What happened in Scene 1 of Antigone?
Scene One: Antigone tries to convince her sister Ismene to join her in burying their brother Polynices. Ismene refuses, because their uncle Creon has decreed that anyone who does will pay the penalty of death. Ismene joins them and tries to take Antigone’s side, but Antigone refuses to share her fate or her glory.
What is the main idea of Excerpt 1 of Antigone?
The Chorus sings an ode about how man dominates the earth and how only death can master him. But it warns that man should use his powers only in accordance with the laws of the land and the justice of the gods; society cannot tolerate those who exert their will to reckless ends.
What is Antigone’s objective in her first scene with Ismene?
Antigone tells Ismene of her plans to bury their brother Polynices in defiance of Creon’s orders. When Ismene refuses to join her sister, pleading their weakness as women and subjects of Creon, Antigone leaves her angrily, determined to bury her brother, even if it means her own death.
What is Ismene’s role in Antigone?
Ismene, no less than Creon, represents the forces of human law and convention. Antigone, by contrast, is openly prepared to defy Creon and all that he represents, in order to do what’s right by all that’s just and holy.
Why does Antigone want to bury Polyneices?
Why Did Antigone Bury Polyneices? Antigone buried her brother out of devotion and loyalty to both the Gods and her family. Without one or the other, she would not have had the courage or thought of going against Creon’s law and putting her life out on the line.
What is the most important scene in Antigone?
The opening scene of the play is of great significance. In it, Antigone discusses the central conflict of the play—her piety and devotion to her brother Polynices against the edict of Creon, king of Thebes and her uncle.
What is the moral lesson of Antigone?
In Antigone, the moral of the story is that of fate. This moral is incorporated through the actions of both Creon and Antigone. The moral also corresponds with a recurring theme of the abuse of power, something that Creon is more than guilty of.
What is the conflict between Antigone and Ismene?
Antigone and Ismene fight over the importance of family loyalty vs. civic duty. Antigone believes honoring the dead is more important than human laws. Creon believes his law is more important than honoring the dead.
Who is stronger Antigone or Ismene?
In the most basic sense, Antigone is the more strong-willed of the two sisters, while Ismene is compliant. Antigone is willing to defy Creon’s decree at any cost, including death, while Ismene tries to persuade her sister to obey the law, and thus King Creon himself.
What is Antigone afraid of?
Antigone not only believed everyone had the right to be buried and that no one could take that away; but that it dishonored the laws the gods honored as well. Ismene was only shocked that Antigone will disobey the law and refused to help because unlike Antigone, she was afraid of the consequences.
Why did Creon not bury Polyneices?
Creon exiled Oedipus from Thebes after Oedipus killed his father and married his mother. Creon also declared that Polyneices would not receive a proper burial because he committed treason against his own city.
Is Antigone ever apologetic for burying Polyneices?
Though Antigone bemoans her fate and believes death is a cruel and unnecessary punishment for burying Polyneices, she is never apologetic for actually covering his body. She believes until the end that she did the right thing.
Who is Antigone in love with in Sophocles?
Antigone is engaged to Creon’s son, Haemon, and the two of them are very much in love. But Creon is as unyielding in his allegiance to the rule of law as Antigone is to the unwritten traditional rules of the gods. Haemon comes to Creon to ask him to reconsider.
Who are the two sons of Oedipus that died in Antigone?
Antigone Summary. As the play begins, the invading army of Argos has been driven from Thebes, but in the course of the battle, two sons of Oedipus (Eteocles and Polynices) have died fighting for opposing sides.
Who is sympathetic to Antigone’s desire to bury her brother?
But Creon is as unyielding in his allegiance to the rule of law as Antigone is to the unwritten traditional rules of the gods. Haemon comes to Creon to ask him to reconsider. The citizens of Thebes are sympathetic to Antigone’s desire to bury her brother, but are too afraid of Creon to speak up.
What is the conflict between Antigone and Creon?
The opening events of the play quickly establish the central conflict. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices must not be given proper burial, and Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insist on the sacredness of family.