Characters’ Rhetoric and Persuasion Chart
Complete this chart for the following characters: Antigone, Creon, Ismene, and Haimon. Each character must have three entries linked to him or her
in this chart. To clarify, each of these four characters get three chart entries related to rhetoric and persuasion
Major Characters Example of rhetoric
used (with citation)
Antigone
“He is my brother. And he
is your brother, too.” line
33 said by Antigone
“But I will bury him; and if I
must die say that this crime
is holy: I shall lie down with
him in death ,and I shall be
as dear” line 55-57 said by
Antigone
“Go away, Ismene: I shall
be hating you soon, and
the dead will too, For your
words are
hateful.”(Sophocles 80-82)
Creon
“I can depend on you: your
devotion to King Laios was
absolute; you never
Type of Rhetorical Analysis: How does
Strategy: Ethos, Logos, Character X use this
or Pathos persuasion method?
Logos Antigone uses logos by
using Ismene family love
for Polynices to convince
her to help bury their
brother.
Ethos Antigone uses this
persuasive method to let
Ismene know that nothing
will stop her from burying
her brother know matter
the cost of death. She tries
to convince Ismene that
she might as well help her.
Logos Antigone uses logos as a
persuasive method to try to
make Ismene change her
mind about buring their
brother Polyneices by
showing anger towards
Ismene.
Logos In this statement Creon
compliments the elders in
order to give them pride
and show that he
Evaluation:
Is this method
effective? Strengths?
Weaknesses?
This method is effective in
this situation because you
can usually convince a
family member to do
something with you when
something tragic happens
within the family.
Strength-This shows
Ismene that Antigone will
bury Polyneices no matter
the cost.
Strength- Shows effection
towards Ismene from
Antigone.
Strength- He uses
compliments to the elders
to convince them
 hesitated in your duty to apprieciates them to
our late ruler persuade them to keep on
Oedipus.”(Sophocles following him as their new
141-143) king.

“I am aware, of course, Pathos
that no ruler can expect
complete loyalty from his
subjects until he has been
tested in office.”
(Sophocles 148-149)
King Creon uses Pathos Strength- He uses logic
here to represent that he and reason to prove why
understands that he can they should listen to him.
not just be trusted and that
it makes sense if the elders
watch him be loyal and
helps Thebes before he
can be trusted by the
elders.

“You will give no support to Ethos
whoever breaks this
law.”(Sophocles 182)
In this statement Creon is Weakness- When Creon
angry that Antigone moved yells at the messenger the
and buried her brothers messenger decides not to
body and he uses authority work for Creon anymore.
to tell the people if anyone
disobeys him they will face
major consequences.

Ismene “But think of the
danger!Think what Creon
will do.”(Sophocles 34)
Logos In this statement Ismene Strength- Ismene shows
shows fear for death and affection towards Antigone.
the anger of Creon if they
bury Polyneices to
convince Antigone to not
bury their brother.

“Our own death would be if Ethos
we should go against
Creon and do what he has
forbidden.”(Sophocles
45-46)
Ismene uses authority here
to tell Antigone that she is
making a grave mistake
and if she does this she
will face the consequences
of Creon.
Weakness- When Ismene
uses authority towards
Antigone it will not
convince her to not bury
Polyneices.
 “We are only women, we
cannot fight with men,
Antigone!”(Sophocles
46-47)
Logos Ismene uses Antigone’s Weakness- Trying to tell
emotions against her here Antigone that she is not
because Ismene tries to good enough.
make Antigone doubt
herself and think that she
cannot do it.

Haimon Pathos In this statement Haimon Strength- Haimon uses

“Thou dost not respect uses logic and reason by logic and reason to tell his
them, when thou tramplest saying that Creon does father that if he makes his
on the gods’ respect the gods, so he is own laws and doesn’t
honours,”(Sophocles) against the gods. respect the gods he does
not honour them.

Pathos In this statement made by Pathos- Haimon uses logic

“What threat is it, to Haimon he tells his father and reason to convince
combat vain that there is no threat and that he is causing battles
resolves?”(Sophocles) that these battles are that have no purpose.
fought in vain.

“No, not at my side-never Logos Haimon states here that Strength- Haimon uses
think it-shall she perish; him and Antigone would emotions to show his
nor shalt thou ever set stand up for each other father that he has
eyes more upon my any time and he sides with affections towards
face”(Sophocles) Antigone’s decision to bury Antigone and not to punish
Polyneices. her.

Don’t forget: ​Rhetoric is the language used to persuade or impress others. Some of the persuasion methods the
characters used were rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, logos. These characters have their own beliefs that they are
trying to impress upon others.Think about HOW they do this and if they are effective or not.