Antigone (The

Oedipus Plays)
Study Guide by Course Hero

What's Inside d In Context

j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1

The Oedipus Trilogy
d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1
Sophocles wrote three plays based on the Greek tragic hero of
a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 2 Oedipus: Antigone (442–441 BCE), Oedipus Rex or Oedipus
the King (c. 430–426 BCE), and Oedipus at Colonus (c.
h Characters .................................................................................................. 3
406–401 BCE). It is interesting that Sophocles did not write the
k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 5 trilogy in chronological order and did not intend for the plays to
be performed together—a marked contrast to how Aeschylus
c Scene Summaries .................................................................................... 9 chose to present the myth of Oedipus, for example. The result
is that each play tells its story in a unique way, although each
g Quotes ......................................................................................................... 18
has the crucial elements of successful tragedy. Perhaps the

l Symbols ...................................................................................................... 19 most notable difference between the three plays is in

characterization. The characters change quite a bit from play
m Themes ...................................................................................................... 20 to play.

b Motifs ........................................................................................................... 21 In Oedipus Rex Oedipus arrives in Thebes, frees the city from a
curse, becomes king, and marries the queen, who was recently
e Suggested Reading .............................................................................. 22 widowed after the murder of the king. Later Oedipus learns
that he is the son of the murdered king and his new wife.
Realizing that he has unwittingly fulfilled a curse that he would
kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus blinds himself and
j Book Basics becomes a wanderer.

AUTHOR In Oedipus at Colonus Oedipus, after years as a vagrant,

Sophocles arrives in Colonus, accompanied by his daughter Antigone. He
has become a quiet, spiritual man who is resigned to his fate
FIRST PERFORMED and focused on protecting Thebes and those members of his
c. 442–441 BCE family whom he deems worthy. The play ends with his death,
as Oedipus's daughter Antigone moves to claim her fate in
GENRE
Thebes.
Tragedy
In Antigone the audience witnesses the final fruition of the
ABOUT THE TITLE
curse that plagues Oedipus's family. His sons die in battle while
Antigone takes its title from the central character, who is
fighting on opposing sides for the kingship of Thebes. Antigone
trapped between loyalty to her family and the gods and to the
hangs herself.
state.
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
Greek Theater
The plays audiences see in theaters today don't much
resemble those that Antigone's original audiences would have
witnessed. Ancient Greeks did not consider a play to be
entertainment as much as a religious rite. For instance the
festival of Dionysus was a large affair featuring theatrical
performances that took place in ancient Athens to honor the
god of theater and grape harvests.
Greek plays were presented outdoors in arenas that held
thousands of people. Attending plays was a civic duty for
Greeks, so drama was integral to their culture and helped to
give the people a shared identity. The highlight of yearly
festivals was the contest that determined the best playwright.
Sophocles emerged as the first-place winner in many of these
competitions, coming in second only to the two other great
Greek playwrights of his era, Aeschylus and Euripides.
Male actors played all of the characters and wore masks. This
convention allowed actors to quickly shift roles and to be more
completely transformed into each character. The typical Greek
chorus present in every play featured up to 15 singers, yet their
masks gave them all the same face, representing their unified
voice. Sophocles is considered the first playwright to include a
third main character, which elevated the interactions and
conflicts within a play.
Greek Politics
Antigone was written and performed at a time of impressive
Athenian prominence. Democracy had been achieved, and the
great democratic leader Pericles was at the helm. However,
the journey to this point had been chaotic, and leaders like
Pericles were intent on maintaining order. He viewed loyalty to
the state as more important than family allegiances and
instituted policies to promote this stance and maintain peace.
Sophocles was deeply involved in Athenian politics and clearly
saw what was going on as democracy became defined. He
served as a city treasurer and later as a general and proboulos
(adviser) in a campaign against a revolt by some of Athens's
citizens. Antigone questions what makes such rebellions just
and to what extent citizens are meant to obey those who make
the laws.
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Author Biography 2
The Thebans portrayed in the play take a great deal of pride in
their city-state, and most Greek males would have been a part
of the military at some point in their lives. Ancient Greece
provided the foundations of a democratic society, and so it is
significant that there is tension in Antigone regarding a ruler
who tries to enact laws that his citizens find unjust. In a true
democracy the people agree upon the laws that they obey, and
a leader does not have ultimate power over the citizenry.
Greek Culture
All citizens were not equal in ancient Greece. Women and
slaves were not considered citizens—which was reflected in
Creon's dismissal of Antigone's belief that she has the right to
honor her brother's death. Yet Sophocles portrays Antigone as
the true moral compass of the play, and she is considered one
of the strongest female characters developed in ancient
literature.
Antigone's struggle brings up an important gender conflict in
the play, since Creon (and ancient Greek society in general)
dismisses her position about burying her brother. Such blatant
disregard of her argument is based on the fact that she is a
woman. Yet she is the only one who stands up to Creon for
what she sees as an unjust law—that she will be punished for
attempting to honor the body of her dead brother—and is
willing to accept the consequences. In the person of Antigone
then, Sophocles gives audiences a hero who is willing to die for
justice.
The role of the gods in Greek tragedies reflects their
importance in ancient Greek culture. One of the main themes
of Antigone is that the gods have ultimate power over mortals
and expect to be obeyed. To flout their laws is to incur their
wrath. Creon refuses to admit for much of the play that
Antigone is right to place respect for the gods above the laws
of mortals. This is his tragic flaw. Both Antigone and Creon
display a trait that the ancient Greeks called hubris, a quality
that combines foolish pride and dangerous overconfidence.
a Author Biography
Little is known about Sophocles, though he is considered one
of the greatest Greek playwrights. He wrote more than 120
plays—though all but seven have been lost to time. His career
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Characters 3

spanned decades, from c. 468 BCE to his death in c. 406 BCE, Creon's proclamation. She believes enough tragedy has
when he would have been in his 90s. befallen their family. But when Antigone is caught, Ismene
falsely confesses to an involvement in the burial of Polyneices
Born sometime around 496 BCE at Colonus, near Athens, because of her loyalty and love for her sister.
Greece, Sophocles won many prizes for his plays, beating out
other legendary Greek playwrights such as Aeschylus, who
was a mentor to him. Sophocles came from a wealthy family
and was influential politically as well as culturally, serving as a
Creon
general in a number of Greek battles in the role of a diplomat
Creon is Oedipus's brother, Antigone and Ismene's uncle, and
and probouloi, or adviser. The most famous and well known
Haemon's father. He is also the newly appointed king of
among his remaining works are the three Theban
Thebes, and he believes that his laws are the ultimate
plays—Antigone, Oedipus Rex, and Oedipus at Colonus. Earlier
authority. He disagrees with Antigone's justifications for
plays had two actors who could play two different characters
burying her brother, and his arrogance results in the deaths of
each if need be. However, by introducing a third actor
everyone he loves.
Sophocles achieved the freedom to make his storylines more
complex. He was also innovative in using backdrops in the form
of painted sceneries for his plays, which added richness and
detail to the performances.
Haemon
Sophocles's plays provide great insight into ancient Greek life, Haemon tries to advise Creon to be lenient with Antigone,
particularly its religious, political, and cultural aspects. His since the citizens of Thebes do not support Creon's decision.
wealthy background, high education, and revered standing in Haemon ultimately disowns his father and dies by his own
the Athens community as both a playwright and military adviser hand, angry and distraught over Antigone's death.
aided his nuanced understanding of ancient Greek life and the
conflicts its citizens faced. Antigone demonstrates the struggle
between politics and justness with regard to morality, which
were prominent concerns of ancient Greeks.

h Characters

Antigone
Antigone is Oedipus's daughter and the niece of Creon, who is
the new king of Thebes. Antigone is also engaged to Creon's
son, Haemon. She defies Creon's order that her brother
Polyneices's body remain unburied, even though the
punishment is death. She believes that honoring the gods is
more important than mortal laws, and she admits that she is
prepared to die for this belief.

Ismene
Ismene, Antigone's sister, refuses to help Antigone bury their
brother for fear of the punishment attached to disobeying

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Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Characters 4

Character Map

Commentators Adviser
Creon
Arrogant king of Thebes

Son Niece

Niece Foes

Haemon
Ismene
Young man deeply affected
Antigone's foil
by love and loyalty

Engaged Sisters
Antigone
Determined protector
of family honor

Commentators

Chorus Teiresias
Wise elders Blind prophet

Main Character

Other Major Character

Minor Character

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Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
Full Character List
Character Description
Antigone is the protagonist of the play who
Antigone
defies a law that she believes is unjust.
Ismene is Antigone's sister, who is
Ismene reluctant to help Antigone disobey Creon's
orders.
Creon is the antagonist of the play and
Creon
ruler of Thebes.
Haemon is Creon's son, who is also
Haemon
engaged to Antigone.
The Chorus offers narration and judgments
Chorus
about the characters' actions.
Eteocles is the youngest son of Oedipus
and brother to Antigone and Ismene; he is
Eteocles
killed in a battle over the throne of Thebes
against his brother Polyneices.
Eurydice is Creon's wife and Haemon's
Eurydice
mother.
A guard reveals that Antigone is the one
Guard
who buried Polyneices.
A messenger reveals the news that both
Messenger Haemon and Eurydice have committed
suicide.
Polyneices is the oldest son of Oedipus
and brother to Antigone and Ismene; he is
Polyneices
killed in a battle over the throne of Thebes
against his brother Eteocles.
Teiresias is a blind prophet who warns
Teiresias
Creon about his fate.
k Plot Summary
Antigone opens not long after the invasion of Thebes by
Argos's armies. During the battle two of Oedipus's sons died
fighting on opposite sides: Eteocles for Thebes and Polyneices
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Plot Summary 5
for Argos. The next in line to the throne is their uncle, Creon,
who emerges as the new leader of Thebes. With that backdrop
the play opens with Oedipus's two daughters, Antigone and
Ismene, discussing the deaths of their brothers. Antigone is
enraged because Creon has issued a proclamation that
Polyneices is not to receive a burial or funeral rites while
Eteocles is to be given an honorable funeral. Creon has also
decreed that anyone who interferes with this law will be
publicly stoned to death for supporting a traitor.
Antigone claims that Creon's law is unjust, since the gods
decree that every mortal must be given a proper funeral out of
respect to the gods and to the dead. She tells Ismene that she
plans to bury their brother's body and give him his funeral rites,
even if she is punished. She asks Ismene to help her, but
Ismene refuses, fearing the punishment that Creon has
promised. She reminds Antigone that their family has suffered
enough tragedy, and her actions will only intensify the family's
sorrows. Antigone disagrees and tells Ismene that she doesn't
care if she is punished for her actions—that she would
welcome the cost of death in exchange for standing up for her
beliefs.
Guards catch Antigone when she revisits the grave she has
prepared for her brother, and they bring her before Creon to
explain herself. She freely admits what she has done, and she
says that she welcomes punishment. She defends her actions
by claiming that she has honored the gods, whose laws are
more important than the laws of mortals. Creon is enraged at
her defiance, and he says he will still sentence her to death
even though she is engaged to his son, Haemon. Ismene lies to
Creon, telling him that she was an accomplice in the hope of
sparing her sister. Creon says he will have them both killed, but
Antigone refutes Ismene's story.
Haemon visits his father, Creon, and tells him that although he
loves him he disagrees with his punishment of Antigone for
burying her brother—as do most of the citizens of Thebes, who
now view Antigone as a hero and martyr. Creon is furious that
Haemon doesn't support him, and their argument grows
heated. Haemon disowns his father and warns him that
Antigone's death will result in another death. Antigone is
brought before Creon and the Chorus, and even though she
remains defiant, she laments the fact that she will never wed
and that she will die alone, friendless, and without any help.
Creon has her led away to be entombed alive in a cave.
The blind prophet Teiresias arrives and warns Creon that he
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Plot Summary 6

saw in a prophecy involving birds that the gods are furious with
him for leaving Polyneices's body unburied. He urges Creon to
fix the situation while he has time and also to free Antigone.
Creon is furious with Teiresias's advice, accusing him of taking
a bribe to deliver this warning. In retaliation Teiresias tells him
now it is too late, anyway—and that Creon will ultimately be
punished by having his son taken away from him. Creon
realizes that Teiresias is serious and acts quickly to do as he
advised.

A messenger arrives at the palace and announces that

Haemon has died, having killed himself after he found Antigone
hanging from a noose in her tomb. Creon had arrived at the
tomb just in time to witness his son's suicide, and he is
inconsolable. Creon's wife, Eurydice, emerges from the palace
to hear the messenger's story and, after, returns to the palace
without saying a word. Creon arrives back at the palace,
carrying Haemon's corpse. He is distraught at the fact that he
has driven his son to suicide. The messenger emerges from
the palace and tells Creon that Eurydice has been found dead,
also from suicide. Creon is miserable, finally understanding that
he has brought all this tragedy on himself. The Chorus sings a
final ode about the importance of obeying the gods and
staying humble in order to gain wisdom.

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Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Plot Summary 7

Plot Diagram

Climax

Rising Action 4 Falling Action

6
3

2 7
1
Resolution
Introduction

Falling Action
Introduction
6. Creon laments his decisions.
1. Polyneices and Eteocles are killed in battle.

Resolution
Rising Action
7. The Chorus warns against pride and arrogance.
2. Creon decrees that Polyneices remain unburied.

3. Antigone defies Creon; sentenced to live burial.

4. Antigone commits suicide.

Climax

5. Haemon and Eurydice commit suicide.

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Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Plot Summary 8

Timeline of Events

When Creon becomes king

Creon decrees that Polyneices will remain unburied, and

anyone who disobeys will be punished.

Soon after

Talking with Ismene, Antigone says that she will bury

Polyneices, despite the threat of punishment.

Some days later

The Guard arrives at the palace and tells Creon that

someone has buried Polyneices's corpse.

Soon after

Antigone is caught, and Creon sentences her to live

burial.

Shortly thereafter

Haemon disagrees with Creon's decision and disowns

him.

A day or two later

Teiresias warns Creon that he has angered the gods and

must reverse his condemnation of Antigone.

Very soon

Chided by the Chorus, Creon decides to free Antigone

and bury Polyneices, but it is too late.

That night

After the suicides of Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice,

Creon is left alone and full of regret.

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Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
c Scene Summaries
Prologos
Summary
The prologue sets the action in Thebes, in front of its royal
palace. Antigone emerges from the palace with her sister,
Ismene. She tells Ismene that she's brought her outside the
palace so they can speak freely without being overheard. She
asks Ismene if she realizes the gravity of the tragedies that
have recently befallen them, which Antigone attributes to both
the god Zeus and their father, Oedipus. She also asks Ismene
if she has heard the recent proclamation from Creon, their
uncle and king of Thebes. Ismene claims not to know anything,
but mentions the fact that both of their brothers killed each
other in battle fighting on opposing sides. Ismene observes
that Antigone looks like she has "dark and gloomy news" to tell
her.
Antigone complains to Ismene that Creon has treated the
deaths of their brothers unfairly: he gave Eteocles a proper
burial and funeral since he defended Thebes, but he gave
orders that Polyneices is to be left unburied and without
customary funeral rites. Creon has also ordered that anyone
who interferes will be "stoned to death." Antigone tells Ismene
that this news should make her want to be worthy of her
ancestors by doing what is just for Polyneices. Ismene is
hesitant and unsure of what she could possibly do, and
Antigone proposes that she and Ismene bury Polyneices's
corpse themselves. Ismene is shocked at the suggestion, since
it would be an outright disobedience to Creon's orders. But
Antigone argues that it would be a larger betrayal to
Polyneices to leave him unburied, and that she sees it as her
and Ismene's family duty. Ismene warns Antigone to think
carefully about this decision and reminds her of their tragic
family history: both their father, Oedipus, and mother, Jocasta,
died tragically as well. All they have left is each other. She also
reminds Antigone that they are both women, and therefore
they "shouldn't fight with men." Ismene tells Antigone she'd
rather obey Creon because she doesn't want to face the harsh
punishment if they are caught.
Antigone tells Ismene that she'll bury Polyneices with or
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Scene Summaries 9
without her help because she sees it as her duty to the dead
and she's willing to sacrifice her life for this duty if it comes to
that. Their brother Eteocles received a proper burial and so
was able to win "honour with the dead below." Those who do
not uphold ancient burial rites, Antigone tells Ismene, "rightly
earn the loathing of the dead." Ismene reiterates that
disobeying the king and his laws is not in her nature—and that
she is afraid for Antigone. She cautions Antigone not to tell
anyone of her plans, but Antigone says that she'd rather
everyone knew.
Analysis
Creon's proclamation highlights loyalty and disloyalty to the
city of Thebes. In his justification Eteocles was loyal in his
defense of Thebes and deserves an honorable burial, but
Polyneices was disloyal by fighting on the side of the enemy
and therefore deserves nothing. It's important to note that
Creon's decision would not have been considered unusual in
ancient Greece—any enemy of a city would have been denied
the same privilege. But Creon takes it a step farther in his
threat to publicly stone anyone who disobeys his decision. He
is using the opportunity to try to unite his citizens against their
enemies after a bitter war.
But Antigone's concept of loyalty is to her family, not to her
king or city, and so she believes that disobeying Creon is the
right and just thing to do. She also believes that Creon's
proclamation will offend the gods—a serious offense in ancient
Greece. Due to their close relationships with the gods, ancient
Greeks like Antigone held religious piety and honor in the
utmost importance. Antigone sees the proper burial of
Polyneices as the right way to show respect to the gods, and
she believes that obeying divine law is much more important
than obeying mortal law. Her concern about leaving Polyneices
unburied reveals her belief that she and Ismene will "rightly
earn the loathing of the dead." Since much of their family is
dead, Antigone seems far more concerned with what the dead
think of her actions than the living.
Ismene does not agree with Antigone. Sophocles uses
stichomythia (rapid-fire dialogue between characters) in the
sisters' conversation to show the tension between them.
Ismene's warnings to Antigone are based more on fear of
being punished than the belief that Antigone is wrong to want
to bury her brother. She is also weary of all the tragedy that
has already occurred in their family and sees Antigone's choice
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
as one that will only lead to more of the same. Antigone alludes
to the fact that the tragedies of their brothers' deaths stem
from decisions their father Oedipus made—and also due to the
"fate" that the god Zeus has decreed for their family.
Parados
Summary
Antigone leaves, while Ismene watches her go. The Chorus of
Theban elders enter. They give thanks for the fact that it is
sunny again in Thebes, both literally and metaphorically now
that the battle is over. They give details of the battle and how
Polyneices led the charge of warriors to invade their city after
his younger brother Eteocles usurped the rightful throne of the
eldest brother and banished Polyneices from Thebes. The
Chorus leader mentions how much Zeus hates "an arrogant
boasting tongue," alluding to the fact that the gods ultimately
punished Polyneices and his warriors with death for their
hubris. The Chorus believes that the god Ares also aided
Thebes in defeating Polyneices and his army.
Now peace can reign in Thebes again, and the Chorus sings
that it is time to celebrate. Suddenly the palace doors are
thrown open and guards appear. The Chorus leader
announces that Creon, the new king of Thebes as Oedipus's
brother, has arrived to hold a special meeting.
Analysis
Here the Chorus serves to emphasize the importance of the
gods to the people of Thebes. They don't even mention the
Theban army but rather attribute the victory to the interference
of the gods. This point of view establishes the importance of
the ways in which hubris and divine retribution are linked in the
play. The Chorus uses the metaphor of "an eagle flying above
our land, covered wings as white as snow" to characterize the
hubris of Polyneices in his attack on Thebes. The Chorus notes
that "Zeus hates an arrogant boasting tongue" and therefore
exacts divine retribution on Polyneices's army. This explanation
also establishes the belief that it is the gods who exact
punishments—not mortals like Creon.
The Chorus also provides a kind of intermission in the action of
the play, a time for the audience to reflect on the plot and the
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Scene Summaries 10
characters. Even though the Chorus expresses relief that the
battle is over, there's still worry and uncertainty in their words,
foreshadowing the continuing conflict to come.
Episode 1
Summary
Creon emerges from the palace to address a crowd of
assembled Theban elders. He invokes the will of the gods first,
noting that even though their city has been shaken, "the gods
have safely set things right again." He says that he has
gathered these elders specifically because they have shown
so much loyalty, particularly to his brother, the former king,
Oedipus. Now that both of Oedipus's sons have been killed,
Creon has inherited the throne. He tells the elders that he
realizes it is impossible to know him before they have seen him
govern and make laws, and that he believes it is important to
take the advice of those who are smarter than he. Creon wants
the god Zeus to be aware that as a ruler, he will always protect
his citizens before all else. He compares his city to a ship that
must sail "its proper course."
Creon's words serve to rationalize his proclamation that he will
give Eteocles an honorable burial and funeral but that he will
leave Polyneices unburied and without funeral rites. He
believes that by setting this example he will demonstrate that
he is a leader who will never reward traitors. The Chorus leader
steps in to confirm that Creon now makes all laws for both the
living and dead, and Creon tells him that it is now their duty as
elders to be guardians of these laws. The Chorus requests that
the task of guardians be given to younger men, but Creon
denies their request, insisting that they see to it no one
disobeys his orders.
A guard enters, upset. He tells Creon that he has information
for him that he hesitates in giving because he fears he will be
punished for it. At Creon's urging the guard confesses to
Creon that someone buried Polyneices's corpse and gave him
funeral rites. Creon wonders aloud who would dare to disobey
him in this way. The guard notes that whoever did it left no
trace, and that the guards fought over who would be sent to
tell Creon, fearing punishment. The Chorus leader wonders if it
might be an act of the gods, a question that infuriates Creon.
Why would the gods care about a traitor's corpse? Creon
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
believes that there are people in Thebes already conspiring
against him and that these people paid the guards to carry out
the burial. He notes that "nothing is as powerful as money" and
that it corrupts otherwise good men. Creon threatens the
guard with a fate worse than death if he can't produce the
person who carried out the burial. Creon then retreats to the
palace, and the guard leaves as well.
Analysis
Creon, the newly established king of Thebes, uses his first
speech to the elders to establish his views on leadership. His
platform is that the safety of the city ranks above any individual
citizen, and that anyone who acts against the greater good of
the city will be punished. But his ruling to leave Polyneices
unburied—a grave offense in ancient Greece, which prided
itself on honoring the gods through proper burial—also shows
that Creon is sending a message to anyone who would dare to
rebel against Thebes. The image of Polyneices's unburied body
is meant to remind citizens what can happen if they challenge
him.
Creon's introduction also places him in sharp contrast to
Antigone, who believes that the individual is more important
than citywide proclamations. Creon is someone who sees
himself as an absolute, uncompromising ruler, as demonstrated
in the way he treats both the elders and the guard. Yet even as
he sees himself as calm and capable he is easily emotional and
upset, insulting the Chorus leader as "old but stupid, too" and
accusing the guard of taking money in order to cover up who
buried the corpse.
An important motif of the play is introduced in this episode: the
ship-of-state metaphor. Creon notes that "after much tossing
of our ship of state, the gods have safely set things right
again." One interpretation of the metaphor is that, just like
sailors, those who are in government must give everything over
to the "ship," or state. Before the play opens Thebes suffered a
battle that resulted in the deaths of both of Oedipus's sons,
who fought on opposing sides. Creon has become king at this
difficult moment in Thebes's history, and his metaphor reveals
that he sees himself as the person to keep the ship-of-state on
course.
Dramatic irony is another literary technique apart from
metaphor in which the audience knows something that the
characters do not. There is an effect of dramatic irony in this
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Scene Summaries 11
scene, since the audience already knows before Creon does
who has disobeyed him—Antigone. In this way too the
audience sees Creon's authority immediately undercut: he's
not the intimidating ruler he believes himself to be. The Chorus,
which is able to offer broad insights, provides the audience
with a moral compass by which to interpret the play. Here the
audience sees the Chorus begin to doubt Creon's capability as
a leader.
Stasimon 1
Summary
The Chorus gathers to ruminate on human nature, using the
analogy of movement through a stormy ocean in order to learn
how to become more resourceful. Men now have power over
almost everything but death, the Chorus notes. But man's
inventiveness only serves him when he lives within the bounds
of law and justness; if he uses it for evil or disobedience he will
be punished by the gods.
Analysis
One of the most studied stasima in the play, the Chorus gives
an "ode to man" here, noting, "there are many strange and
wonderful things, but nothing more strangely wonderful than
man." Yet the Chorus seems to caution against the
indiscriminate use of power and means. Man can invent and
dream, but this practice can lead him down the path to either
good or evil. What's important, the Chorus notes, is to treat
"laws with due respect and [honor] justice by swearing on the
gods." Their warning foreshadows the fate of Creon, who
ignores the laws of the gods but makes sure his laws are
obeyed. The sea imagery presented here also recalls Creon's
"ship-of-state" metaphor in that man must steer himself across
times that feel precarious and violent.
Their ode also sets the stage for the conflict that is emerging
between Creon and Antigone: Which is more important—law or
personal values and beliefs? The justice decreed by men such
as Creon is not necessarily the justice decreed by the gods, so
what is a person to do when the two forms of justice come into
conflict with each other? Antigone believes that burying
Polyneices is a just act that honors the gods, even if it
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
discredits her king. The Chorus's caution against men's abuse
of power and knowledge in light of the gods' superiority
foreshadows Creon's intolerance and hubris.
Episode 2
Summary
The guard returns to the palace with Antigone in tow. She is
compliant and unresisting. The Chorus leader recognizes her
and offers pity for the tragedies that have befallen her family.
The guard reveals that it is Antigone who buried Polyneices
and that they caught her in the act. Creon enters, and the
guard tells Creon that they discovered Antigone at the burial
site. He tells Creon he doesn't care what happens to her now
as long as he is free to go. Creon asks the guard to explain
how they came to find her, and the guard tells of how they dug
up Polyneices's corpse in an attempt to lure the perpetrator
back to the grave. A storm passed overhead, and then they
heard the sound of a girl crying and swearing; they saw her
pouring out a funeral tribute to Polyneices. They seized her,
and she didn't resist capture or deny what she had done.
Creon finally addresses Antigone, asking her to confirm or
deny what the guard is accusing. She admits her guilt freely,
and Creon dismisses the guard without punishment. Creon
asks Antigone if she was aware of his proclamation against
burying the body, and she says that she was. She defends
herself by saying that she is following the laws of the gods,
who override the laws of mortals. She tells Creon that she is
not afraid to die for this fact, and that, in a way, she welcomes
death for all she has suffered. She believes she would suffer
more knowing that her brother's corpse remained unburied.
She accuses Creon of being a fool, and the Chorus leader
observes that she is as passionate and stubborn as her father,
Oedipus. Creon agrees that she is stubborn and
contemptuous. Even though he recognizes that she is his
niece, she will not escape punishment—and neither will Ismene,
whom he has his attendants summon.
Antigone encourages Creon to kill her. Creon tries to shame
her for what she's done, but Antigone reiterates that she would
feel more shame in leaving her brother unburied. She claims
that whether Polyneices was a traitor or not is beside the
point—that the gods demand funeral rites for everyone who
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Scene Summaries 12
dies. Creon threatens that "no woman [will] govern me," and
Ismene arrives, crying, at the palace. Creon asks her to admit
that she was an accomplice in the burial or to swear an oath
that she played no part. Surprisingly Ismene admits to a part in
the burial—even though she wasn't an accomplice. Antigone
corrects her, telling her it is unjust to lie. Ismene says that if
Antigone is going to suffer for her crime then she will too—if
she is left alive she will have no one left alive to love. She asks
Antigone to let her die with her. This sacrifice angers Antigone
because it stems from a lie. Ismene also reveals that Antigone
is engaged to Creon's son, Haemon, and asks how Creon can
put his future daughter-in-law to death. Creon cruelly replies
that there are other women his son can marry. Creon declares
the matter closed and orders his attendants to take Antigone
and Ismene to the palace.
Analysis
Since the beginning of the play Antigone has claimed outright
that she hopes to be caught for her disobedience—she even
tells Ismene she'll be disappointed in Ismene if she doesn't tell
everybody. In this light it's not unusual that Antigone returns to
Polyneices's grave the next day—it's almost as if she knows
she will be caught when she returns. The guard tells Creon that
when he found Antigone over Polyneices's grave, "She was
shrieking—a distressing painful cry, just like a bird who's seen
an empty nest." The bird imagery repeats throughout the play,
symbolizing fierce scavengers, protectors, and agents of
prophecy. Here Sophocles uses the image to convey
Antigone's dedication to the protection of her family's
relationship with the gods at all costs.
The clash between Antigone and Creon, and their opposing
but equal stubbornness, brings to light a crucial tension in the
play: is it better to obey a law that is unjust or to fight it? Who
has the ultimate authority on this issue—gods or men? Neither
Antigone nor Creon seems to be able to understand the
other's point of view, leading them to an ethical stalemate. In
some ways though, Creon seems unable to debate Antigone
on this issue in a rational way; his only resolution is to get rid of
her rather than prove her wrong.
Antigone's reaction to Ismene's false confession is surprising.
She's not upset with her for offering to be punished but
because she lies to earn it. It's almost as though Antigone feels
that Ismene is stealing her thunder through false pretenses.
Creon remains resolute even when Ismene brings up the fact
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Scene Summaries 13

that Antigone is his soon-to-be daughter-in-law—showing that

for Creon there really is no gray area of the law. Episode 3

Stasimon 2
Summary
The Chorus sings about divine curses and destiny and warns
that when gods intervene disaster can befall entire generations
of families. They again use the metaphor of an ocean with its
swells churning up the bottoms of the sea and causing discord.
They note that this is what has happened to Oedipus's family,
with its ever-increasing tragedies and sorrows—they are being
punished unceasingly by the gods from generation to
generation. The Chorus warns that even though mortals may
try to appease the gods, ultimately they are at the gods' mercy.
Summary
Creon's son, Haemon, enters, and the Chorus leader wonders
whether or not he has heard the news about Antigone. Creon
immediately breaks the news to Haemon and then asks him if
he is angry or if he will be loyal to his father's decision. Haemon
tells Creon that he will be loyal to his decision, and Creon
applauds him for his choice—he's grateful that Haemon is not
one of those "useless children." He also encourages Haemon
to "spit [Antigone] out" since she is now their enemy. Creon
further expounds on the notion that all must obey their leader's
laws, making obedience paramount, because a lack of
leadership is what destroys a city. Creon also reveals his
feelings about the inferiority of women, proclaiming that they
must "never let some woman beat us down"; only men can do
such things. The Chorus leader agrees with him.

Analysis Haemon reveals to Creon that the citizens do not fully support
him in his punishment of Antigone, and that she is undeserving
The Chorus again uses nature imagery to compare the
because she was doing what she felt was right. Haemon
disaster that befalls men through divine justice with natural
reassures Creon that he supports him but encourages him to
disasters. Men are powerless against the intervention of the
consider different viewpoints on the issue. He gives Creon the
gods, "just as a surging ocean swell running before cruel
analogy of a tree branch learning how to bend in the wind so
Thracian winds across the dark trench of the sea churns up
as not to snap off and echoes Creon's earlier "ship-as-state"
the deep black sand and crashes headlong on the cliffs, which
metaphor when he reminds him of how "sailors who keep their
scream in pain against the wind." Even the language that the
sails stretched tight, never easing off, make their ship capsize."
Chorus uses here is full of dark and violent imagery, with its
He uses these analogies to advise Creon to "end [his] anger" at
depiction of nature as merciless and implacable in response to
Antigone since being a good leader calls for flexibility. The
human hubris. It provides another forewarning of the
Chorus leader interjects to say that Haemon has made just as
consequences of Creon's attempt to steer his ship-of-state
excellent a point as Creon.
against the judgments of the gods.
Creon grows irritated, asking Haemon sarcastically if he should
The Chorus brings up the futility of fate as the gods have
just allow the city to rule him. Haemon points out, "A city which
decreed it. To be born into Oedipus's family is to be doomed,
belongs to just one man is no true city." Creon becomes angry
no matter what decisions its members might make. This notion
and accuses Haemon of siding with Antigone, but Haemon
sheds some light on Antigone's almost nonchalant attitude: she
couches it as concern for Creon. Haemon believes Creon is
seems to know that it doesn't matter either way whether she is
being unjust and will be punished by the gods. Exasperated
punished by Creon or not. The gods are the ultimate deciders
Creon commands his attendants to bring Antigone in so he can
of her fate. But the Chorus also seems to be foreshadowing
have her killed in front of Haemon. In response Haemon
that Creon now risks angering the gods by setting his laws
immediately disowns him, saying that his father will never see
above theirs.
him again. He leaves, running back to the palace. The Chorus
leader asks Creon how he will kill Antigone, and Creon reveals
that he will leave her alive in a cave in the middle of nowhere to
die a slow death.

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Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Scene Summaries 14

Analysis Stasimon 3
Haemon serves as a counterpoint to Creon, who shows little
sympathy to his own son. Haemon has done all he can to
convince Creon that he doesn't have to follow through with his
Summary
plan to kill Antigone, and he presents his case in a rational and
The Chorus invokes Eros, the god of love, to come to
respectful way. Haemon is even careful to make his argument
Haemon's aid since they fear the son has been driven mad by
based on the reaction of the citizens rather than his feelings
his father's decision to kill his bride. Love is an emotion that
about Antigone. That is, he seems aware of his father's
can't be controlled, they say, and is the source of this particular
misogyny toward women as well of his disdain for decisions
conflict. The Chorus also cautions that to interfere with love
made out of love. Haemon apparently understands his father's
the way that Creon has may invoke the wrath of the goddess
logic in a way that enables him to argue in language and terms
of love, Aphrodite.
that will resonate with Creon. He even uses the same
metaphor of commanding a ship that Creon uses earlier in the
play, only this time it's to question Creon's capabilities as
Analysis
captain of that "ship-as-state."

The Chorus's invocation of Eros provides an observation about

Creon ultimately defends his decision despite the fact that
the power of love over men, which drives them to make
Haemon essentially disowns him, revealing the ways in which
irrational decisions. After announcing that Antigone's nature is
Creon is blinded by his arrogant belief that he is always right.
to love, Creon commands her in Episode 3, "Then go down to
Haemon makes a great point to Creon when he tells him that
the dead. If you must love, love them." For Creon love is the
the people are not behind him on this issue—and that he risks
enemy, as is anyone who gives credence to it or Eros. It's
alienating them further if he carries it out. But the irony is lost
interesting to note that Haemon does not use his love of
on Creon that, by trying to make his citizens see him as a
Antigone as a reason why his father shouldn't kill her and so
strong leader, he is actually being seen as a tyrant. He can't
the Chorus brings the issue up for him. The reference to Eros
consider for even a second that he might be making the wrong
has more power coming from them since their voices are
decision and only worries that reversing his stance will bring
removed from the immediate conflict and relationships. They
chaos to the city and threaten his newly found rule. "There's no
also seem to be siding with Haemon here, pointing out the
greater evil than a lack of leadership," he claims, unable to see
injustice that Creon is inflicting upon people who cannot
how his own unjust punishment of Antigone will bring about
control their love for each other.
even more evil.

In this episode Creon also reveals his disdain not only for
Antigone but for women in general when he demands to "never Episode 4
let some woman beat us down." Even though Creon may
reflect prevailing attitudes about women from this era,
Sophocles hints throughout the play at the possibility that Summary
Antigone is the true hero. In that light he seems to be criticizing
Creon's attitude toward women. Antigone enters, led by attendants to her execution. Upon
seeing the Chorus leader she grows tearful, thinking of how
Haemon points out to Creon that a leader who rules based
she is being led to her death chamber rather than her bridal
only on his beliefs is not actually a leader of people—only a
chamber. Antigone speaks, imploring her fellow citizens to look
leader of himself and one who also risks angering the gods by
at her before she leaves to die. The Chorus replies that at least
creating unjust laws. Creon's revelation of how he will kill
she has fame and praise and that it is admirable that she
Antigone also reveals him to be crueler than previously
commanded her own fate. Antigone hopes that she will be
thought, since to die a long, slow death is tantamount to
remembered for what she has done, much like the goddess
torture. At the same time, by killing Antigone outside of the city
Niobe. The Chorus reminds her that she is mortal, but that she
limits Creon will avoid any observations from his citizens.

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Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Scene Summaries 15

will likely be remembered much like a goddess. Antigone feels understandable, then, given that she has risked her life in order
as though they are making fun of her and demands to know to honor the gods and fears that she will die misunderstood.
why they are insulting her. She laments the fact that she has
no friends to mourn her, and that she will die entombed and Antigone's final invocation to the gods reveals that she still

alone. believes that they will reward her for her loyalty to them over
Creon, and that she believes they will ultimately punish him for
The Chorus sings that in some ways she is still paying for her what he's done. In a way Antigone's final anguish in this scene
father's fated mistakes, and that perhaps her death is some makes her a more sympathetic character since the audience
kind of compensation. The suggestion pains Antigone, as she catches a glimpse of her very human sadness at the fate that
thinks about the tragedies of her family constantly. The Chorus has befallen her. Even though she remains defiant she mourns
reminds her, though, that she is dying of her own "selfish will," the life that she might have lived, accepting her role as a bride
and Antigone adds that she also dies alone, unmarried, and of death rather than as a bride of Haemon.
friendless. Creon interjects, ordering the attendants to take her
away to the cave. Antigone calls it both her tomb and her bridal
chamber, and though she is sad she will be happy to be Stasimon 4
reunited in death with her parents and her brothers. She also
rationalizes her burial of Polyneices by saying that, while she
wouldn't have done it for her own children or
Summary
husband—because she could always replace them—she only
had two brothers, who are both dead. She begs to know what
The Chorus brings up the fact that "the power of fate is full of
"holy justice" she has violated by doing what she thought was
mystery," and that there is no getting around it, even if you are
right and just. But she is content to know that if she is truly in
rich or powerful. They recall how similar fates to Antigone's
the wrong, the gods will let her know. She is finally led away.
befell other well-known mythological figures—all were
imprisoned in cruel ways and died, even though they all had
something powerful that distinguished them.
Analysis
Even though Antigone has accepted the consequences of her
Analysis
actions from the beginning, she is understandably sad and
frustrated that no one has spoken up to support her. Though
The Chorus makes the comparison to other mythological
the Chorus seems sympathetic, they rightly point out that she
figures in order to show that no matter how wealthy, powerful,
has brought this on herself. The Chorus does seem to
or demigod-like one might be, fate cannot be escaped, even if
recognize that Creon is making the wrong decision, but they
that fate is as awful as Antigone's. Their reference to Danae
don't have so much sympathy for Antigone that they are calling
calls up a comparison to Antigone's imprisonment, since
him on it outright. They point out that Antigone could have
Danae, the daughter of the king of Argos, was also doomed by
changed course at any time.
a prophecy to be "a prisoner hidden in a chamber like a tomb,
although she, too, came from a noble line." Similarly Antigone's
Antigone makes a reference to "the daughter of Tantalus, from
fate was set in motion by her relation to Oedipus, and there's
Phrygia," who died a horrible death by turning to stone for
nothing she can do to change it. The other comparison the
boasting to the gods and who has never been forgotten for her
Chorus calls out is to Lycurgus, who attacked Dionysus and
suffering. The Chorus reminds Antigone that the daughter she
paid for it with a painful death. Even though the Chorus reveals
is speaking of is Niobe, who was divine—and Antigone is
sympathy toward Antigone in these comparisons, they refuse
merely a human being. Antigone's response is to accuse the
to compare her to the gods since they also recognize that she
Chorus of making fun of her because Niobe was punished for
broke a law.
mocking the gods, whereas Antigone has been pious and
obedient to them above all others. Her comparison of herself
to Niobe has to do with hope she will be remembered for her
suffering. Her anguished response to the Chorus here is

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Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Scene Summaries 16

Episode 5 Analysis
Teiresias's advice to Creon is interesting because initially he
suggests that there is a way to alter his fate if he changes his
Summary decision, insinuating that his fate has not yet been sealed.
Teiresias's prophecy to Creon reinforces the importance of
Teiresias, a blind prophet, enters led by a young boy to
birds as symbols that shift in meaning from scavengers to
address Creon. Creon asks him for news, and Teiresias
protection to prophecies. Teiresias is skilled in the prophecy
demands that before he reveals it Creon must obey him by
art of augury (predicting omens by watching the behavior of
doing whatever he tells him to do. Creon reminds him that he
birds), and what he sees is the birds fighting each other, which
has always followed his advice. Teiresias then warns him that
symbolizes the imbalance that Creon has created in his
his "luck is once more on Fate's razor edge." Creon
kingdom. Teiresias recalls that the birds gave the sounds of
encourages him to keep going, and Teiresias reveals that when
"evil, unintelligible, angry screaming," which mirrors the arguing
he was listening to the omens of birds he heard a strange cry.
and tension that surround Creon. Teiresias warns Creon, "Our
He deduced that two birds were fighting, and one plummeted
state is sick—your policies have done this." There is an
to its death. Teiresias set up an offering to the gods in order to
insinuation that Creon has polluted Thebes with his strict
understand the prophecy, but rather than receive confirmation
adherence to laws—both literally by leaving Polyneices's
he noticed that slime began to ooze out of the altar and
corpse out but also because the gods have been angered by
nothing was revealed.
his actions, leaving the citizens vulnerable.
What Teiresias was able to learn came from the young boy, his
Instead of listening to his warnings Creon hurls insults at
guide. Teiresias tells Creon that he learned that the policies
Teiresias, accusing him of being money hungry and dishonest.
Creon has made in the state have made it sick, and that the
With that his fate suddenly seems to harden, since Teiresias
gods will no longer accept their sacrifices. He warns Creon
then offers him a new and darker prophecy about losing his
that he has made a serious mistake, and that it's not too late to
son and seeing his city rise against him. This warning has a
fix it if Creon will let go of his pride. Creon dismisses
profound effect on Creon, who now for the first time asks for
Teiresias's advice, saying that he believes he's become a
advice, from none other than the Chorus leader. He seems to
target. He believes that all the prophets have been "bought and
believe that he still has time to change the course of fate if he
sold" and claims that even if Zeus himself commanded it he
takes swift action to reverse what he's done.
would not bury Polyneices's body. Teiresias reminds Creon
that good advice is more valuable than any possession, and Even though Teiresias doesn't mention Antigone or Polyneices
that is what he is offering Creon. He then tells Creon that he by name, he suggests that the gods have been paying
will be forced to sacrifice his own child in return for the attention to what has transpired, and that even though they
corpses he has caused, and his city will rebel against him. have not come to Antigone's rescue they believe that her
actions were just. Conversely they have been offended by
Teiresias finally leaves, led by the boy, and the Chorus leader
Creon's actions and so they will punish his son as revenge. In
interjects to remind Creon that Teiresias has never uttered a
this prophecy Antigone emerges victorious, despite all her
false prophecy. Creon admits that is true. However, he refuses
suffering.
to give in to what Teiresias has said. He asks the Chorus
leader for advice, and the Chorus leader tells him to release
Antigone from her tomb before she dies and to give Polyneices
a proper burial. He reminds Creon that the gods act swiftly Stasimon 5
when they are upset. With difficulty Creon agrees to do as the
Chorus leader advises. Creon gathers his servants and
declares that he will go to Antigone to free her himself. He Summary
leaves with these servants.
The Chorus calls upon Dionysus, son of Zeus and protector of
Thebes, to heal and protect their city.

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Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
Analysis
The Chorus is relieved that Creon has reversed course, and
they sing their joy in an ode to the god Dionysus, who rules
both their city and their revelry. Their excitement reflects the
way that worshipers of Dionysus would work themselves into
states of frenzy. Their reference to Eleusis and the
Mysteries—a secret rite that promised a vision of what eternal
life looked like—is also meant as hope that Antigone will be
rescued from her fate. Of course, this being a tragedy, the
audience knows that more sacrifice is to come and that it is
too soon to give thanks and celebrate.
Exodus
Summary
A messenger enters and speaks of how he once viewed Creon
as a man to be looked up to but he no longer does. He goes so
far as to call Creon "a breathing corpse" because he's lost all
pleasure in being a ruler. The Chorus leader asks what news
he has brought, and the messenger simply replies, "They're
dead." He's referring to Haemon, who has committed suicide
over his anger at Creon. The Chorus leader marvels at how
Teiresias's prophecy has come true.
Creon's wife, Eurydice, emerges from the palace and
addresses the Chorus, asking them to tell her the news. The
messenger interjects to tell her what he saw since he
accompanied Creon to help bury Polyneices. Polyneices's
corpse was being eaten by dogs, but they managed to scare
them off and wash the body and burn it according to ritual
funeral rites. Then they journeyed to Antigone's cave. Before
they could reach it Creon heard a scream from inside the cave,
which he recognized as the voice of Haemon. He instructed
the servants to hurry to unblock the entrance to see if it was
indeed Haemon. After unblocking the entrance the servants
found Antigone hanging by a noose in the corner, and Haemon
with his arms around her, crying out. Creon tried to coax
Haemon out, but Haemon drew his sword and attempted to
stab his father. He missed and instead threw himself onto his
sword. He died embracing Antigone.
After hearing this news Eurydice returns to the palace without
saying anything, and the Chorus leader worries that this is a
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Scene Summaries 17
foretelling of something ominous to come. The messenger
decides to follow her to make sure she is all right, and Creon
enters, carrying Haemon's corpse. The Chorus leader notes
that this is the result of Creon's own mistakes. Creon admits
that he had a "foolish mind" and wails at the gravity of what his
decisions have wrought. The Chorus leader observes that
Creon has finally "learned to see what's right—but far too late."
The messenger reemerges, sees the corpse of Haemon, and
tells Creon that he'll find more of the same in his house. He
tells Creon that Eurydice is now also dead, having killed herself
as well. Creon continues to lament and wail, wondering what
he has done to deserve so much suffering. He wishes aloud
that someone could put him out of his misery. Creon's final
lament is that "everything I touch goes wrong, and on my head
fate climbs up with its overwhelming load." He disappears into
the palace, still carrying Haemon's corpse. The Chorus's final
song is about respecting the gods and resisting
arrogance—only then can mortals become wise.
Analysis
The action that the messenger describes does not occur
onstage—the audience only hears about the gruesome details
secondhand. The messenger's tale reinforces the notion that
once a person's fate has been decided by the gods there is no
reversing course, no matter how much one tries to set things
right. Creon's actions come too late to do any good.
The gravity of what Creon's decisions have wrought comes to
a head when he watches Haemon kill himself. Only he is
responsible for the tragedy before him. After Eurydice's death
he declares, "Hurry and lead me off, get me away from here,
for now what I am in life is nothing." It's as though he has finally
realized that being the leader of Thebes means nothing
without family. He has lost his identity in their deaths. All of this
tragedy is a result of Creon's stubborn pride, which he realizes
too late to remedy. Creon's tragic flaw is his arrogance and
harshness, and now he is being punished by equal and
proportional harshness by the gods.
The Chorus's final words deliver an equal sense of harshness,
with no reassurance of a brighter future. Rather they convey a
cautionary tale about the importance of respecting the gods
and knowing one's place—a message that the audience should
take home with them in order not to suffer the same fate as
Creon. In Stasimon 4 it seems that the Chorus is warning
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
Antigone about the pitfalls of hubris (in comparing herself to
the gods), but in hindsight their warning applies to Creon as
well because it is he who ultimately demonstrates the
arrogance of putting his rules above those of the gods.
g Quotes
"My honours for the dead must
last much longer than for those up
here. I'll lie down there forever."
— Antigone, Prologos
Antigone justifies her decision to disobey Creon by burying
Polyneices's body. She claims that her allegiance and loyalty lie
with her dead family, whom she will be reunited with in her own
death. Therefore her actions while she's alive will have more
weight and bearing after she is dead.
"I won't suffer anything as bad as a
disgraceful death."
— Antigone, Prologos
Antigone responds to Ismene's concerns that she will face
punishment by death for disobeying Creon's orders. Antigone
reassures Ismene that her death wouldn't be considered
disgraceful or shameful because she is merely doing what she
thinks is just—and what offers ultimate respect to the gods,
whose laws have more clout than mere mortal laws.
"It's clear enough the spirit in this
girl is passionate—her father was
the same. She has no sense of
compromise in times of trouble."
— Chorus, Episode 2
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Quotes 18
The leader and the Chorus are comparing Antigone to her
father, Oedipus. Oedipus was also known for being headstrong
and passionate, though it ultimately wound him up in
trouble—and dead. The Chorus seems to be suggesting here
that Antigone may need to learn a lesson about compromise
from her father's misfortune or pay a similar tragic price.
"Those who live without tasting
evil have happy lives—for when the
gods shake a house to its
foundations, then inevitable
disasters strike, falling upon whole
families."
— Chorus, Stasimon 2
In this stasimon the leader and the Chorus observe that when
the gods begin to intervene in the lives of mortals, the
repercussions can last for generations—just look at Oedipus's
family. The actions of one individual can reverberate down
through generations of a family, with each new generation
living out the fate of their ancestors' decision.
"So spit this girl out—she's your
enemy. Let her marry someone
else in Hades."
— Creon, Episode 3
Creon is telling Haemon not to get hung up on Antigone—that
by disobeying Creon she has made herself an enemy of their
family. His reference to Hades points to the fact that according
to the punishment Creon has dictated, she'll soon be dead.
"A man who thinks that only he is
wise, that he can speak and think
like no one else, when such men
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
are exposed, then all can see their
emptiness inside."
— Haemon, Episode 3
Haemon tries to rationalize with Creon, gently warning him that
if he doesn't take care he'll find himself exposed as someone
who can't see all rational sides of a situation. Haemon is trying
to point out Creon's arrogance in assuming that his way is the
only way, and that it masks an insecurity that he is trying to
keep hidden.
"No immortal god escapes from
you, nor any man, who lives but for
a day."
— Chorus, Stasimon 3
The leader and the Chorus invoke Eros, the god of love. Even
though Haemon was careful not to bring his love of Antigone
into his argument with Creon, the Chorus notes here that love
has the power to cause great discord and conflict, and that
both men and gods are powerless over it.
"You pushed your daring to the
limit, my child, and tripped against
Justice's high altar—perhaps your
agonies are paying back some
compensation for your father."
— Chorus, Episode 4
The leader and the Chorus caution Antigone against the hubris
of comparing her fate to that of the goddess Niobe, and note
that she has brought on her own fate by taking the decision to
bury Polyneices into her own hands. Her "daring" means she
will now have to reckon with whatever justice the gods choose
to mete out. At the same time the Chorus leader wonders if in
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Symbols 19
some way Antigone is being punished for the fateful errors of
her father, Oedipus.
"Then know this—your luck is once
more on Fate's razor edge."
— Teiresias, Episode 5
Teiresias, the blind prophet, has come to Creon to warn him
about how he has displeased the gods when he refused to
bury Polyneices. Here he's telling Creon that there is still time
to remedy the situation—but he'll have to act fast before his
fate is sealed. Luck and fate seem to be at odds here, in that
Creon's luck isn't determined by his own actions but by the
gods, who he is at great risk of displeasing. Sophocles paints a
vivid image with "Fate's razor edge," showing the thin, sharp,
and possibly fatal line that Creon is at risk of falling on the
wrong side of.
"Get me away from here, for now
what I am in life is nothing."
— Creon, Exodus
Creon utters this line after he has witnessed the suicide of his
son and discovered that his wife died by the same fate. It
dawns on Creon that without his family, he is nothing—a sharp
fall from a once-assured leader of Thebes.
l Symbols
Burials
Teiresias points out the situational irony to Creon that he has
chosen to bury Antigone alive, underground, while he allows
her brother's corpse to remain unburied above ground.
Teiresias highlights the unexpected juxtaposition in Creon's
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
decision to flout the law of the gods, which decrees that
bodies are to be given proper burials and funeral rites. Not only
does Creon refuse to honor the gods' decree, but he has also
buried a living person alive—a person whose disobedience
comes from following the gods' will. So he is quite wrong when
he states that "no man has the power to pollute the gods." On
the contrary, by insisting on strict adherence to his laws Creon
brings pollution on Thebes—both literally by allowing a corpse
to rot and metaphorically by incurring the wrath of the gods,
who punish not only Creon but also Thebes as a whole. In this
way burials become symbols of the play's central conflict
between religious devotion and civic duty.
Birds
Birds appear in the play symbolically as fierce scavengers,
protectors, and agents of prophecy. The Chorus mentions that
since Polyneices's body is left in the open, his corpse will be
torn apart by birds. The guard also paints a vivid picture of
Antigone as looking like a bird when she hovers over the
corpse of her brother, trying to protect his body. Lastly
Teiresias tells a vivid tale about Creon's future when he hears
two birds fighting, one killing the other. He mentions that these
are the very same birds that are feasting on Polyneices's
corpse.
m Themes
Laws of Gods versus Laws of
Mortals
Creon orders Polyneices's body to remain unburied and
without any funeral rites, which is a direct disobedience of the
gods' will that bodies be given proper honor and rites upon
death; to do anything other is to defy their wishes. Creon
believes that the only way his new citizens will respect him is if
he upholds the laws he creates. Antigone, on the other hand,
believes that Creon's law is unjust, and she honors the gods by
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Themes 20
honoring their law and burying her brother properly. She
claims, "My honours for the dead must last much longer than
for those up here," meaning that her loyalty is greater to the
gods and her family than to the ruler of her city-state. Creon
ultimately comes to realize that his law has only served to
anger the gods, who have the final say in such matters. They
punish him with his own son's death.
Devotion versus Duty
From the beginning it is clear that Antigone has an unbending
devotion to family and to the gods. This devotion surpasses
any sense of civic duty to the leader of her state or his laws.
Her sister, Ismene, illustrates the internal struggle that arises
when spiritual devotion is against loyalty to government. And
Creon, the source of Ismene's call to civic duty, is as unbending
in his value for civics as Antigone is in her devotion to the gods.
Creon believes that to disobey his laws is to set yourself up for
a just punishment, and this is his rationale for sentencing
Antigone to death. He becomes blind to familial and divine
devotion in his lust to secure his people's civic loyalty to him.
Courage and Conviction
The courage of Antigone is based upon her convictions. She
stands firm in the face of her tragic fate and against Creon's
edicts and blatant disdain for women. She fearlessly faces
death because she is sure of her position.
Antigone's fate reflects the tragic curse of her father, Oedipus.
Even as the Chorus applauds Antigone for trying to take her
fate into her own hands, it understands that she ultimately will
pay for her father's ordeal. Ancient Greek audiences would not
have missed the certainty of such a fate and would recognize
the courage required to proceed with conviction in the face of
it.
Creon's laws mean nothing to Antigone when they fly in the
face of her devotion to family and to the gods. Ismene's
warning to remember her place as a woman or risk punishment
is telling when later Creon seems even more determined to
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide
punish Antigone when he demands he will "never let some
woman beat us down." Antigone, who has been called an "early
feminist hero," scoffs at such statements, fearless in the face
of anything she views as unjust.
Flexibility versus Stubbornness
Neither Antigone nor Creon shows flexibility in the play. While
Antigone's inflexibility may be based more on strong
convictions than on stubbornness, Creon's stubbornness is
hard to deny. Above all else he demands to be obeyed, even
when he places himself above the gods. Even though Teiresias
offers Creon a warning, telling him there is still time to set
things right when he cautions him that his "luck is once more
on Fate's razor edge," Creon remains stubborn in his
steadfastness to civic duty. By showing some flexibility Creon
might have saved himself and his family—but Creon stalls for
too long, and the warning becomes his fate. He loses everyone
he loves due to his arrogance and hubris, and even though he
hopes the gods have "set things right again" in the end, it's too
late—the wheels of fate have already been set in motion.
b Motifs
Razor's Edge
Teiresias advises Creon that there is still time to avoid tragedy
when Teiresias cautions Creon that his "luck is once more on
Fate's razor edge." This image suggests a precarious position.
If Creon fails to appease the gods in his actions, his delicate
balance "on Fate's razor edge" will falter.
Ships
Many characters in Antigone make metaphoric references to
ships and sailing the seas. Creon introduces the metaphor in
Episode 1 when he says, "after much tossing of our ship of
state, the gods have safely set things right again." Creon sees
himself as the caretaker and captain of that ship, and though
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Motifs 21
his reference to the gods hints that he understands they are
the ultimate overseers, his respect for their authority lessens
from this point onward. The Chorus also makes many
references to men sailing stormy seas in order to gain more
knowledge and power, but they caution that this knowledge is
not always used for good—a warning to Creon as he continues
to command his ship-state. Creon's son, Haemon, also
attempts to use the metaphor of the ship as state to caution
Creon that "sailors who keep their sails stretched tight, never
easing off, make their ship capsize." Sadly Haemon's warning
comes true, and Creon pays for his arrogant leadership
decisions.
Unconsumed Sacrifices
Because the gods are displeased with Creon's actions
regarding the burial of Polyneices and the punishment of
Antigone, they refuse to accept sacrifices or prayers from the
City of Thebes. These unconsumed sacrifices come to
represent the rottenness of the city that is led by a man who
puts himself above the gods.
Dirt
Antigone risks the displeasure of Creon and her personal
safety to honor the law of the gods by burying her brother.
When she sees his bare body she casts handfuls of dirt onto
him. In this way the dirt shows her devotion to her family and
her religion above her devotion to the state that has forbidden
his burial.
Blindness
Blindness comes up in both physical and abstract ways
throughout the play. Teiresias is a blind prophet: though he
can't see the future with his own eyes, he can foretell it by
paying attention to other signs. Teiresias gives Creon advice
that Creon seems blind to until it is too late, even though Creon
can see with his own eyes that his decisions are costing him
the trust of his citizens and the love of his family. Creon's
symbolic blindness causes him to seal his tortured and
miserable fate because he will not open his eyes in time to
affect it.
Antigone (The Oedipus Plays) Study Guide Suggested Reading 22

Death
In almost every case the incest of Oedipus and Jocasta leads
to the destruction of the family tree through suicide or choice.
Antigone hangs herself; Eurydice and Haemon stab
themselves; and Polyneices and Eteocles die fighting each
other.

e Suggested Reading
Chanter, Tina, and Sean D. Kirkland. The Returns of Antigone:
Interdisciplinary Essays. New York: SUNY, 2014. Print.

Goetz, Jason. Who Is Creon? Goetz, 2013. Print.

Harris, Edward M. Democracy and the Rule of Law in Classical

Athens: Essays on Law, Society, and Politics. Cambridge:
Cambridge UP, 2006. Print.

Söderbäck, Fanny. Feminist Readings of Antigone. Albany:

SUNY, 2010. Print.

Steiner, George. Antigones: How the Antigone Legend Has

Endured in Western Literature, Art, and Thought. New Haven:
Yale UP, 1996. Print.

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