scene 3 - d3jc3ahdjad7x7.cloudfront.net · scene 3 choragos. but here is haimon, ... i am your son,...

� SCENE 3 �CHORAGOS. But here is Haimon, King, the last of all your

sons.Is it grief for Antigone that brings him here,And bitterness at being robbed of his bride?

[Enter HAIMON.]

CREON. We shall soon see, and no need of diviners.°—Son,

5 You have heard my final judgment on that girl:Have you come here hating me, or have you comeWith deference° and with love, whatever I do?

HAIMON. I am your son, father. You are my guide.You make things clear for me, and I obey you.

10 No marriage means more to me than your continuing wisdom.

CREON. Good. That is the way to behave: subordinateEverything else, my son, to your father’s will.This is what a man prays for, that he may getSons attentive and dutiful in his house,

15 Each one hating his father’s enemies,Honoring his father’s friends. But if his sonsFail him, if they turn out unprofitably,What has he fathered but trouble for himselfAnd amusement for the malicious?

So you are right20 Not to lose your head over this woman.

Your pleasure with her would soon grow cold, Haimon,And then you’d have a hellcat in bed and elsewhere.Let her find her husband in Hell!Of all the people in this city, only she

25 Has had contempt for my law and broken it.

Do you want me to show myself weak before the people?Or to break my sworn word? No, and I will not.The woman dies.I suppose she’ll plead “family ties.” Well, let her.

30 If I permit my own family to rebel,How shall I earn the world’s obedience?Show me the man who keeps his house in hand,He’s fit for public authority.

I’ll have no dealingsWith law-breakers, critics of the government:

35 Whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed—

4 diviners: people who predict thefuture.

7 deference: respect and honor due toanother.

748 � UNIT 4: DRAMA

Active ReadingStrategies

REDICT How will Creon react to hison’s appeals for Antigone?

dditional ResourcesActive Reading Guide, p. 70Audio LibrarySpanish Audio Library

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ONNECT Have students describe hat makes a good son according Creon and compare it with expec-

tions of modern American parents.reon says a son should show

bsolute obedience and put histher’s desires first. Students mayote that modern parents are morealistic.)

B

SUMMARY, Scenes 3–5Haimon begs his father to saveAntigone and threatens to kill himself f Antigone dies, but Creon will notchange his mind. Teiresias tells Creonthat Creon will suffer deeply if Antigones not freed. Creon begins to doubt hisdecision and finally goes to the tomb to save Antigone. A messenger tellsEurydice what happened at the tomb:when Creon arrived, Antigone had hungherself. Haimon then killed himself.When Creon returns to the palace, hefinds that Eurydice has killed herself ingrief. Creon, a broken man, admits thathe has brought about his own downfallthrough arrogance.

Spanish Summaries, p. 69

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Must be obeyed, in all things, great and small,Just and unjust! O Haimon,The man who knows how to obey, and that man only,Knows how to give commands when the time comes.

40 You can depend on him, no matter how fastThe spears come: he’s a good soldier, he’ll stick it out.

Anarchy, anarchy! Show me a greater evil!This is why cities tumble and the great houses rain down,This is what scatters armies!

45 No, no: good lives are made so by discipline.We keep the laws then, and the lawmakers,And no woman shall seduce us. If we must lose,Let’s lose to a man, at least! Is a woman stronger than we?

CHORAGOS. Unless time has rusted my wits,50 What you say, King, is said with point and dignity.

HAIMON. [Boyishly earnest.] Father:Reason is God’s crowning gift to man, and you are rightTo warn me against losing mine. I cannot say—I hope that I shall never want to say!—that you

55 Have reasoned badly. Yet there are other menWho can reason, too; and their opinions might be helpful.You are not in a position to know everythingThat people say or do, or what they feel:Your temper terrifies them—everyone

60 Will tell you only what you like to hear.But I, at any rate, can listen; and I have heard themMuttering and whispering in the dark about this girl.They say no woman has ever, so unreasonably,Died so shameful a death for a generous act:

65 “She covered her brother’s body. Is this indecent?She kept him from dogs and vultures. Is this a crime?Death?—She should have all the honor that we can give her!”

This is the way they talk out there in the city.

You must believe me:70 Nothing is closer to me than your happiness.

What could be closer? Must not any sonValue his father’s fortune as his father does his?I beg you, do not be unchangeable:Do not believe that you alone can be right.

ANTIGONE, SCENE 3 � 749

Sophocles�


QUESTION According to Creon, whatis the most important trait for aleader to have? (the ability to obey)

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Critical ThinkingIDENTIFYING BIAS Share the followingmodel to help students identify a biasthat may affect Creon’s judgment.

Model: Creon says that his punish-ment of Antigone is due to hisstrong belief in discipline and thelaw. However, he implies that hemight be able to give in to a man’sdisagreement with him, but he doesnot want a woman to look strongerthan he. I think Creon is prejudicedagainst women. This bias makes medoubt his true motives.

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LISTEN Encourage students to imagine Haimon’s tone of voice ashe talks to his father on page 749.Have them list adjectives to describehis tone. (calm, reasonable, respectful)

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Words Related to GovernmentAntigone contains many references tolaw and government. Some words maybe unfamiliar to English language learn-ers or may have abstract meanings thatare difficult to grasp.

On the board, compile a listof government-related words in the play.Creon’s speech on pages 733–734

includes the words State, throne, sub-jects, exile, and traitor. Words on pages748–749 include authority, govern,government, anarchy, and discipline.Have volunteers use each word in a sentence.

Additional ResourcesEnglish Language LearnersSourcebook, p. 92

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QUESTION What additional reasonsdoes Creon give for punishingAntigone for breaking his law? (Hedoes not want to be considered weakby his people; he does not want to be considered unfair by not enforcingthe law with his own family.)

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75 The man who thinks that,The man who maintains that only he has the powerTo reason correctly, the gift to speak, the soul—A man like that, when you know him, turns out empty.

It is not reason never to yield to reason!

80 In flood time you can see how some trees bend,And because they bend, even their twigs are safe,While stubborn trees are torn up, roots and all.And the same thing happens in sailing:Make your sheet fast, never slacken,—and over you go,

85 Head over heels and under: and there’s your voyage.Forget you are angry! Let yourself be moved!I know I am young; but please let me say this:


The Armentum Rider. c. 550 B.C.,Greek. Bronze, height: 23.6 cm.The British Museum, London.

Literary ElementsRAGIC FLAW Explain that a tragicaw is a character fault, such asalousy, anger, or pride, that causesperson to come to grief. What

haracter fault does Haimon seemthink his father has? (inflexibility,

n inability to admit that someoneesides himself may be right) Howould this character fault prove to betragic flaw? (It may cause Creon toing to a bad decision even after healizes it is wrong, despite the hard-

hips it may cause.)

LIFE SKILLS CONNECTIONPersuasive Techniques DiscussHaimon’s techniques in trying to convincehis father to change his mind. Point outthat Haimon begins by being polite,respectful, calm, flattering, and reason-able. He tries to convince his father withfacts: for example, he tells Creon that thepeople disapprove of Creon’s treatment ofAntigone. He uses analogies to illustratethe dangers of stubbornness. Only whenCreon insults Haimon and refuses to lis-

ten to reason does Haimon get angry.

Have students discuss situa-tions in which they or others have tried topersuade parents, teachers, or friends totake a specific course of action. Whichtechniques are most and least effective?Point out that sometimes, as in Haimon’scase, even the most tactful and skillfulpersuasive techniques may be ineffective.L1

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Sophocles�

The ideal conditionWould be, I admit, that men should be right by instinct;

90 But since we are all too likely to go astray,The reasonable thing is to learn from those who can teach.

CHORAGOS. You will do well to listen to him, King,If what he says is sensible. And you, Haimon,Must listen to your father.—Both speak well.

95 CREON. You consider it right for a man of my years and experience

To go to school to a boy?

HAIMON. It is not rightIf I am wrong. But if I am young, and right,What does my age matter?

CREON. You think it right to stand up for an anarchist?

100 HAIMON. Not at all. I pay no respect to criminals.

CREON. Then she is not a criminal?

HAIMON. The City would deny it, to a man.

CREON. And the City proposes to teach me how to rule?

HAIMON. Ah. Who is it that’s talking like a boy now?

105 CREON. My voice is the one voice giving orders in this City!

HAIMON. It is no City if it takes orders from one voice.

CREON. The State is the King!

HAIMON. Yes, if the State is a desert.

[Pause.]

CREON. This boy, it seems, has sold out to a woman.

HAIMON. If you are a woman: my concern is only for you.

110 CREON. So? Your “concern”! In a public brawl with your father!

HAIMON. How about you, in a public brawl with justice?

CREON. With justice, when all that I do is within my rights?

HAIMON. You have no right to trample on God’s right.

CREON. [Completely out of control.] Fool, adolescent fool!

Taken in by a woman!

115 HAIMON. You’ll never see me taken in by anything vile.

CREON. Every word you say is for her!

HAIMON. [Quietly, darkly.] And for you.And for me. And for the gods under the earth.


Critical ThinkingIDENTIFYING ASSUMPTIONS Whatassumption does Creon make? Is it a valid assumption? (He assumesthat the older a person is, the wiserhe or she is, an invalid assumption.)

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C O N N E C T I O NNETinter

Revolutions Ask students to use a searchengine to find out about dictatorships orother oppressive forms of government thathave been overthrown throughout history.Have students make a list of researchquestions and then research one revolutionthat is of interest to them. Students mightenter keywords such as revolutions, dic-tatorships, French Revolution, AmericanRevolution, or Russian Revolution.

REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONDictatorships Have students researchand discuss countries in the world todaythat are ruled by a dictatorship, a formof government in which one individualholds all the power. Some governmentsto suggest are those in Cuba, Iraq, andLibya. L3

Prefixes The combining form -archy,“rule or government,” comes from theGreek word archein, “to rule.” Therefore,anarchy, with the prefix an-, “without,”means “an absence of government.”Anarchist, with the suffix -ist, “one thatadheres to a doctrine,” means “one whopromotes anarchy.” Have students givethe definition of each prefix and eachword with the combining form -archy thatfollows: monarchy, squirearchy,oligarchy.

Critical ThinkingINFERRING What disagreement doHaimon and Creon have about gov-erning the city-state? (Creon believesone man should be all-powerful whileHaimon believes all citizens shouldhave a voice.)

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Literary ElementsTRAGIC FLAW What character faults,besides inflexibility, does Creonexhibit in his dialogue with Haimon?(pride, arrogance, stubbornness, anda bad temper) Could any of thesefaults be a tragic flaw? (Any or all of them could lead to his downfall.)

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CREON. You’ll never marry her while she lives.

HAIMON. Then she must die.—But her death will cause another.

120 CREON. Another?Have you lost your senses? Is this an open threat?

HAIMON. There is no threat in speaking to emptiness.

CREON. I swear you’ll regret this superior tone of yours!You are the empty one!

HAIMON. If you were not my father,125 I’d say you were perverse.

CREON. You girlstruck fool, don’t play at words with me!

HAIMON. I am sorry. You prefer silence.

CREON. Now, by God—!I swear, by all the gods in heaven above us,You’ll watch it, I swear you shall![To the SERVANTS.] Bring her out!

130 Bring the woman out! Let her die before his eyes!Here, this instant, with her bridegroom beside her!

HAIMON. Not here, no; she will not die here, King.And you will never see my face again.Go on raving as long as you’ve a friend to endure you.

[Exit HAIMON.]

135 CHORAGOS. Gone, gone.Creon, a young man in a rage is dangerous!

CREON. Let him do, or dream to do, more than a man can.He shall not save these girls from death.

CHORAGOS. These girls?You have sentenced them both?

CREON. No, you are right.140 I will not kill the one whose hands are clean.

CHORAGOS. But Antigone?

CREON. [Somberly.] I will carry her far awayOut there in the wilderness, and lock herLiving in a vault of stone. She shall have food,As the custom is, to absolve the State of her death.

perverse (pər vurs�) adj. determined to go against what is reasonable, expected, ordesired; contrary

absolve (ab zolv�) v. to free from guilt or blame

Vocabulary


Literary ElementsHARACTERS Based on what haseen shown of Haimon’s character,ow believable is the threat heakes to kill himself if Antigone killed? (Because Haimon has

ehaved calmly and reasonably, it easy to believe that he is serious

bout his threat and will followrough on it.)

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ONNECT Suggest that studentsmagine they are psychologistssked to advise Creon on how toandle his conflict with his son.hat advice might they offer?tudents may suggest that Creon

ontrol his anger, take time to con-der the points made by his son,nd consult other trusted advisersbout whether to change his mind.)

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Author’s CraftONE Remind students that the tone

a literary work is the author’s orpeaker’s attitude toward the plotnd characters, such as amused,ad, or angry. Have students identifye tone of the play and explain howhelps them predict how the conflictll be resolved. (The tone is serious

nd tragic; this supports a predictionat Creon will have Antigone killed

nd Haimon will also die.)

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MULTIPLE MODES OF EXPRESSIONMULTIPLE MODES OF EXPRESSION

Bodily-Kinesthetic Students whoenjoy expressing themselves throughacting may enjoy portraying two charac-ters, Haimon and Creon, as their discussion disintegrates into angrythreats and insults.

Have volunteers work inpairs. Have one student in each pairportray Haimon and the other Creon.

Have them practice reading the dialogueon page 752, discussing techniques for showing anger. Point out that shout-ing may not be as effective as facialexpression, posture, and gestures incommunicating Haimon’s cold angerand Creon’s rage. Have the pairs per-form their dialogue for the class. L2

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Sophocles�

145 And there let her pray to the gods of hell:They are her only gods:Perhaps they will show her an escape from death,Or she may learn,

though late,That piety shown the dead is pity in vain.

[Exit CREON.]

ODE 3CHORUS. Love, unconquerable

Waster of rich men, keeperOf warm lights and all-night vigilIn the soft face of a girl:

5 Sea-wanderer, forest-visitor!Even the pure Immortals cannot escape you,And mortal man, in his one day’s dusk,Trembles before your glory.

Surely you swerve upon ruin10 The just man’s consenting heart,

As here you have made bright angerStrike between father and son—And none has conquered but Love!A girl’s glance working the will of heaven:

15 Pleasure to her alone who mocks us,Merciless Aphrodite.°

� SCENE 4�CHORAGOS. [As ANTIGONE enters guarded.] But I can no longer

stand in awe of this,Nor, seeing what I see, keep back my tears.Here is Antigone, passing to that chamberWhere all find sleep at last.

5 ANTIGONE. Look upon me, friends, and pity meTurning back at the night’s edge to sayGood-by to the sun that shines for me no longer;Now sleepy DeathSummons me down to Acheron,° that cold shore:

10 There is no bridesong there, nor any music.

CHORUS. Yet not unpraised, not without a kind of honor,You walk at last into the underworld;

16 Aphrodite (af rə d ��te): the goddess of love and beauty.

9 Acheron (ak�ə ron): The Greeksbelieved that the souls of the dead inhab-ited an underworld bordered by the riverAcheron.


Literary ElementsFIGURES OF SPEECH: Metaphor Thechorus calls love “Sea-wanderer,forest visitor!” What idea does themetaphor express? (Love is capableof affecting people everywhere, includ-ing on the sea and in the forest.)

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INTERPRET Have students state thetopic of Ode 3. What does the cho-rus say about the topic? (The topic is the power of love. The chorus sayslove for a woman is capable of mak-ing men powerless. It is such a strongforce that it even strikes the gods,so men are particularly susceptible to it. Love can bring even the bestmen close to ruin, as seen in Haimonand Creon’s argument over Haimon’sfiancee, Antigone.)

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QUESTION What feelings does the choragos express as Antigone prepares to go to her death? (The choragos expresses deep grief andsadness.)

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Bodily/Kinesthetic The chorus in aGreek tragedy not only chanted or sangtheir lines but danced. Portions of thechorus’s lines were marked strophe,meaning that the actors danced fromstage right to stage left while chantingthem. Other parts were marked antistro-phe, during which the actors danced inthe opposite direction.

Have musically talented stu-dents create a performance of Ode 3on page 753. Explain that the firststanza is the strophe and the secondstanza is the antistrophe. Encouragestudents to imagine how the chorusmight have chanted and danced and tochoreograph their performance accord-ingly. Have them perform the ode forthe class. L3

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VOCABULARY CONNECTIONAphrodite You may want to explain tostudents that the English word aphro-disiac, meaning a food or a substancesuch as perfume that increases sexualattraction, comes from the name of theGreek goddess of love and beauty,Aphrodite.

Untouched by sickness, broken by no sword.What woman has ever found your way to death?

15 ANTIGONE. How often I have heard the story of Niobe,Tantalos’ wretched daughter, how the stoneClung fast about her, ivy-close: and they sayThe rain falls endlesslyAnd sifting soft snow; her tears are never done.

20 I feel the loneliness of her death in mine.°

CHORUS. But she was born of heaven, and youAre woman, woman-born. If her death is yours,A mortal woman’s, is this not for youGlory in our world and in the world beyond?

25 ANTIGONE. You laugh at me. Ah, friends, friends,Can you not wait until I am dead? O Thebes,O men many-charioted, in love with Fortune,Dear springs of Dirce, sacred Theban grove,Be witnesses for me, denied all pity,

30 Unjustly judged! and think a word of loveFor her whose path turnsUnder dark earth, where there are no more tears.

CHORUS. You have passed beyond human daring and come at last

Into a place of stone where Justice sits.35 I cannot tell

What shape of your father’s guilt appears in this.

ANTIGONE. You have touched it at last: that bridal bedUnspeakable, horror of son and mother mingling:Their crime, infection of all our family!

40 O Oedipus, father and brother!Your marriage strikes from the grave to murder mine.I have been a stranger here in my own land:All my lifeThe blasphemy of my birth has followed me.°

45 CHORUS. Reverence is a virtue, but strengthLives in established law: that must prevail.You have made your choice,Your death is the doing of your conscious hand.

ANTIGONE. Then let me go, since all your words are bitter,50 And the very light of the sun is cold to me.

15–20 How often . . . mine: Niobe (n��o be ), a former queen of Thebes,was punished by the gods for excessivepride. After all of her children were killed,she was turned to stone, but she contin-ued to shed tears.

35–44 I cannot . . . followed me:Incest, or sexual relations between siblingsor between parents and children, was asin against the gods. Oedipus and Jocastadid not know, at the time, that they werecommitting incest, but their marriage wascursed nonetheless, and that curse nowplagues their daughter, Antigone.

prevail (pri val�) v. to be superior in power or influence; succeedVocabulary



VALUATE Encourage students toscuss the way Creon is punishingntigone. Do they agree with himat his “hands are clean”? (Creon rationalizing his punishment, which

onsists of locking Antigone in aone vault with some food. Mostaders will recognize that Creon

nows that she will soon die and at he is responsible for her death.)

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Literary ElementsHARACTERS Have studentsescribe Antigone’s mood as sheepares for her death. (She is

epressed and sad; she seems toel sorry for herself; she blames he blasphemy” of her birth.)

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ONNECT Have students paraphrasenes 45–46 and discuss whethereople in the United States todaye by these guidelines. (The chorus

ays it is good to be religious andhow reverence for God; however,

any conflict between religion anduman law, human law must bebeyed. In our society, secular lawso takes precedence in any conflictth religious law.)

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Spatial Antigone’s tragic fate is clearin this scene of the play. Artistic stu-dents may wish to create a visual inter-pretation of this character and heremotions.

Have students make a draw-ing, painting, collage, or sculpture show-ing the character of Antigone and theemotions she feels as she awaitsdeath. Have them display and discusstheir artwork. L3

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Sophocles�

Lead me to my vigil, where I must haveNeither love nor lamentation;° no song, but silence.

[CREON interrupts impatiently.]

CREON. If dirges and planned lamentations could put off death,Men would be singing for ever.[To the SERVANTS.] Take her, go!

55 You know your orders: take her to the vaultAnd leave her alone there. And if she lives or dies,That’s her affair, not ours: our hands are clean.

ANTIGONE. O tomb, vaulted bride-bed in eternal rock,Soon I shall be with my own again

60 Where Persephone° welcomes the thin ghosts underground:And I shall see my father again, and you, mother,And dearest Polyneices—

dearest indeedTo me, since it was my handThat washed him clean and poured the ritual wine:

65 And my reward is death before my time!

And yet, as men’s hearts know, I have done no wrong,I have not sinned before God. Or if I have,I shall know the truth in death. But if the guilt

52 lamentation: mournful outcry of sorrow or grief.

60 Persephone (pər sef�ə ne):Persephone is the queen of the under-world of the dead.

Black figure vase depicting soldiersarmed with spears and decoratedshields. c. 540–520 B.C. Greek.Fired clay, height: 46.5 cm. TheBritish Museum, London.


Literary ElementsFIGURES OF SPEECH: Metaphor Havestudents explain how Antigone’sdescription of her tomb as a“vaulted bride-bed in eternal rock” is an appropriate metaphor. (Sinceshe will die in the vault, she will never be a bride as she had planned;the tomb takes the place of her marriage bed. Since it will becomeher tomb, she will be there eternally.)

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According to Greek myth,Persephone was the daughter ofZeus and of Demeter, the goddessof fertility. Persephone was kid-napped by Hades, the god of the dead, to become his wife.Demeter, heartbroken, expressedher anger at the gods by refusingto let crops grow. Zeus orderedHades to return Persephone; how-ever, she had eaten pomegranateseeds, symbolizing marriage, andtherefore her marriage to Hadescould not be ended. Zeus compro-mised by allowing Persephone toreturn to Earth for eight monthseach year and to stay in the under-world for four. Therefore, duringthe time when Persephone is onEarth, the land is fertile. Whenshe is not, the land is barren. Thismyth helped explain the cycle ofthe growing seasons in Greece.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Words Related to Death The play’scharacters talk of death as the time forAntigone’s punishment nears. It may behelpful to English language learners toreview some words related to deaththat appear in the dialogue.

Write the following words onthe board: mortal, grave, murder, dirges,tomb. Have students locate a line on

pages 754–755 that includes eachword. Have students paraphrase theline so that the meaning of the word isclear. Have students add to the list asthey complete the play.

Additional ResourcesEnglish Language LearnersSourcebook, p. 93

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Lies upon Creon who judged me, then, I pray,70 May his punishment equal my own.

CHORAGOS. O passionate heart,Unyielding, tormented still by the same winds!

CREON. Her guards shall have good cause to regret their delaying.

ANTIGONE. Ah! That voice is like the voice of death!

CREON. I can give you no reason to think you are mistaken.

75 ANTIGONE. Thebes, and you my fathers’ gods,And rulers of Thebes, you see me now, the lastUnhappy daughter of a line of kings,Your kings, led away to death. You will rememberWhat things I suffer, and at what men’s hands,

80 Because I would not transgress° the laws of heaven.[To the GUARDS, simply.] Come: let us wait no longer.

[Exit ANTIGONE, L., guarded.]

ODE 4CHORUS. All Danäe’s beauty was locked away

In a brazen cell where the sunlight could not come:A small room, still as any grave, enclosed her.Yet she was a princess too,

5 And Zeus in a rain of gold poured love upon her.O child, child,No power in wealth or warOr tough sea-blackened shipsCan prevail against untiring Destiny!°

10 And Dryas’ son also, that furious king,Bore the god’s prisoning anger for his pride:Sealed up by Dionysos in deaf stone,His madness died among echoes.So at the last he learned what dreadful power

15 His tongue had mocked:For he had profaned the revels,And fired the wrath of the nineImplacable Sisters that love the sound of the flute.°

And old men tell a half-remembered tale20 Of horror done where a dark ledge splits the sea

And a double surf beats on the gray shores:

80 transgress: break or violate.

1–9 All Danäe’s . . . Destiny: TheChorus briefly relates three Greek leg-ends. Danäe (dan� a e ) was imprisonedby her father when it was foretold thatshe would bear a child who would killhim. After Zeus visited Danäe, she gavebirth to Zeus’s son, who did eventually killhis grandfather.

10–18 And Dryas’ . . . flute: Dionysos (d � ə n ��səs) is the god of wine and fer-tility, and the Implacable Sisters (alsocalled the Muses) are the goddesses ofthe arts and sciences. After Dryas’s son(King Lycurgus) objected to the worshipof Dionysos, the Sisters imprisoned him and drove him mad.


Literary ElementsRAGIC FLAW In Antigone’s lastpeech before she is led to theault, she says that she is beingunished because she “would notansgress the laws of heaven.” Haveudents discuss whether this isuly the case or whether there areharacter flaws or other reasons forntigone’s fate. (Some students ay think Antigone’s tragic outcomecaused by her stubborn refusal tove in to Creon’s authority or to apol-gize for her actions; another possibil-y is that her death is an inescapablete decreed by the gods because ofer father’s sins.)


UESTION What do all the legendslated by the chorus have in

ommon? How do they relate tontigone’s situation? (Each legendlls of someone who came to aagic end because of Fate. Becausee stories involve kings and gods,e outcomes are even more tragic.

he chorus is comparing Antigone’sagic situation to those of the leg-nds’ protagonists.)

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Literary ElementsHEME Point out that the chorus isommunicating a moral through thegends they tell in Ode 4. Have stu-ents discuss the moral or themeat emerges through these legends.o one “can prevail against untiringestiny”; neither gods nor mortals,cluding Antigone, can avoid theirte once it has been decreed by e gods.)

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Greek Mythology Some students maylike to find out more about the Greekgods, goddesses, and mortal heroesand heroines mentioned in Ode 4.

Suggest that studentsresearch the Muses, nine goddesses ofthe arts and sciences. They were thedaughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, thegoddess of memory. The Muses, whom

Greek writers and artists called uponfor inspiration, were Calliope—epicpoetry; Erato—love poetry; Euterpe—lyric poetry; Melpomene—tragedy;Thalia—comedy; Clio—history; Urania—astronomy; Polyhymnia—sacred music;and Terpsichore—dance. Have studentspresent their findings in an oral or writ-ten report. L3

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VOCABULARY CONNECTIONMuses The Muses were goddesseswho inspired writers and artists. Ask stu-dents to identify English words that havetheir origin in this mythology (for exam-ple, muse, music, museum).

Sophocles�

How a king’s new woman, sickWith hatred for the queen he had imprisoned,Ripped out his two sons’ eyes with her bloody hands

25 While grinning Ares watched the shuttle plungeFour times: four blind wounds crying for revenge,

Crying, tears and blood mingled.—Piteously born,Those sons whose mother was of heavenly birth!Her father was the god of the North Wind

30 And she was cradled by gales,She raced with young colts on the glittering hillsAnd walked untrammeled in the open light:But in her marriage deathless Fate found meansTo build a tomb like yours for all her joy.°

� SCENE 5�[Enter blind TEIRESIAS, led by a boy. The opening speeches of TEIRESIAS should be in singsong contrast to the realistic lines of CREON.]

TEIRESIAS. This is the way the blind man comes, Princes, Princes, Lock-step, two heads lit by the eyes of one.

CREON. What new thing have you to tell us, old Teiresias?

TEIRESIAS. I have much to tell you: listen to the prophet, Creon.

5 CREON. I am not aware that I have ever failed to listen.

TEIRESIAS. Then you have done wisely, King, and ruled well.

CREON. I admit my debt to you. But what have you to say?

TEIRESIAS. This, Creon: you stand once more on the edge of fate.°

CREON. What do you mean? Your words are a kind of dread.

10 TEIRESIAS. Listen, Creon:I was sitting in my chair of augury, at the placeWhere birds gather about me. They were all a-chatter,As is their habit, when suddenly I heardA strange note in their jangling, a scream, a

15 Whirring fury; I knew that they were fighting,Tearing each other, dyingIn a whirlwind of wings clashing. And I was afraid.°I began the rites of burnt-offering at the altar,But Hephaistos failed me: instead of bright flame,

20 There was only the sputtering slime of the fat thighfleshMelting: the entrails dissolved in gray smoke,The bare bone burst from the welter. And no blaze!

19–34 And old men . . . all her joy: Itwas King Phineus who imprisoned his firstwife (the queen) and allowed his jealousnew wife to blind the queen’s sons. Thishorrible act was done under the gleefulgaze of Ares, the war god.

1–8 This is . . . of fate: The blindprophet serves as the gods’ agent, or go-between, in their dealings with people.

11–17 I was sitting . . . afraid: Teiresiassits in his chair of augury to listen to thebirds, whose sounds he interprets asmessages from the gods, allowing him to foretell, or augur, the future. The birds’fighting is a very bad sign.


Literary ElementsDIALOGUE Have students character-ize Creon’s treatment of Teiresias.(He is somewhat more respectful tohim than to others, but still abruptand impatient.)

X


VISUALIZE Ask a volunteer to readTeiresias’s speech, lines 10–22.Encourage students to visualize thesights and imagine the sounds ofTeiresias’s experience. Have themname some words to describe theimages in the speech. (Students may find the imagery violent, exciting,spooky, disturbing, and somewhatrepellent.)

Y

Literary ElementsALLITERATION Have students identifythe alliterative phrases (phrases with the repetition of initial conso-nant sounds) in the last three linesof Teiresias’s speech and describetheir effect. (The alliteration in “sput-tering slime,” “fat thighflesh,” and“bare bone burst” emphasize thevividly physical, repellent nature ofthe signs Teiresias sees.)

Z

Recounting Fables In Ode 4, the chorus tells of three events to teach thelesson that a person cannot escape hisor her fate.

Have students create a fablethat communicates a moral. Suggest thatthey think of a real situation in which theyor someone else learned an importantlesson or make up a story to illustrate an

important lesson they have learned. Youmay also suggest that students find afable such as one by Aesop and retell it. Have students tell their fables to theclass. Suggest that they use an informal,conversational tone and end by statingthe moral of their story. L2

Activity

Listening and SpeakingListening and Speaking MMinilessoninilesson

V

W

X

X

X

Y

Z

This was a sign from heaven. My boy described it,Seeing for me as I see for others.

25 I tell you, Creon, you yourself have broughtThis new calamity upon us. Our hearths and altarsAre stained with the corruption of dogs and carrion birdsThat glut themselves on the corpse of Oedipus’ son.The gods are deaf when we pray to them, their fire

30 Recoils from our offering, their birds of omenHave no cry of comfort, for they are gorgedWith the thick blood of the dead.°

O my son,These are no trifles! Think: all men make mistakes,But a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong,

35 And repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.

Give in to the dead man, then: do not fight with a corpse—What glory is it to kill a man who is dead?Think, I beg you:It is for your own good that I speak as I do.

40 You should be able to yield for your own good.

CREON. It seems that prophets have made me their especial province.

All my life longI have been a kind of butt for the dull arrowsOf doddering fortune-tellers!

No, Teiresias:45 If your birds—if the great eagles of God himself

Should carry him stinking bit by bit to heaven,I would not yield. I am not afraid of pollution:No man can defile the gods.

Do what you will,Go into business, make money, speculate

50 In India gold or that synthetic gold from Sardis,°Get rich otherwise than by my consent to bury him.Teiresias, it is a sorry thing when a wise manSells his wisdom, lets out his words for hire!

TEIRESIAS. Ah Creon! Is there no man left in the world—

55 CREON. To do what?—Come, let’s have the aphorism!°

18–32 I began . . . of the dead:Another bad sign: Hephaistos (hi fes�təs), the god of fire, is withholdingfire. Teiresias says that the gods are reject-ing the Thebans’ sacrificial offeringsbecause the animals have fed onPolyneices’s corpse.

50 synthetic gold from Sardis: Thepeople of Sardis, the capital of ancientLydia (in modern-day Turkey), inventedmetallic coinage, the “synthetic gold” that Creon speaks of.

55 aphorism: a concise statement of ageneral truth.

defile (di f � l�) v. to spoil the purity of; make dirty or uncleanVocabulary



VALUATE Have a student read oud the advice that Teiresias givesreon in lines 33–35. Encourageudents to evaluate the advice andve examples of people following orot following it.

A


UESTION Of what does Creonccuse Teiresias? (He accuses him

accepting money to try to convincereon to bury Polyneices.)

B

SPECIAL NEEDSSPECIAL NEEDSMEETING

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Less-Proficient Readers Words in atext may have definitions students arenot used to. For example, on page 758,the words province (line 41), pollution(line 47), and speculate (line 49) areused in unusual senses.

Point out the words notedabove and have students explain whatthey mean in context. Suggest that if

students come across a word whosemeaning they think they know but whichdoes not make sense in the sentence,they should try to figure out the defini-tion through context. If this does notwork, suggest that they write it downand look it up at the end of a page. L1

Additional ResourcesInclusion Strategies

Activity

AA

BB

Sophocles�

TEIRESIAS. No man who knows that wisdom outweighs any wealth?

CREON. As surely as bribes are baser than any baseness.

TEIRESIAS. You are sick, Creon! You are deathly sick!

CREON. As you say: it is not my place to challenge a prophet.

60 TEIRESIAS. Yet you have said my prophecy is for sale.

CREON. This generation of prophets has always loved gold.

TEIRESIAS. The generation of kings has always loved brass.

CREON. You forget yourself! You are speaking to your King.

TEIRESIAS. I know it. You are a king because of me.°

65 CREON. You have a certain skill; but you have sold out.

TEIRESIAS. King, you will drive me to words that—

CREON. Say them, say them! Only remember: I will not pay you for them.

TEIRESIAS. No, you will find them too costly.

CREON. No doubt. Speak:Whatever you say, you will not change my will.

70 TEIRESIAS. Then take this, and take it to heart!The time is not far off when you shall pay backCorpse for corpse, flesh of your own flesh.You have thrust the child of this world into living night,You have kept from the gods below the child that is theirs:

75 The one in a grave before her death, the other,Dead, denied the grave. This is your crime:And the Furies° and the dark gods of HellAre swift with terrible punishment for you.

Do you want to buy me now, Creon?

Not many days,80 And your house will be full of men and women weeping,

And curses will be hurled at you from farCities grieving for sons unburied, left to rotBefore the walls of Thebes.

These are my arrows, Creon: they are all for you.

85 [To BOY.] But come, child: lead me home.Let him waste his fine anger upon younger men.

64 I know . . . me: It was Teiresias whorevealed the truth of Oedipus’s relation-ship to Jocasta and thus set off the chainof events that led to Creon’s becomingking.

77 Furies: three goddesses who avengecrimes.


Literary ElementsTRAGIC FLAW Ask two students toread aloud the statements of Creonand Teiresias in lines 61–62. Havethem name the character flawsTeiresias calls attention to when hesays, “The generation of kings hasalways loved brass.” If they are notsure of the meaning of brass in thesentence, have them look it up in adictionary and determine its mean-ing in this context. (Brass can meanbrash self-assurance and impudence,character traits Creon displays in this scene.)

CC

Author’s CraftPARALLELISM Point out lines 72–76.Have students identify the stylisticdevices Sophocles uses to empha-size Teiresias’s summary of Creon’scrime. (Sophocles uses parallel sentence structure and contrast todescribe the similarities and differ-ences in what Creon has done toAntigone and to Polyneices.)

DD


CONNECT Have a volunteer readTeiresias’s prophecy in lines 79–83.Ask students how they wouldrespond to such a prophecy given by a figure like Teiresias. (Many stu-dents will say that they would takesuch a prophecy seriously given thewisdom and reason of Teiresias.)

EE


Spatial Point out that the art of cos-tuming is an important element of thetheater. Even in ancient Greece, actorswore elaborate costumes to make theirroles realistic and inspire the audience.

Have students make an illus-tration for a costume design for one ofthe play’s characters. Have them con-sider the character’s position in societyand his or her personality in creatingappropriate clothing. Also emphasizethat the costume should be visuallyappealing to the audience. Have stu-dents display their work. L2

Activity

MEETING

MEETING

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E

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VOCABULARY CONNECTIONFuries The Furies were goddesses whoavenged criminal behavior. Ask studentsto discuss how the English word fury isconnected to this mythology.

Paean (pe�ən): a song of praise, joy, orthanksgiving. Here, the Chorus praisesDionysos.

3 Iacchos (y�a�kəs): considered Thebes’sspecial protector because his mother hadbeen a Theban princess. The Chorus begsDionysos to come to Thebes and driveout evil.


Aphrodite. Greek, from eastern Turkey.

Maybe he will learn at lastTo control a wiser tongue in a better head.

[Exit TEIRESIAS.]

CHORAGOS. The old man has gone, King, but his words90 Remain to plague us. I am old, too,

But I cannot remember that he was ever false.

CREON. That is true. . . . It troubles me.Oh it is hard to give in! but it is worseTo risk everything for stubborn pride.

95 CHORAGOS. Creon: take my advice.

CREON. What shall I do?

CHORAGOS. Go quickly: free Antigone from her vaultAnd build a tomb for the body of Polyneices.

CREON. You would have me do this?

CHORAGOS. Creon, yes!And it must be done at once: God moves

100 Swiftly to cancel the folly of stubborn men.

CREON. It is hard to deny the heart! But IWill do it: I will not fight with destiny.

CHORAGOS. You must go yourself, you cannot leave it to others.

CREON. I will go.—Bring axes, servants:

105 Come with me to the tomb. I buried her, IWill set her free.

Oh quickly!My mind misgives—The laws of the gods are mighty, and a man

must serve themTo the last day of his life!

[Exit CREON.]

Paean°

CHORAGOS. God of many names

CHORUS. O Iacchos°son

of Kadmeian SemeleO born of the Thunder!


VALUATE Urge students to considerhether Creon’s change of heart in keeping with his character or

hether it is too sudden to seemalistic.

F

Literary ElementsLOT: Climax Remind students thats in fiction, a play’s most suspense-l moment occurs just before themax, when the conflict is finallysolved. Here the suspense is

ased on whether Creon will reachntigone’s tomb before it is too late.ave students predict the plot’s utcome. (Most students will realizeat Creon finally bows to the “laws the gods” but has changed his

ind too late.)

G

ADVANCED LEARNERSADVANCED LEARNERSMEETING

MEETING

NEEDSNEEDS

MEETING

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Another Antigone The French play-wright Jean Anouilh wrote a modern ver-sion of Antigone. He wrote the play in1942 when Paris was occupied by theNazis. Many people thought thatAntigone represented the French resis-tance movement and Creon Germanauthority in Anouilh’s play.

Have students read Anouilh’splay. Encourage them to discuss, orallyor in an essay, whether the moralissues in Sophocles’ play transfer effectively to the twentieth century. (The play has adult themes. You maywish to review the play before recom-mending it to students.) L3

Activity

FF

GG

Sophocles�

Guardian of the WestRegent

of Eleusis’ plainO Prince of maenad Thebes

5 and the Dragon Field by rippling Ismenos:°


CHORUS. the flame of torchesflares on our hills

the nymphs of Iacchosdance at the spring of Castalia:

from the vine-close mountaincome ah come in ivy:°

10 Evohé° evohé! sings through the streets of Thebes


CHORUS. Iacchos of Thebesheavenly Child

of Semele bride of the Thunderer!The shadow of plague is upon us:

comewith clement° feet

oh come from Parnasos15 down the long slopes

across the lamenting water

CHORAGOS. Io Fire! Chorister of the throbbing stars!O purest among the voices of the night!Thou son of God, blaze for us!

CHORUS. Come with choric rapture of circling Maenads20 Who cry Io Iacche!

God of many names!

Exodos°

[Enter MESSENGER, L.]

MESSENGER. Men of the line of Kadmos, you who liveNear Amphion’s citadel:°

I cannot sayOf any condition of human life “This is fixed,This is clearly good, or bad.” Fate raises up,

5 And Fate casts down the happy and unhappy alike:No man can foretell his Fate.

ANTIGONE, EXODOS � 761

1–5 God of . . . Ismenos: The names of Dionysos refer to people and placesassociated with him. His mother, Kadmeian Semele (sem�ə le), was thedaughter of Kadmos, a king of Thebes.His father was Zeus, who controlled thun-der. This plain was the site of religiousceremonies performed in honor ofDionysos, and the river Ismenos ran nearThebes. The maenads (me�nadz) wereDionysos’s devoted priestesses.

7–9 the nymphs . . . come in ivy:Dionysos was raised by nymphs, long-lived women who were associated withtrees and other parts of nature. Thespring of Castalia is on Parnasos, a holymountain. The grape vine and ivy weresymbols of Dionysos.10 Evohé: “Hallelujah.”

14 clement: forgiving; merciful.

Exodos: the last part of the play.

2 Amphion’s citadel: the wall aroundThebes, which Amphion built by charmingstones into place with music.

Literary ElementsIMAGERY Have volunteers read astriking image from the Paean. Thenhave the class describe the overalleffect of the Paean’s imagery.(Striking images include “the flame of torches flares on our hills” and“across the lamenting water.” Theeffect of the imagery is to make thesong passionate and reverent and to emphasize the close connectionbetween the ancient Greek gods and nature.)

HH


EVALUATE Have a student read aloud the Messenger’s dialogue,lines 2–6. Encourage students todiscuss whether they agree or dis-agree with this view of life.

II


Musical The music that accompaniedGreek drama no longer exists, so thereis no way to know exactly how thechoral lines were sung. Songs such asthe Paean may have been chanted asprayers like those in worship services.One such style of chanting is known asGregorian chant or plainsong.

Have students who are knowledgeable about music bring arecording of Gregorian chants to class.Then have students work together tochant the Paean chorally in a similarway. L2

Activity

MEETING

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I

Take the case of Creon:Creon was happy once, as I count happiness:Victorious in battle, sole governor of the land,Fortunate father of children nobly born.

10 And now it has all gone from him! Who can sayThat a man is still alive when his life’s joy fails?He is a walking dead man. Grant him rich,Let him live like a king in his great house:If his pleasure is gone, I would not give

15 So much as the shadow of smoke for all he owns.

CHORAGOS. Your words hint at sorrow: what is your news for us?

MESSENGER. They are dead. The living are guilty of their death.

CHORAGOS. Who is guilty? Who is dead? Speak!

MESSENGER. Haimon.Haimon is dead; and the hand that killed him

20 Is his own hand.

CHORAGOS. His father’s? or his own?

MESSENGER. His own, driven mad by the murder his father had done.

CHORAGOS. Teiresias, Teiresias, how clearly you saw it all!

MESSENGER. This is my news: you must draw what conclusionsyou can from it.

CHORAGOS. But look: Eurydice, our Queen:25 Has she overheard us?

[Enter EURYDICE from the Palace, C.]

EURYDICE. I have heard something, friends:As I was unlocking the gate of Pallas’° shrine,For I needed her help today, I heard a voiceTelling of some new sorrow. And I fainted

30 There at the temple with all my maidens about me.But speak again: whatever it is, I can bear it:Grief and I are no strangers.°

MESSENGER. Dearest Lady,I will tell you plainly all that I have seen.I shall not try to comfort you: what is the use,

35 Since comfort could lie only in what is not true?The truth is always best.

I went with CreonTo the outer plain where Polyneices was lying,No friend to pity him, his body shredded by dogs.

27 Pallas: the goddess of wisdom; alsoknown as Athena.

32 Grief and I . . . strangers: Eurydice (yoo rid�i se) is referring to the death ofMegareus (me ��ar�a ¯ ¯oos), her older son, who died in the battle for Thebes.



ONNECT Have students summarizee values evident in the messen-

er’s dialogue in lines 6–22. Whichements of life are said to be impor-nt and unimportant? Have stu-

ents discuss whether these valuese held in our society today. (Theessenger says that power, success,nd wealth are unimportant com-ared to the health and happiness ofne’s family. These are widely heldlues in today’s society.)

J

Athena was the goddess of war-fare and of wisdom and also thepatroness of arts and crafts. Amyth says that Athens was namedfor her after a contest between herand Poseidon. The town’s citizenssaid they would name their cityafter the god or goddess whooffered the most useful gift.Poseidon offered a horse andAthena offered an olive tree. The gods decided that Athena’sgift was more valuable and the city was named in her honor.

Literary ElementsALOGUE Remind students thatuch action, especially violence,Greek drama, occurs offstage;

ne of the characters describes it.ave students discuss whether thisethod detracts from the play’sama and suspense or adds to it.

K

REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONComparing Reviews Have studentsattend a performance of Antigone oranother play of your choice in your com-munity. Suggest that they take along asmall notebook to jot down theirresponses to aspects of the perfor-mance, including the staging, the sets,and the performances of individualactors. Afterwards have each studentfind and read one or more reviews of

the play from local newspapers andthen write a brief essay comparing hisor her own responses with those of thereviewers. L2

REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONModern Tragedies Have students dis-cuss some modern tragedies that theyhave heard about through the newsmedia. Ask them to consider whether any tragedies today compare with the family and state tragedy described inAntigone. Point out that the tragedy inAntigone is not brought about by an acci-dent or a natural disaster but by deliber-ate actions of people who feel they arebehaving morally. L2

KK

LL

MM

JJ

Sophocles�

We made our prayer in that place to Hecate°40 And Pluto,° that they would be merciful. And we bathed

The corpse with holy water, and we broughtFresh-broken branches to burn what was left of it,And upon the urn we heaped up a towering barrowOf the earth of his own land.

When we were done, we ran45 To the vault where Antigone lay on her couch of stone.

39 Hecate (hek�ə te): another name for Persephone, the goddess of theunderworld.40 Pluto: another name for Hades, thegod of the underworld.

Cult Statue of Aphrodite. 425–400 B.C.,Greek. Limestone and marble, height: 7 ft. 6 in. The J. Paul GettyMuseum, Los Angeles.Viewing the sculpture: How doesthis sculpture reflect the mood of thisscene? Explain.


Literary ElementsCHARACTERS Have studentsdescribe the minor character of theMessenger. In what ways are hischaracter traits appropriate to hisrole in the play? (The Messenger ishonest, serious, and straightforward.He narrates the tragic events clearly;therefore, the events are clearlyunderstood and the tragedy is notbelittled.)

MM

Performing Dialogue Choosing and per-forming a portion of the play’s dialoguecan help students better appreciate andunderstand the play.

Have students work in pairsand choose a portion of dialogue thatincludes two or more characters in theplay and that they feel is particularlyimportant to the play’s themes. Have

them practice reading the dialogue, dis-cussing the vocal tone, emphasis, facialexpression, and gestures to best commu-nicate the dialogue’s meaning. Have each pair perform their dialogue for theclass, explaining why they think it is espe-cially meaningful. L2

Activity

Listening and SpeakingListening and Speaking MMinilessoninilesson

Literary ElementsCHARACTERS Eurydice, the wife ofCreon, does not appear until thislate moment in the play. Have stu-dents discuss whether this is a flawin the play and how it affects thedrama. (Some students may find itdisconcerting that Eurydice has notplayed a more important role in theplay. She adds to the effect of thetragedy in her role as the grief-stricken mother of Haimon.)

LL

One of the main purposes of templeswas to house cult statues like this one.

Viewing Response The sculpture has a gravity that reflects the mood of the scene; even her robe is like a shroud.

VIEWING THE SCULPTURE

M

One of the servants had gone ahead,And while he was yet far off he heard a voiceGrieving within the chamber, and he came backAnd told Creon. And as the King went closer,

50 The air was full of wailing, the words lost,And he begged us to make all haste. “Am I a prophet?”He said, weeping, “And must I walk this road,The saddest of all that I have gone before?My son’s voice calls me on. Oh quickly, quickly!

55 Look through the crevice there, and tell meIf it is Haimon, or some deception of the gods!”

We obeyed; and in the cavern’s farthest cornerWe saw her lying:She had made a noose of her fine linen veil

60 And hanged herself. Haimon lay beside her,His arms about her waist, lamenting her,His love lost under ground, crying outThat his father had stolen her away from him.

When Creon saw him the tears rushed to his eyes65 And he called to him: “What have you done, child? Speak

to me.What are you thinking that makes your eyes so strange?O my son, my son, I come to you on my knees!”But Haimon spat in his face. He said not a word,Staring—

And suddenly drew his sword70 And lunged. Creon shrank back, the blade missed; and the boy,

Desperate against himself, drove it half its lengthInto his own side, and fell. And as he diedHe gathered Antigone close in his arms again,Choking, his blood bright red on her white cheek.

75 And now he lies dead with the dead, and she is hisAt last, his bride in the houses of the dead.

[Exit EURYDICE into the Palace.]

CHORAGOS. She has left us without a word. What can this mean?

MESSENGER. It troubles me, too; yet she knows what is best,Her grief is too great for public lamentation,

80 And doubtless she has gone to her chamber to weepFor her dead son, leading her maidens in his dirge.



SUALIZE Encourage students visualize the scene in the vault.

ave them point out visual detailsat are particularly vivid, such asaimon lying beside Antigone,ho has hanged herself with hernen veil; or Haimon’s red blood n Antigone’s white skin after hels himself.

N


REDICT Have students predicthether the Messenger is right ins assumption that Eurydice hasft the room to grieve privately.

O

ReadingReading MMinilessoninilesson

Comparison and Contrast Many of theconflicts of Antigone exist in the form ofopposite or contrasting values. Have stu-dents contribute as you write the followingconflicts on the board:

mortal vs. godslaw vs. religionman vs. womanage vs. youthstate vs family

Have students quote or sum-marize a portion of dialogue from Antigonethat illustrates each set of contrasts. L2

Additional ResourcesReading Skills Practice Workbook

Activity

LITERATURE &HUMANITIES

Display The Burghers of Calaison page 325 of Art Talk. Have

students examine this memorialcommemorating six leading citizens of Calais who gave theirives for their fellow citizens.

Discuss the memorial’s images.Then have students create theirown memorials to honorAntigone.

NN

OO

Sophocles�

CHORAGOS. It may be so: but I fear this deep silence

[Pause.]

MESSENGER. I will see what she is doing. I will go in.

[Exit MESSENGER into the Palace.]

[Enter CREON with attendants, bearing HAIMON’s body.]

CHORAGOS. But here is the King himself: oh look at him,85 Bearing his own damnation in his arms.

CREON. Nothing you say can touch me any more.My own blind heart has brought meFrom darkness to final darkness. Here you seeThe father murdering, the murdered son—

90 And all my civic wisdom!

Haimon my son, so young, so young to die,I was the fool, not you; and you died for me.

CHORAGOS. That is the truth; but you were late in learning it.

CREON. This truth is hard to bear. Surely a god95 Has crushed me beneath the hugest weight of heaven,

And driven me headlong a barbaric wayTo trample out the thing I held most dear.

The pains that men will take to come to pain!

[Enter MESSENGER from the Palace.]

MESSENGER. The burden you carry in your hands is heavy,100 But it is not all: you will find more in your house.

CREON. What burden worse than this shall I find there?

MESSENGER. The Queen is dead.

CREON. O port of death, deaf world,Is there no pity for me? And you, Angel of evil,

105 I was dead, and your words are death again.Is it true, boy? Can it be true?Is my wife dead? Has death bred death?

MESSENGER. You can see for yourself.

[The doors are opened, and the body of EURYDICE is disclosed within.]

CREON. Oh pity!110 All true, all true, and more than I can bear!

O my wife, my son!



VISUALIZE Have students visualizethe scene described in the stagedirections. Point out that althoughmuch of the action of the play hasoccurred offstage, this scene wouldbe visually moving on stage.

PP

Literary ElementsDIALOGUE Ask students to character-ize the attitude of the choragostoward Creon at this point. Is hisattitude surprising? (Some studentswill find the bluntness of the chora-gos’s remark that Creon has takentoo long to learn his lesson surprisingin light of Creon’s grief. Others willsee that the choragos is being honestand objective as he has throughoutthe play.)

RR

Literary ElementsFIGURES OF SPEECH: Metaphor Havestudents explain the metaphor ofblindness in Creon’s speech. What is being compared? (Creon compareshis inability to see right and wrong to an inability to see physically. Hecompares his emotional darkness toliteral darkness.)

QQ


RESPOND Have students discusstheir feelings toward Creon at thispoint in the play. (Some students willpity him because of his great tragedyand his weakened state. Others willnot feel pity because he has broughthis tragedy on himself.)

SS

Using Metaphors Sophocles uses manymetaphors to make his characters andplot compelling. For example, on page 765Creon says, “Surely a god has crushed mebeneath the hugest weight of heaven.”Point out that he is comparing his emo-tional burden to a physical one. The com-parison is implied; it does not include theword like or as.

Have students write threemetaphors that describe an emotion experienced by themselves, someoneelse, or a fictional character. Suggest thatstudents first think of something they wantto compare the emotion to and then exper-iment with ways of suggesting the compar-ison without using the word like or as.Students may wish to refer to other

metaphors throughout the play, particularlyin the choral odes. Have volunteers readtheir metaphors. L2

Additional Resources

Writer’s Choice, Lesson 5.2

Activity

WritingWriting MMinilessoninilesson

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Statue of Chrysippus, the Greek philosopher. 3rd century B.C. Marble. Louvre Museum, Paris.Viewing the sculpture: What emotions does this sculpture convey?How might these emotions compare with what Creon may be feeling atthis point in the play?


Chrysippus was a member of the Stoicschool of philosophers, who empha-sized reason over passion.

Viewing Response The sculptureseems to convey defeat and resignation,which Creon is also feeling.

VIEWING THE SCULPTURE

Tragic Heroes Moderntragedies often feature commonmen and women similar to thosewe know. But according toAristotle, the classical Greek tragichero was of aristocratic birth, oftena king. Even more important thana hero’s noble position in societywas a nobility of character and anability to face suffering courageously.

Grammar and Language Grammar and Language MMinilessoninilesson

End Punctuation Review with studentshe three kinds of punctuation used to

end sentences and when each is used.Period—at the end of declarative sen-ences and most imperative sentences

Question mark—at the end of interrogativesentencesExclamation point—at the end of exclama-ory sentences, strong interjections, and

imperative sentences that express strongemotion

Have students find at leastthree examples of each use of end punctu-ation in sentences from the play. Ask themto write the sentences and a brief explana-tion of why each is an example of a partic-ular usage. L1

Additional Resources

Grammar and Language Transparency 58

Grammar and Language Workbook,p. 245

Grammar and Composition Handbook,Lessons 11.1–11.3

Writer’s Choice, Lessons 21.1–21.3

Activity

Sophocles�

MESSENGER. She stood before the altar, and her heartWelcomed the knife her own hand guided,And a great cry burst from her lips for Megareus dead,

115 And for Haimon dead, her sons; and her last breathWas a curse for their father, the murderer of her sons.°And she fell, and the dark flowed in through her closing eyes.

CREON. O God, I am sick with fear.Are there no swords here? Has no one a blow for me?

120 MESSENGER. Her curse is upon you for the deaths of both.

CREON. It is right that it should be. I alone am guilty.I know it, and I say it. Lead me in,Quickly, friends.I have neither life nor substance. Lead me in.

125 CHORAGOS. You are right, if there can be right in so muchwrong.

The briefest way is best in a world of sorrow.

CREON. Let it come,Let death come quickly, and be kind to me.I would not ever see the sun again.

130 CHORAGOS. All that will come when it will; but we, meanwhile,

Have much to do. Leave the future to itself.

CREON. All my heart was in that prayer!

CHORAGOS. Then do not pray any more: the sky is deaf.

CREON. Lead me away. I have been rash and foolish.135 I have killed my son and my wife.

I look for comfort; my comfort lies here dead.Whatever my hands have touched has come to nothing.Fate has brought all my pride to a thought of dust.

[As CREON is being led into the house, the CHORAGOS advances and speaks directly to the audience.]

CHORAGOS. There is no happiness where there is no wisdom;140 No wisdom but in submission to the gods.

Big words are always punished,And proud men in old age learn to be wise.

116 Was a curse . . . sons: Note thateven though Haimon stabbed himself andMegareus died in battle, Eurydice blamesCreon for their deaths.


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Literary ElementsCHARACTERS Have students charac-terize Creon’s behavior in respondingto the death of his son and his wife.How, if at all, does his responsechange students’ view of his charac-ter? (Creon is utterly grief-strickenand does not hesitate to admit thatthe deaths are ultimately his fault.His understanding of his foolishactions may increase readers’ com-passion for his tragedy.)

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Literary ElementsPLOT: Resolution Remind studentsthat the resolution or denouement of the plot is the tying up of looseends after the main conflict hasbeen resolved. Ask students to sum-marize what happens in the denoue-ment of Antigone and how it helpsmake the play’s themes clear.

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Literary ElementsDIALOGUE Have students discusshow the final speech of the choragoscontributes to the play’s themes.(The choragos sums up the lessonsthat Creon has learned. He seemsto lay the blame entirely on Creonand to agree with Antigone that thewishes of the gods should come first.)

Thematic FocusLoyalty and Betrayal Have studentsdiscuss the ways in which bothAntigone and Creon demonstratedloyalty. What people or values dideach betray, if any?

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ASSESSMENT

Quick Checks, p. 70

REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONCatharsis Explain Aristotle’s idea ofcatharsis: people enjoy watching tragedyon stage because it purges them of emo-tions such as sadness and grief. The ideaof catharsis seeks to resolve the paradoxof enjoying other people’s tragic experi-

ences. Have students think of moviesthey have seen that have evoked an emo-tional response. What was their overallemotion on leaving the theater? Did thefilmed tragedy succeed in “purging” themof certain emotions? L3

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scene 3 - d3jc3ahdjad7x7.cloudfront.net · scene 3 choragos. but here is haimon, ... i am your son,...

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