1. Antigone

2. –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.

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. Antigone: Plot Summary (cont.) –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)

6. Antigone: Plot Summary (cont.) –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.

7. Antigone: Plot Summary (cont.) –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)

8. Antigone: Plot Summary (cont.) 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)

9. Antigone: Plot Summary (cont.) 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)

10. Antigone: Plot Summary (cont.) –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)

11. Antigone: Plot Summary (cont.) 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)