1. Antigone The Story Behind the Story Survey of Literature Be ready to write: Word Document open

2. Show me your thinking  Submit your writing as per each of the questions during this presentation by emailing the document AS AN ATTACHMENT.  Remember the subject line: My Thinking about Antigone  Label the Attachment: your last name, your first name, Antigone

3. The Myth of Oedipus  Laius (King of Thebes) and Jocasta (Queen) conceive a child.  Laius consults the Oracle at Delphi for a prediction of the future  The Oracle predicts that a son born to Laius and Jocasta will kill his father and marry his mother.  If you were the parent of this soon-to-be- born child, what would you do?

4. OMIGOSH!  When the son is born, Laius and Jocasta attempt to avert their fates: They drive a rivet into the child’s ankles They give the child to a servant and instruct him to abandon the baby on Mt. Cithaeron.  What do you think of these parents’ attempt to avert fate?

5. A Guilty Conscience intervenes  The servant cannot abandon the child to die, so he gives the child to a shepherd who carries it to Corinth.  The child is raised by the King and Queen of Corinth, who name the baby Oedipus (means “swollen foot”).  When Oedipus is a young man, he begins to think “I need a life…”  He consults the Oracle.  What do you think the Oracle predicts for him?

6. Fate averted again (or not)  Oedipus leaves Corinth to avoid his awful fate.  On the journey, he meets a man who rudely forces him from the road.  In retaliation, Oedipus pulls the man from his chariot and kills him.  What do you think of Oedipus’ action here?

7. Oedipus travels to Thebes…  Thebes is under seige of the Sphinx.  Oedipus saves the day.  Oedipus receives the throne of Thebes (the Queen is the bonus).  All goes well for 20 years.  Does a country need a strong leader? Do you think Oedipus was a strong/good leader? Why of why not?

8. Where Antigone comes in…  Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta  She has three siblings: Ismene, sister Polyneices, brother Eteocles, brother  Antigone, Ismene live with their uncle, Creon, King of Thebes  As Princess of Thebes, what kind of life does Antigone enjoy? Think about everything!

9. Prior to the story of Antigone (before the play opens)  In a fight for control of the throne of Thebes, Eteocles and Polyneices kill each other on the field of battle.  Because Polyneices raised an army against Thebes, Creon brands him a traitor.  He accords Eteocles full burial honors; but not Polyneices…

10. The characters of the drama  Antigone (daughter of Oedipus)  Ismene (her sister)  Creon (their uncle, the brother of Jocasta)  Eurydice (your-id-i-see) wife of Creon  Haimon (son of Creon & Eurydice)  Teiresias (Tie-ree-see-as) a blind prophet