Antigone Study Guide
All line references refer to The Language of Literature text 939-978
Prologue
1. What does Antigone plan to do?
2. What does she say to her sister?
3. What is the conflict of the drama?
4. What does Antigone say about Eteocles?
5. What will be the fate of anyone who disobeys Creon’s edict?
6. When Antigone asks Ismene whether--she will join her in burying Polynices-- what does Ismene say?
7. What does Ismene’s refusal reveal of her?
8. What type of person is Antigone?
9. What is the effect of Ismene’s reply to her appeal?
10. How does Ismene try to dissuade Antigone from burying her brother and with what success?
Parados
1.Who has summoned the soldiers of Argive to fight against the Thebans?.
2.What is the subject of the Chorus in lines 1-7?
3.What is the subject matter of the Choragus in lines 8-13?
4.What is the subject matter of the Choragus in lines 21-26?
5.What is the subject matter of the Chorus in lines 39-43?
Scene 1
1.How does Creon address the elders?
2.What does he say concerning their loyalty?
3.What does he say about the supremacy of the state?
4.What oath does he swear?
5.In what does he think his country’s safety lies?
6.What does he intend to do as ruler of the state?
7.What edict does he repeat?
8.How does the Chorus respond?
9.What command does Creon give the Chorus?
10.What is the reply of the Chorus?
11.How does Creon answer?
12.Who enters and stops Creon’s speech?
13.Does the Sentry come right out with information as to what has happened?
14.What does the Sentry finally announce?
15.Was there any evidence as to who might have done the deed?
16.How did the discovery of the dust upon the body affect the men?
17.What does the Chorus say about these events?
18.What is the effect upon Creon when he hears the comment?
19.Whom does he accuse of having done the deed?
20.What punishment will be dealt the men who were hired to bury Polynices?
21.How does Creon threaten the guard?
Ode 1
1.What is the theme of this ode?
2. What can man do that no other animals can?
3. What can’t man control?
Scene 2
1.Who enters just as the ode has closed and the second episode begins?
2.Does Creon accept the guard’s story immediately?
3.When Creon questions Antigone as to the deed, how does she answer?
4.How is Creon affected by her words?
5.What has happened thus far in the play?
6.What vow does Creon make?
7.Who does he suspect Antigone’s accomplice to be?
8.When Ismene is called in, what plea does she make?
9.Did Antigone allow Ismene to confirm Creon’s suspicions?
10.What final plea to spare Antigone does Ismene make?
11.What effect does this have upon Creon?
12.What example of foreshadowing is found here?
13.How does Antigone break her silence?
14.How does Antigone’s speech affect the play?
15.What does the Choragus say?
16.What is Creon’s reply?
17.What is Creon’s mood?
Ode 2
1.What does the Chorus say about Fate?
2. Why is the family of Oedipus cursed?
Scene 3
1.What does Creon ask Haemon?
2.How does Haemon reply?
3.What is the conduct of Haemon?
4.What does Creon say in his long speech?
5.What does Creon think is basic in good government?
6.What does Creon say about obedient children?
7.What does he say about having a worthless wife?
8.Is Creon a dictator or democratic?
9.What is the effect of disobedience to the state?
10.Where does help come from to aid these rulers?
11.What observation does the Chorus make?
12.What answer does Haemon give?
13.What does Haemon plead Creon to do?
14.What attitude does the Chorus express?
15.In all the scenes thus far, has Haemon spoken to influence Creon to change his mind about Antigone’s sentence?
16.Up to what point does Haemon remain controlled?
17.What does the Choragus say?
18.Does Haemon’s leaving disturb Creon?
19.When the Chorus asks if both women will be killed, what does Creon say?
20.Does Creon think Haemon will really kill himself?
21.What does the Choragus say when Creon says Ismene is not to be put to death?
22.What is Creon’s answer?
Ode 3
1.What does the Chorus say about love?
Scene 4
1. As Antigone is being led to her death, what do she and the Chorus speak about?
2. With whose death does Antigone compare hers?
3. How does the chorus try to console Antigone?
4. How does Antigone pour out her grief?
5. Why does Creon enter into the scene?
6. What does he say to/about Antigone?
7. What thoughts does Antigone express?
8. What does the Choragus seem to say about passion (lines 71-72)?
Ode 4: The chorus reminisces on others who suffered cruel imprisonment
Scene 5
1.What physical limitation does Teiresias have?
2. What alarming information does Teiresias give Creon?
3. How does Teiresias know something is wrong? Hint: the birds
4. How does Creon reply to Teiresias warning?
5. Explain the term augury.
6. Of what does Teiresias accuse Creon?
7. What advice does Teiresias give Creon?
8. How does Creon receive this advice?
9. What punishment does Teiresias say is in store for Creon’s stubbornness?
10. What does the Choragus say?
11. How does Creon feel about giving in?
12. What does Creon ask the Choragus?
13. What does Creon decide to do at the end of the scene?
Paean
1. What is the tone of the of the passage?
Exodus
1. What news does the messenger bring?
2. How does Haemon die?
3. To whom does the Messenger tell “the whole story”?
4. How does Antigone die?
5. What does Haemon do when Creon enters Antigone’s tomb.
6. Having heard the news, what does Eurydice do?
7. What does the Choragus say about Haemon’s death? (line84-85)
8. What happens to Eurydice?
9. What does Creon pray for?
10. What has Creon learned?
11. The Choragus delivers the theme of the play in the closing lines. Summarize the theme in your own words.
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