Final - Lec 19 (Antigone) Flashcards
“It is my nature to join in love, note hate”
Who said this and in what play? Why is it important?
By Antigone in Antigone
- brings together many motifs in this play
Who are Oedipus’ two sons? What is the nature of their relationship?
What happens to them, why? Which play is this described in?
- Polyneices and Eteocles
- they are enemies: fight for rule of Thebes
- Polyneices attacks the city (leads 7 generals to gates of the city)
- Eteocles defends from within the city, also with 7 generals
- Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes: brother vs. brother
- due to Oedipus’ curse, they kill each other simultaneously
What happens after the attack on Thebes?
- both brothers are dead
- Creon now King
What is Creon’s decree? Why is it significant?
- Eteocles is to be given a hero’s burial (because he was defending the city) and Polyneices is to be left unburied outside the city without any funerary ritual to be consumed by animals
- the decree is what sets in motion the events of the play
How does the play start? What is significant about this?
- Antigone and Ismene standing in front of the palace the morning after the city has been saved from the attack by Polyneices
- 2 aristocratic young women in the open public space –> sign of disorder
Who makes up the chorus?
- elder men of Thebes
Why does Antigone want to bury Polyneices?
- role of the female members of a household to prep the body and sing laments
- Antigone and Ismene are the only female figures left
What does Ismene say? What is her feelings about all this?
No, the rest of their family has died and they would also die if they defied the law and did a burial ritual
- she is very cautious, she feels horrible about the situation but that there’s nothing they can do about it
What is Antigone’s response to Ismene’s decision?
- Antigone rejects Ismene completely: I don’t even want to know you
- she’s a traitor to the family instead of a true sister
- she decides to do it herself: her crime is holy if she were to die and she will lay down with Polyneices in death
What is the significance of Antigone deciding to bury Polyneices?
- she will become a bride of death
- she claims she will gain honour by dying in honour of her brother
How are Antigone and Oedipus alike/different?
ALIKE:
- both headstrong and unyielding
DIFFERENT:
- Oedipus committed his crimes unknowingly
- Antigone is deliberately breaking the law with knowledge
What is the Chorus response to Creon’s decree?
they’re ok with it
What does Creon say at the beginning, in his speech?
- he refers to the ship of state
- it’s his responsibility to make the ship of state safe
- polis > oikos (he has no use for someone who sets private friendships above public welfare)
What does the first messenger do/say?
When does he enter?
- messenger enters after Creon’s decree and Chorus’ song
- very scared to tell Creon that someone’s already done a funerary gesture of sprinkling dust over the body (more of a ritual burial instead of proper)
What is Creon’s response to the first messenger?
What is the Chorus’ response?
- very angry
- leader of the Chorus wonders whether the gods may have done it since there’s no trace of a person
- Creon rejects this, and instead thinks it’s one of his enemies (corruption)
- he threatens to torture the gods if they don’t find out who it is
