Elizabeth Shaji Ms. Gibber English 10H-3 9 November 2011 Antigone Discussion Questions 1.

Why does Antigone feel it is her duty to bury Polyneices? Why doesnt Ismene? Antigone feels that it is her duty to bury Polyneices because he is her brother, and it was a sacred duty to bury the dead so that they could pass the river that encircles the kingdom of death. She disobeyed Creons commandment, but followed the scared/religious laws. Ismene doesnt feel the same way, because hes considered a disloyal, dead Theban for having sided with the enemy. Creon denies Polyneices burial. Because of that, Ismene refuses to go against Creon.

2. What does Ismene mean when she says, We are only women; we cant fight with men? How does this statement relate to Antigones saying her crime is holy? What is the implication? Ismene means she is unwilling to do the right thing if it means standing up to a man especially Creon. Antigone states that even though the burial is considered a crime in her uncles eyes, it is her god-given duty to burn him. The implication is that the crime is punishable by death.

3. Ismene says, Impossible things should not be tried at all. If this were so, how would the world be different? If this were true, the world would be different, because women wouldve never tried to break free from over-controlling men.

4. Why does Creon refuse to bury Polyneices? What does his fear indicate? Creon threatens to torture the sentry before killing to him if this order is disobeyed. What does this indicate about his ability to govern? Creon refuses to bury Polyneices, because he was disloyal. The issuing and the enforcing of a harsh decree (outlaw burying disloyal) causes fear. He doesnt like it when people disobey him. He has a strong ability to govern.

5. Why does the sentry bring Antigone to Creon despite knowing she will be executed? Is the death penalty a fitting punishment for Antigones crime? Explain. How does she defend herself? The sentry brings Antigone to Creon to save himself from the kings threat to kill him if he doesnt find the culprit. No, because she is doing something just. She defends herself by saying that others in the city will think the burial is fair.

6. How does gender bias affect Creons decision to stand by his original decree? Why does he include Ismene in the sentence? It is in his opinions that gender bias affects Creons decision. He disdains women. He describes them as all alike and completely replaceable in their one use for society. He included Ismene in the sentence because although she was innocent, she still requested to die beside her sister and he claimed she was in on the plan. 7. What does family loyalty have to do with Creons insistence on carrying out the sentence? What does he hope to prove? Creons insistence on carrying out the sentence was affected by family loyalty because Creon had to choose between staying loyal to the family or to keep his own decree. By punishing Antigone, Creon seeks to uphold his position as King and proves himself to be a fair leader. By doing so, he begins a chain of events that destroys his own family.

8. Haemon says that Creon is surrounded by men afraid to speak the truth. Do yes men influence business and politics today? So you ever find yourself saying what people expect to hear, not what you really think? Explain. Yes, they suck up to a higher authority. Yes, if it is necessary.

9. Creon argues that its not right for a man to go to school on a boy. Whats inherently wrong with this reasoning? Have you ever learned a valuable lesson from someone younger than you? Explain. Creon argues that its not worth listening to anyone younger than you. You could definitely learn a valuable lesson from someone younger than you, because they have a different perspective than yours.

10. Teiresias tells Creon, The only crime is pride. What does he mean by this? How can pride lead to faulty judgment? Can poor decisions be rectified? How? Teiresais mean that the only fault or wrongdoing you can commit is thinking you have no error in your ways. If your pride is so great that you refuse to admit you are in error, then you may be committing something wrong. Poor decisions can sometimes be rectified if resolved in a specific period of time.

11. Explain the deaths of Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice. Why did they consider suicide a viable out? What measures could each have taken to effectively deal with their situations? Antigone hangs herself, because shes buried alive in a cave. Basically, it was between a long, slow death and getting it over with. She couldve avoided it by not protesting so vocally against the king or coming up with a compromise instead of disobeying a direct order. Haemon commits suicide because he basically has to pick between his father and his lover. He couldve been more reasonable and less quick-tempered, and again, tried to compromise, because they went to release Antigone later. Eurydice really didnt do anything wrong. She committed suicide because she was upset about her sons suicide. All of this couldve been prevented if Creon were a bit more reasonable.

12. What lessons learned from this drama could be applied to your life? Explain. We shouldnt have too much pride. Dont make important decisions when you are not right in the head. Follow the law when you have to. Stay loyal to your family. Dont do anything too late.