Antigone by Sophocles
Summary: This story is the beginning or really the sequence to Oedipus at Colonus, which this does not include Oedipus but it does include his daughter, Antigone; This young determined, outspoken girl faces many obstacles in her life which include her fiancé, her sister, and her two brothers along with her uncle. At the beginning, Antigone is engaged to Haemon with whom she doesn't necessarily care entirely for, with this he also likes her sister Ismene. When Antigone and Ismene return to Thebes, they discover that their two brothers have both been killed; which the reader discovers that it was because they both were supposed to take the thrown but they had a dual and killed each other. In this, Creon, the uncle became king and took the thrown for his own. Antigone discovers that Eteocles, ordered by Creon was going to have a great burial and ceremony, however, with her other brother, Polyneices was just to be left alone to rot, as a matter of fact, Creon banned the action of burying him. Antigone is now aware of this at this point, and with this she returns home and her sister and the nurse wonder where she was and she lies, Ismene now wonders if she'll go on and bury Polyneices any way even though she is not supposed to. This is in fact what happens, the next day one of the nervous guards finds a little dirt over the body gently and tells it to king Creon; he obviously does not approve of as he questions Antigone and her reasoning, in this Creon wants to send her to her room but says that she will just do it all over again. When king Creon gets tired of all of this, he puts her in jail and that is where she kills herself. As no one knows of her suicide, Haemon and Creon's wife try to reason with Creon and he agrees stubbornly to let her out, as they see that she is dead they do not handle the pain either and they too die by killing themselves, except for Creon, who now lives in despair and sorrow
Summary: This story is the beginning or really the sequence to Oedipus at Colonus, which this does not include Oedipus but it does include his daughter, Antigone; This young determined, outspoken girl faces many obstacles in her life which include her fiancé, her sister, and her two brothers along with her uncle. At the beginning, Antigone is engaged to Haemon with whom she doesn't necessarily care entirely for, with this he also likes her sister Ismene. When Antigone and Ismene return to Thebes, they discover that their two brothers have both been killed; which the reader discovers that it was because they both were supposed to take the thrown but they had a dual and killed each other. In this, Creon, the uncle became king and took the thrown for his own. Antigone discovers that Eteocles, ordered by Creon was going to have a great burial and ceremony, however, with her other brother, Polyneices was just to be left alone to rot, as a matter of fact, Creon banned the action of burying him. Antigone is now aware of this at this point, and with this she returns home and her sister and the nurse wonder where she was and she lies, Ismene now wonders if she'll go on and bury Polyneices any way even though she is not supposed to. This is in fact what happens, the next day one of the nervous guards finds a little dirt over the body gently and tells it to king Creon; he obviously does not approve of as he questions Antigone and her reasoning, in this Creon wants to send her to her room but says that she will just do it all over again. When king Creon gets tired of all of this, he puts her in jail and that is where she kills herself. As no one knows of her suicide, Haemon and Creon's wife try to reason with Creon and he agrees stubbornly to let her out, as they see that she is dead they do not handle the pain either and they too die by killing themselves, except for Creon, who now lives in despair and sorrow
Characters:
Antigone- is the protagonist of her story, obviously; in this, she is definitely a very independent, outspoken, disobeying female. Although she is perceived to be very strong which she is she also is very bratty and sort of childish especially being jealous of her sister Ismene for her femininity and grace. Although she is loved, she also is very boyish in the sense that she is not really girly and speaks her mind. Along with this it is important to note that Antigone is very resistant and not all that attractive, so when she is compared to her sister, it bothers her and she becomes revengeful. Her independence is what stands out to the reader because the fact that she kills herself over not being able to bury her brother just goes to show that she has to have it her way or the high way. Lastly, her brother's honor was everything to her and her family except for her uncle.
Creon- although he may seem like a good man toward the beginning of the play, it is perfectly evident that he is not and that his intentions are weak and so is his heart; as far as his relations to his nieces and nephews go, he doesn't care about them which proves the fact that only one out of his two nephews was not buried. Creon is a weak character himself, he doesn't really think about his family in general and does not plan to have a relationship with any one of them. His only interest is in social and political order within the kingdom, so therefore is focused on an impression of the people. Again to mention that even though he does not really care for any of his family, he never intended to kill Antigone, as a matter of fact, he wanted her to be queen which would help the heir to the throne. As far as a character, Creon is cold, weak, dull, not impressionable, and wrinkled man.
Antigone- is the protagonist of her story, obviously; in this, she is definitely a very independent, outspoken, disobeying female. Although she is perceived to be very strong which she is she also is very bratty and sort of childish especially being jealous of her sister Ismene for her femininity and grace. Although she is loved, she also is very boyish in the sense that she is not really girly and speaks her mind. Along with this it is important to note that Antigone is very resistant and not all that attractive, so when she is compared to her sister, it bothers her and she becomes revengeful. Her independence is what stands out to the reader because the fact that she kills herself over not being able to bury her brother just goes to show that she has to have it her way or the high way. Lastly, her brother's honor was everything to her and her family except for her uncle.
Creon- although he may seem like a good man toward the beginning of the play, it is perfectly evident that he is not and that his intentions are weak and so is his heart; as far as his relations to his nieces and nephews go, he doesn't care about them which proves the fact that only one out of his two nephews was not buried. Creon is a weak character himself, he doesn't really think about his family in general and does not plan to have a relationship with any one of them. His only interest is in social and political order within the kingdom, so therefore is focused on an impression of the people. Again to mention that even though he does not really care for any of his family, he never intended to kill Antigone, as a matter of fact, he wanted her to be queen which would help the heir to the throne. As far as a character, Creon is cold, weak, dull, not impressionable, and wrinkled man.
Setting: Antigone definitely takes place in Thebes, more specifically, in front of the palace of Thebes which this is significant because this is where Antigone's mother committed suicide and also where her father found the shame and gouged out his own eye; in this, it may seem that many plays are set in Athens but it is actually very few that are as a matter of fact it was not allowed and so have a play that was set in Athens was a big deal. This partially was because they did not have inspiration from their home town. The author of Antigone, Sophocles was very religious and was involved in many cults that gave him ideas and theories. What is seen out of Antigone is the idea of religion within the play, it all being in the hands of the gods, etc. This story is definitely a very significant part of our literature because it was an ancient figure to the Greeks.
Conflict: The types of conflict that are relevant in Antigone are man versus self which would be Antigone having to face her own personality, her own looks versus her beautiful sister, so her self-image, she has to face the desire to kill herself, and lastly, her foolishness and her own independence within the throne. Another type of conflict is man versus man which would be Antigone having to face her own sister and being jealous of her and what she has, Antigone having to face her own family and deal with their orders like not being able to bury her own brother ordered by Creon. Another example would be man versus society because Antigone is very different and she knows it too, so it is hard for her to fit into society and for others to accept her wild outspoken, devious, bratty attitude.
Major Symbols: I think it important to note Antigone's name; this name is very uncommon and if you split it is anti and then gone, if the reader can think about the meaning behind her name it is actually really significant because it is like she was already gone to her world at this time in the play, like she was already unnoticed, or like she was already different from the beginning. Especially when she kills herself she is Antigone, like forever. Another symbol that is real significant is the importance or honor of being buried because to not be buried back then and still today it was and is still a sign of disrespect, so it was really important that Antigone's brother could be buried and not to rot in the dirt like all dead animals. It is pretty much an insult if someone's body is treated that way, it is a major sign of disrespect for the person that died and it just is not right. To Antigone, it was real important for her brother to buried with respect just like her other brother, so logically, it did not make sense to her and so therefore tried to bury him herself. As the Chorus remarks that the queen, Eurydice's was to knit in her room until she dies, to the reader this definitely foreshadows events to come for example Creon's loneliness within the kingdom, and also she eventually stabs herself with the needle based on pain from Antigone being, well gone. With this, it is relational to the Greek myth of the thread cut and measured by the fates.
"Best Antigone Summary Video." YouTube. YouTube, 03 Oct. 2012. Web. 28
Mar. 2013. (video)
"Antigone."
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
(picture)
"Antigone Setting."
Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
"Antigone Summary." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar.
2013.
"Antigone." SparkNotes.
SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Mar. 2013. (video)
"Antigone."
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
(picture)
"Antigone Setting."
Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
"Antigone Summary." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar.
2013.
"Antigone." SparkNotes.
SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.