Derek Stoeckmann 1/20/08

“Antigone” Test ClementsP.1

1: In the play I consider both Antigone and Creon important characters. Although I believe that
Antigone is more of a tragic hero, while Creon is the protagonist. I believe this because a tragic hero is
defined as a hero between two extremes. Thus, I believe that Creon is a person who is at the extremes
and Antigone has thoughts of a normal human being and just wants her brother to have a burial to
respect him.

2: Creon sets forth a very powerful type of rulership. He sets that he is an almighty dictator of
Thebes. He remains true to that vision because throughout the play he says that he doesn’t care what
the people of Thebes want or talk about, the right decision is what Creon says. I consider Creon’s
most important mistake is that he doesn’t listen to the people he rules over. This is his most
important mistake because he finds out that people are talking about him behind his back and he gets
very perturbed. This is also important because he might have gotten overthrown.

3: Ismene aligns herself with very important powers. In the play she aligns herself with the gods. Her
mission is more for religious piety than for personal concerns. Her mission is more for religious piety
because she aligns with the gods so her brother does not have his soul wander forever, because he
wasn’t given a proper burial. Her mission also involves personal concerns like her brother’s spirt
andering forever in the underworld, but the main point is for religious reasons, so no; it is not an
unfair interpretaton.

4: gender plays a big role in this tragic poem. In the beginning when the body was buried Creon
presumes it was a man, because no woman would dare think about going against the rules. Gender
also results in many deaths. For example Creons family all commits suicide because of his actions
toward Antigons who happens to be his son’s bride. Also Creon’s wife commits suicide because she
can’t stand to be around an evil man like him. So gender played an important role in this play for
other reasons as well like Creon saying that a woman doesn’t matter, you can get a new wife to
Antigone. I feel that the aauthor felt women were not equal, but there treatment should improve. He
felt that women can think the same thoughts as men can, but that they should do different things
then men, like for instance go out and be a merchant. A women was supposed to stay home and take
care of the home and children.