antigone

Antigone

Antigone

– Dramatis personæ• Antigone

• Ismene

• Creon

• Hæmon

• Eurydice

• Teiresias

– Date: ca. 442 B.C.

– Not produced with O.T.

– Plot: Antigone buries Polynices against Creon’s will. Creon has her buried alive, then realizes his mistake too late. Almost everybody dies. The point: themis vs. dike.

Antigone: Plot Summary

• I. Dialogue between Antigone and Ismene (1-99)– A. Ant: Creon has decreed burial for Eteocles, none for

Polynices. No-one allowed to mourn him. Anyone caught burying Polynices will be stoned. Will you help me bury him?

– B. Ism: No, we women cannot resist the orders of powerful men.

– C. Ant: I will bury him without you.

– D. Ism: You seek the impossible, but I love you anyway.

• II. Parodos: chorus of Theban elders overjoyed to have won the battle (100-152)

Antigone: Plot Summary (cont.)

• III. Creon’s decree (153-222)– A. Chorus introduce Creon (153-160)

– B. Creon’s speech (161-210)

» 1. The state is everything (162-191)

» 2. Reiterates his decree (192-210)

– C. Chorus give lukewarm approval (211-222)

• IV. Messenger speech 1 (223-331)– A. Guard: some mysterious person has buried Polynices

(223-277)

– B. Chorus: could a god have done it? (278-279)


– C. Creon

» 1. No! The gods couldn’t have cared for this traitor (280-289)

» 2. It’s the work of traitors and their bribes (290-301)

» 3. All accomplices will be stoned, but the instigator will be hanged (302-314)

» 4. To guard: find the criminals or I’ll assume you’re guilty (315-331)

• V. Stasimon: “Ode to Man” (332-372)

• VI. Debate between Creon and Antigone (373-526)– A. Antigone, Creon, and the guard enter (373-386)


– B. Guard: We dug up Polynices, then caught Antigone re-burying him (387-440)

– C. Creon and Antigone argue (446-526)

» 1. Antigone: the laws of the gods and the dead demanded that I bury my brother

» 2. Creon: even in death, a traitor is a traitor. Ismene too is guilty.

• VII. Ismene joins the debate (527-581)– A. Ismene tries to share the “blame”

– B. Antigone refuses to share the “credit”

– C. Creon has them ordered inside. It seems both must die.


– VIII. Stasimon 2 on the fate of the ruling house (583-625)

– IX. Debate between Creon and Hæmon (626-800)

• A. Chorus and Creon wonder where Hæmon’s loyalties lie (626-638)

• B. Creon praises his son’s claim of loyalty (639-680)

• C. Hæmon hints that there is civil unrest on Antigone’s behalf (681-723)


• D. They argue (724-763)• E. Creon reveals to chorus Ismene will live (764-

780)• F. Chorus attribute Hæmon’s speech to love (781-

800)

– X. Kommos between Antigone and chorus. N.B. chorus’ approval (801-882)

– XI. Creon has Antigone led away to death (883-943)

– XII. Stasimon 3 (944-987)


• A. Acrisius (and Danaë) (944-953)

• B. Lycurgus (954-963)

• C. Phineus’ wife (968-984)

– XIII. Debate between Creon and Teiresias (988-1090)

• A. The altars of Thebes are polluted (999-1033)

• B. Creon accuses Teiresias of venality (1034-1047)

• C. They argue (1048-1064)

• D. Teiresias finally scares him (1065-1090)


– XIV. Creon changes his mind (1091-1114)– XV. Stasimon 4, calling on Dionysus for aid

(1115-1152)– XVI. Messenger speech 1; heard by Eurydice

(1153-1255)• A. Creon first buried Polynices (1192-1205)

• B. Going to Antigone’s tomb they heard Hæmon weeping (1206-1219)

• C. Antigone had hung herself (1220-1225)


• D. When Creon entered, Hæmon attacked him, but missed (1226-1234)

• E. Hæmon killed himself (1235-1243)

• F. Eurydice leaves in silence (1244-1245)

• G. Frightened messenger follows her in (1246-1255)

– XVII. Creon mourns Hæmon (1256-1276)– XVIII. Messenger speech 2: Eurydice has killed

herself (1277-1342)– XVIX. Choral coda (1347-1353)

antigone

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