenship. It
was the firmly kept custom of the Greeks that each city was responsible for the
burial of its citizens. After a large battle, members of each city would collect their
own dead to bury them. The Greeks considered burial a sign of recognition of
citizenship and affiliation. In Antigone, it is therefore natural that the people of
Thebes did not bury the Argives (those that fought with Polynices against Thebes),
but very striking that Creon/Kreon prohibited the burial of Polynices. Since he is a
citizen of Thebes, it would have been natural for the Thebans to bury him.
Creon/Kreon is telling his people that Polynices has distanced himself from them,
and that they are prohibited from treating him as a fellow-citizen and burying him as
is the custom for citizens.

In prohibiting the people of Thebes from burying Polynices, Creon/Kreon is

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 14 of 23

essentially placing him on the level of
the attackers - the foreign Argives.
For Creon/Kreon, the fact that
Polynices has attacked the city
effectively revokes his citizenship
and makes him a foreigner. As defined
by this decree, citizenship is based on
loyalty. It is revoked when Polynices
commits what in Creon/Kreon's eyes
amounts to treason. When pitted
against Antigone's view, this
understanding of citizenship creates a
new axis of conflict. Antigone does not
deny that Polynices has betrayed the state, she simply acts as if this betrayal does
not rob him of the connection that he would have otherwise had with the city.
Creon/Kreon, on the other hand, believes that citizenship is a contract; it is not
absolute or inalienable, and can be lost in certain circumstances. These two
opposing views - that citizenship is absolute and undeniable and alternatively
that citizenship is based on certain behaviour - are known respectively as
citizenship 'by nature' and citizenship 'by law.'

2. THE INDIVIDUAL – THEIR ROLE IN THE STATE

A well-established theme in Antigone is the right of the individual to reject
society's infringement on their freedom to perform a personal obligation, obvious
in Antigone's refusal to let Creon/Kreon dictate what she can do with her family
members. She says to Ismene about Creon/Kreon's edict, "He has no right to keep
me from my own." As mentioned above, Antigone does not agree with
Creon/Kreon’s removal of Polynices’ Theban citizenship, and acts according to her
belief in citizenship by nature.

3. NATURAL/DIVINE LAW – THE LAW THAT GOVERNS OUR MORAL

BEHAVIOUR
Antigone's determination to bury Polynices arises from a desire to bring honour to
her family, and to honour the higher law of the gods. She repeatedly declares
that she must act to please "those that are dead", because they hold more weight
than any ruler. That is the weight of divine law. In the opening scene, she makes an
emotional appeal to her sister Ismene saying that they must protect their brother
out of sisterly love, even if he did betray their state. Antigone believes that there
are rights that are inalienable because they come from the highest authority: divine
law.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 15 of 23

In Antigone, Sophocles asks the question, which law is greater: the gods' or
man's? Sophocles votes for the law of the gods. He does this to save Athens from
the moral destruction which seems imminent. Sophocles wants to warn his
countrymen about hubris. because he believes this will be their downfall. In
Antigone, the hubris of Creon/Kreon is revealed and leads to his downfall.

4. HUMAN LAW – IN BENEFIT OF STATE CONTROL

The contrasting views of Creon/Kreon and Antigone regarding laws higher than those
of the state inform their different conclusions about civil disobedience.
Creon/Kreon demands obedience to the law above all else, right or wrong. He says
that "there is nothing worse than disobedience to authority". Antigone responds with
the idea that state law is not absolute, and that it can be broken in civil
disobedience in extreme cases, such as honouring the gods, whose rule and
authority outweigh Creon/Kreon's, a mortal.

While he rejects Antigone’s actions based on family honour, Creon/Kreon appears

to value family himself. When talking to Haemon/Haimon, Creon/Kreon demands
of him not only obedience as a citizen, but also as a son. Creon/Kreon says,
"everything else shall be second to your father's decision". His emphasis on being
Haemon/Haimon's father rather than his king may seem odd, especially since
Creon/Kreon elsewhere advocates obedience to the state above all else. It is not clear
how he would personally handle these two values in conflict, but it is a moot point in
the play, for, as absolute ruler of Thebes, Creon/Kreon is the state, and the state
is Creon/Kreon. It is clear how he feels about these two values in conflict when
encountered in Antigone: loyalty to the state comes before family loyalty, and he
sentences her to death.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 16 of 23

CHARACTERS

INTRODUCTION
In performance, there was a maximum of three actors (again, all male). Each
actor would have played more than one part. In Antigone, the same actor
probably played Antigone, Haemon/Haimon, Tiresias, and Eurydice/Eurydike; in
this case, meaning that all four opponents of Creon/Kreon (the second actor)
would have been heard speaking with the same voice. The third actor would have
played Ismene, sentry and messenger.

ANTIGONE - THE PROTAGONIST

• REBEL: Antigone, compared to her docile sister, is portrayed as the rebel of
her family who refuses to play by the rules. The opening scene of the play
suggests Antigone’s rebellious side, the fact that Ismene seems terrified to
disobey Creon/Kreon for fear of his death penalty, while Antigone tells her
Creon/Kreon does not frighten her and will publicly announce her
defiance of his law. Antigone rebels against the fundamental rules of her
society that states that women must be afraid of the men, who are considered
dominant and those that hold the law in their hands.

• WISE: However, Antigone more so proves to be both noble and wise as

opposed to simply a rebel defying authority. She defies Creon/Kreon’s decree
despite the consequences she may face, because she feels she must
commit acts of sisterly love and familial obligation towards her brother.
She believes that she is not defying the established custom of refusal of
burial for traitors, but the orders of one individual, Creon/Kreon. Even though
Creon/Kreon states that he is acting on behalf of the state, it is clear from the
outcome of the play that he is mistaken as both his wife and son kill
themselves.

• COURAGEOUS: She is shown to be courageous, for she bravely allows

Creon/Kreon to humiliate her in public and send her to the death chamber.
Understanding she will soon be put to death, she insists she obeyed the gods
and committed acts of honour, meaning she
will be rewarded in the underworld as she is
reunited with her family members and praised
for her fulfillment of her duty. Sophocles
attempts to show how Antigone’s intelligence
and wisdom may have led to her death yet will
reward her with a prosperous afterlife.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 17 of 23

ANTIGONE – THE TRAGIC HERO
Quality Example in Antigone
They have an unusual conception, birth
Antigone’s father Oedipus, is also her brother.
and/or childhood.

The tragic hero is the protagonist and is a

Antigone is the princess of Thebes but is also
person of stature/elevated status that the
representative of how women were treated during
audience can identify. The hero does not stand
Ancient Greece. However, her need to fulfill her
only as an individual but also as a symbol or
sacred duty in the burial rites of her brother is
representative for an entire culture, society, or
representative of all Grecian women.
belief.

They are unusually strong mentally, She buries her brother and openly defies
emotionally and/or physically. Creon/Kreon, regardless of the knowable
outcome.
They are neither good nor completely bad – Antigone’s pride is a quality that the audience will
we must sympathise and identify with them to see as both her strength and weakness. It gives
some extent. her courage but also leads to her downfall.

They stand by their convictions, even in the Antigone does not let Ismene take the fall for
face of opposition. They fall because of a flaw, her, she defiantly admits her act to Creon/Kreon,
error of judgement or some perceived of which the manner may have been too forceful.
weakness. Her flaw, hubris, prevents rational thought here.

The hero shows willingness and an immense Antigone willingly goes to her living death in the
capacity to suffer. Heroic figures accept their cave, “because I honoured those things to which
fate. honour truly belongs”.
The situation the hero faces is irretrievable –
Antigone buried her brother and does not deny the
there is no turning back, no way out. The figures
act, even though Creon/Kreon condemns her.
of tragedy find themselves in a situation which
She willingly goes to her fate as she believes
there is no honourable avenue of escape; they
she will be honoured by her deceased family
face a tragic fate and must go forward to meet
members for fulfilling her sacred duty.
it.

They fall from a position of power and respect She is sealed in a cave in which she ends her
to one of disgrace and have a tragic end. own life.

Haemon/Haimon (her fiancé) kills himself and

Their actions normally bring about a disaster. Haemon/Haimon’s mother (and Creon/Kreon’s
wife) Eurydice/Eurydike kills herself
on hearing of her son’s suicide.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 18 of 23

The deaths at the end of the play release the
Their destruction causes pity and fear
tension of the characters as well as the audience
(catharsis) in the audience and the plot.
as Creon/Kreon is punished and Antigone is
revered.
Tragedies do not have a depressing effect because the protagonist realizes their
mistake/consequences of their actions before dying, therefore ‘good triumphs over evil’.

ISMENE
Ismene is portrayed as the obedient daughter of the family. She has also been
referred to in some literature as “the beautiful one”. She is not only obedient but
submissive in her manner. She refuses to bury Polynices because she fears
Creon/Kreon and the rules of her society, which state that men are dominant. She
argues with Antigone that they “are women; it is not for us to fight against men; our
rulers are stronger than we, and we must obey in this, or in worse than this.”

Despite her seeming cowardice in the opening of

the play, in the second episode she claims to have
helped Antigone with Polynices’ burial and begs
Creon/Kreon that she too may be punished as she
“cannot bear to live, if (Antigone) must die”. She
wants to help her sister, conveying her sisterly
love and pity for her sister’s fate, but Antigone
rejects her claims. She also tries to convince
Creon/Kreon not to kill Antigone for the sake of
Haemon/Haimon. Creon/Kreon’s tyrannical
response is to sentence both women to death, even
though he recants in the third episode and
Ismene’s life is spared.

CREON/KREON
Creon/Kreon is the current King of Thebes. Like
Antigone, his fatal flaw, pride, leads to the tragic
death of his niece Antigone, as well as the death of
both his son Haemon/Haimon and his beloved wife
Eurydice/Eurydike. A practical man, he firmly
distances himself from the tragic aspirations of
Oedipus and his line. This is likely because
Creon/Kreon is not a blood relation of Oedipus: he
is Jocasta’s brother, Oedipus’ mother-wife. He is
only king because he is the last male heir after the

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 19 of 23

deaths of Polynices and Eteocles. As he tells Antigone, his only interest is in
political and social order.

After an argument with his son regarding how the people of the polis will react if
Antigone is sentenced to death as his decree declared, Creon/Kreon chooses not
to make a martyr out of Antigone, and instead sentences her to live out the rest of
her days in a cave “with food enough to acquit ourselves of the blood-guiltiness”.

Even though Creon/Kreon claims that “there was never a time when (he) failed to
heed” the counsel of the blind prophet Teiresias, he does so in the fifth episode as
his hubris prevents him from seeing reason. Teiresias leaves Creon/Kreon with the
lesson that “only a fool is governed by self-will” and the fateful prophecy that he
will pay for the “two debts” (Antigone and Polynices’ lives) with the death of his son.
With the death of his family, Creon/Kreon is left utterly alone in the palace. At the
end of the play, he learns his lesson but is forced to live the rest of his life in shame.
He is also a tragic hero.

HAEMON/HAIMON
Haemon/Haimon is the son of Creon/Kreon and Eurydice/Eurydike who is betrothed
to Antigone. He is unlike his ruthless and foolish father. Proven to be more kind-
hearted, passionate but also rational, he attempts to stand up to his father for the
sake of Antigone. He begs him to listen to him and to consider that the people of
Thebes disagree with his tyrannical sentence on Antigone. Haemon/Haimon
appeals to his father’s conscience and asks that he “be willing to listen to wise
advice”.

However, when Creon/Kreon refuses to listen

to him, claiming that he is too young to give him
advice and that he is a “despicable coward” for
siding with a woman, Haemon/Haimon runs off
angrily and shouts he will never see him again.
This act conveys that his love for Antigone
outweighs his fear of his father as well as
his belief in what is right. He later commits
suicide after finding Antigone dead, yet just
before he does, he
attempts to kill his father in a fit of anger and
rage.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 20 of 23

TEIRESIAS
Teiresias is the blind prophet; but despite being
physically blind, he can see the truth and
predicts prophecies. Sophocles plays with the
word blind in this case, he attempts to show how
Teiresias can see despite being blind, whereas
Creon/Kreon cannot see despite having full
eyesight. Creon/Kreon cannot see the truth,
which is far more important than physical sight as
Sophocles presents.

Portrayed as wise and full of reason, Teiresias attempts to warn Creon/Kreon of

his foolishness and tells him the gods are angry. At first, Creon/Kreon dismisses
Teiresias’ advice saying that he believes Teiresias is trying to “make (him) (his)
commodity to trade and traffic in (Teiresias’) advancement”. But he manages to
convince Creon/Kreon, as his prophecy about Haemon/Haimon’s death scares
Creon/Kreon into burying Polynices and freeing Antigone. Even though he can
complete the full burial rites for Polynices, Creon/Kreon is too late to rescue
Antigone. And Teiresias’ prophecy comes to fruition.

EURYDICE/EURYDIKE
Eurydice/Eurydike is the Queen of Thebes and Creon/Kreon’s wife. She is only
portrayed in the exodos. She overhears a messenger tell the chorus of her only son
Haemon/Haimon’s death. She leaves during his speech and commits suicide with
a knife due to her grief. The messenger reveals that before she killed herself, she
cursed Creon/Kreon and blames him for her son’s death, screaming that she
hopes he dies and is punished by the gods. Eurydice/Eurydike is clearly unlike her
husband and is shown to be more passionate than he is.

THE CHORUS
The Chorus consists of a group of elderly Theban men. Their sole purpose is to
comment on the action in the play and add to the suspense and emotions, as well
as connecting the story to myths, such as Danaë and Cleopatra. In Antigone, the
Chorus often take the side of Creon/Kreon, because they respect him and fear him.
However, over time, they begin to urge him to be more moderate. Their pleading is
what causes Creon/Kreon not to sentence Ismene to death along with Antigone.
They also advise Creon/Kreon to take Teiresias' advice. In a way, the Chorus
indirectly saves Creon/Kreon at numerous points throughout the play, suggesting
they play a more important role than merely providing commentary.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 21 of 23

GLOSSARY

Term Description
Acropolis The "high city" in Athens.
Agon An argument between two or three speakers.
Amphitheatre Greek theatre built into the south slope of the Acropolis.
Catharsis An emotional release.
An imaginary person who inhabits a literary work. We look at characters on four
Character
primary levels: moral, social, psychological and physical.
The means through which a writer reveals character. Character is usually revealed
Characterisation
through speech, dress, manner and action.
Chitons Tunic-like costumes worn in Greek theatre.
Choregoi Wealthy citizens who would be asked to fund dramas.
Chorus Group of men who would sing and dance during Greek plays.
This represents the point at which the action is at its most tense. It is the turning
Climax
point of the plot.
A type of drama where things work out happily in the end. This drama usually
Comedy involves misunderstandings, misinterpretation of identity, and reversals of fortune.
Comedies fall into different categories, comedy of character and situation.
Intensification of conflict in the plot. The complication builds up, intensifies,
Complication
accumulates and develops the central conflict.
The struggle between opposing forces in the plot. Conflict occurs within a character
Conflict as well as between characters. It is usually resolved by the end of the play, although
modern and avant garde plots do not always provide a resolution.
Cothurni Boot worn in Greek theatre.
Dénouement The resolution or solution of a plot, which takes place after the climax.
The resolution of the entanglement of a plot through supernatural intervention by a
Deus ex machina
god (brought down by the ‘machine’ or crane).
The conversation between characters in a literary work. The style of dialogue
changes depending on the style of the play. Dialogue is a good indication of style in
Dialogue
a literary work.

Dionysus Greek god of wine and fertility.

Choral hymn sung in honour of Dionysus. Tragedy and tragic dialogue grew partly
Dithyramb
from this type of poetry.
Episode Scenes in Greek theatre.
Type of structure where action is broken up into a montage of scenes joined
Episodic together by some form of singing. It allows for the fluidity of time and space at a
fast pace. Usually associated with Greek theatre, Brecht and South African theatre.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 22 of 23

The departure scene and then the song of the chorus reflecting on the aftermath
Exodos
of the tragedy.
At the beginning of a plot when clues are hinted at to make the subsequent action
Foreshadowing
credible.
Gesture Physical movement which indicates an emotion or sentiment non-verbally.
Hubris Over-bearing pride that leads to the downfall of a tragic hero.
Hyporchema A lively kind of mimic dance chanted by the chorus.
Women who were involved in the worship of Dionysus. They would drink alcohol,
Maenads have orgies and sacrifice animals, working themselves into an ecstatic state
implying some kind of catharsis.
The floor of the amphitheatre (see above). Made of wood, where the chorus would
Orchestra
perform.
Parados First choral ode sung after the first episode.
The paths to the right and left of the scene in the amphitheatre (see above) where
Parodoi
the actors and chorus would enter and exit.
Polis A Greek City State
Prologue A monologue or dialogue that occurs at the beginning of the play.
Associated with structure, where there is a change of direction in terms of the
Reversal
fortunes of the lead actor.
A performance delivered by one actor to a silent listener. The character is usually
Rhesis
speaking his/her thoughts out loud.
Ritual An event that people perform in celebration of beliefs.
Also called the scene building in the amphitheatre. The area just behind where
Skene
action would take place, almost forming what would be known today as a set.
Stasimon A choral ode reacting to the episode.
Line-by-line conversations between two characters, which are seemingly irregular,
Stichomythia
but flow one into the other.
If plot is the story, then structure is the way in which a story is told. Different styles
Structure
of plays have different structures. The structure refers to the way a story is told.
The manner in which a play is told. Style is influenced by trends, nations, historical
Style
periods, and playwrights' personal preferences.
The first dramatist to put lyrics to the dithyramb and to introduce an actor who
Thespis
broke away from the chorus.
A play that ends badly. Usually the fortune of the hero changes and he falls from
Tragedy grace, though not necessarily through his own fault – except that tragic heroes
always have tragic faults which lead to their downfall.

Notes adapted from St Stithians Girls’ College Page 23 of 23