Antigone

Facts First performed in 441 BC Chronologically last in the Oedipus Cycle but written first Oedipus Rex: 429 BC Oedipus at Colonus: 405/6 BC Antigone: 441 BC Written to continue the story of Aeschylus’s Seven against Thebes Antigone=“worthy of one’s parents” or “in place of one’s parents” One of the first heroines in literature

Characters Antigone: a heroine who values familial duty but can be stubborn, willing to break the law if necessary Ismene: lawful and obedient to authority Eurydice: Creon’s wife, queen of Thebes Creon: believes that following the law will guarantee personal happiness, possible tragic hero, absolute ruler (king) of Thebes Haimon: son of Creon, engaged to Antigone Teiresias: blind prophet, represents Fate and a devotion to truth at all costs Chorus: old wise men of Thebes

Themes Divine law vs. manmade law (Civil disobedience): Creon demands obedience to the law above all else, right or wrong. Antigone believes that state law can be broken in extreme cases, such as honoring the gods, whose rule and authority outweigh Creon's. The danger of absolute rule: As King of Thebes, Creon makes a terrible mistake that he later regrets, and no one has the right to tell him of his mistake.

Burial: Each Greek city was responsible for burying its own citizens Burial: Each Greek city was responsible for burying its own citizens. A soul could not pass over into the Underworld until all appropriate burial rituals had been performed. Gender roles: Antigone stands up against Creon, the absolute ruler of Thebes and has been the primary provider for her family for years.

Questions Should Polyneices be given burial rituals? Should someone who buried him in defiance of the state be punished? Are Creon's actions just or thoughtless? Who is the protagonist and antagonist of the play: Antigone or Creon?