Antigone Characters & Terms Flashcards
Creon
King of thebes who gives the decree
oedipus
father of polynecies & eteocles; married his mother and killed his father
Ismene
Antigone’s sister who doesn’t think they should bury the body
Haemon
Creon’s son & Antigone’s fiancè; kills himself when Antigone dies
Antigone
heroine who tries to bury her brother Polynecies, kills herself after being imprisoned in a cave
Ode
metaphorical choral pieces on everything from the triumph of man to the dangers of pride
choragos
narrator that address the audience and explains what happens offscreen
Teiresias
blind prophet who can see the future
eteocles
honored son of oedipus
Eurydice
Creon’s wife
Tragedy
an imitation of a serious action which will arouse pity and fear in the viewer
Paean
a song of praise or triumph
exodos
the final scene or departure
prologue
the introduction or backstory
logos
argument centered around using reason and logic
hubris
arrogance or overwhelming pride which causes the hero’s transgression against the gods; usually the tragic flaw
ethos
an argument based in morals
hamartia
a tragic flaw, weakness of character, or error in judgement, which causes the downfall of the hero
pathos
an argument based in appealing to emotions
tragic hero
a character usually of high birth, neither totally good or totally evil, whose downfall is brought about by some tragic flaw
strophe
movement of chorus right to left
catharsis
purgation of emotions of pity and fear which leaves the viewer both relieved and elated
nemesis
fate that cannot be escaped
peripetia
a reversal of fortune
Polynecies
son of Oedipus who was not allowed to be buried
