Flashcards for Antigone

Antigone

Antigone is the tragic hero of Sophocles' play, a princess of Thebes and the daughter of the doomed Oedipus.

character

Creon

Creon is the newly crowned King of Thebes and serves as the central antagonist-turned-tragic figure of the play.

character

Eurydice

Eurydice is the Queen of Thebes, married to Creon, and the mother of Haemon and the late Megareus.

character

Haemon

Haemon is the son of Creon and engaged to Antigone, caught between his duty to his father and his love for her in Sophocles' tragedy.

character

Ismene

Ismene is Antigone's younger sister and the only surviving daughter of Oedipus.

character

Polynices (referenced)

Polynices is an important off-stage figure in Sophocles' Antigone, whose corpse fuels the play's conflicts.

character

The Chorus

The Chorus in Sophocles' Antigone is made up of elderly Theban nobles who act as the play's moral and emotional guide, bridging the gap between the audience and the action on stage.

character

The Sentry

The Sentry is a minor yet dramatically crucial character in Antigone, acting as the messenger who connects the offstage realm of political wrongdoing with Creon's throne room.

character

Tiresias

Tiresias is the blind prophet of Thebes, and his crucial scene near the end of Antigone acts as the dramatic turning point of the play.

character

“The tyrant is a child of Pride who drinks from his sickening cup recklessness and vanity.”

This chilling warning comes from the Chorus in Sophocles' Antigone, delivered during one of the choral odes (stasima) that break up the dramatic action.

The Chorus

“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong.”

This line is spoken by Tiresias, the blind prophet of Thebes, during a crucial confrontation with Creon near the end of the play.

Tiresias

“Numberless are the world's wonders, but none more wonderful than man.”

This iconic line opens the renowned "Ode to Man" (the first stasimon), performed by the Chorus partway through Sophocles' Antigone.

Chorus · First Stasimon

“I have longer to please the dead than please the living here.”

This line is delivered by Antigone to her sister Ismene shortly after the play begins, following Antigone's revelation that she plans to go against King Creon's order and bury their brother Polynices.

Antigone · Prologue

“I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy.”

This bold statement comes from Antigone, the main character, early in the play as she shares her determination with her sister Ismene.

Antigone

“There is no happiness where there is no wisdom; no wisdom but in submission to the gods.”

These closing lines of Antigone are spoken by the Chorus, the group of Theban elders who provide moral commentary throughout the play.

Chorus · Exodus

“It is not for him to keep me from my own.”

This bold statement is made by Antigone to her sister Ismene at the beginning of Sophocles' Antigone.

Antigone · Prologue

“A man, though wise, should never be ashamed of learning more, and must unbend his mind.”

This line comes from Tiresias, the blind prophet of Thebes, and is directed towards Creon, the king, near the climax of Sophocles' Antigone.

Tiresias

“Go then, if you must, but know that you go against the will of those who love you.”

This line is spoken by Ismene to her sister Antigone early in Sophocles' Antigone.

Ismene

“Love, unconquerable, waster of rich men, keeper of warm lights and all-night vigil.”

This lyrical invocation opens the renowned "Ode to Eros" (Ode III), performed by the Chorus at a critical moment in Sophocles' Antigone.

Chorus · Third Choral Ode (Stasimon III)

Birds and Omens

In Antigone, birds and omens act as messengers connecting the divine and human worlds, indicating the gods' anger towards Creon's decisions.

Creon's Edict / Written Law

In Antigone, Creon's order that forbids the burial of Polyneices symbolizes the rigid nature of human-made laws and the absolute power that rulers often assert over public life.

Dust and Earth

In Antigone, dust and earth symbolize the divide between divine and human law, as well as the sacred duty to honor the dead.

Polynices' Unburied Body

In Antigone, the unburied body of Polynices highlights the clash between divine law and human authority.

The Tomb / Cave

In Antigone, the tomb symbolizes the clash between the living and the dead that drives the tragedy.

Dramatic Monologue

Several of Antigone's speeches serve as dramatic monologues where her strong, unwavering voice highlights the moral stakes of the play.

Irony

Sophocles fills Antigone with dramatic irony, allowing the audience, who knows the myth, to watch the characters move toward a disaster they can’t foresee.

Paradox

The play thrives on paradoxes that defy simple answers.

Symbolism

The unburied body of Polynices serves as the central symbol of the play, bringing together themes of civic duty, divine law, family loyalty, and the limits of political power into one stark reality.

Allusion

Sophocles' original audience would have been familiar with the mythological stories surrounding Thebes — the curse of Oedipus, the war of the Seven Against Thebes, and the deadly conflict between Eteocles and Polynices — all of which set the stage for the play and resonate throughout its lines.

Ode

The choral odes serve as the play's formal and philosophical backbone.

Anaphora

Anaphora drives the rhetorical impact of the play's most intense confrontations.

Personification

Abstract forces in Antigone are vividly personified, creating a world filled with active and dangerous powers.

Juxtaposition

Sophocles crafts Antigone by continuously placing opposing figures, values, and images in contrast.

Metaphor

Metaphor in Antigone often connects the political realm with the natural world, and vice versa.

Elegy

Though Antigone takes the form of a tragedy, its emotional essence is profoundly elegiac: it deeply explores themes of loss, burial, and the appropriate way to mourn the deceased.

Volta

The volta — the shift in argument or emotion — functions not just within individual speeches but also as a structural principle throughout the entire play.

proclamation

An official public announcement of a rule or decree, made by someone in authority. Here it refers to Creon's formal order about the burial of Polynices.

noun · Chapter 1

commander

The person holding supreme military and political authority; in this play, the newly installed ruler Creon who issues binding orders over the city.

noun · Chapter 1

subject to

Under the control or authority of someone more powerful, with no choice but to obey their commands.

phrase · Chapter 1

glory

Great honor and distinction earned through a courageous or noble act, especially one that others will remember and praise.

noun · Chapter 1

blasts

Powerful, violent rushes of air or force; used here figuratively to describe the fierce, destructive energy of an enemy's hatred.

noun · Chapter 2

Parodos

The first song sung by the Chorus as they march into the performance area at the opening of a Greek play, setting the scene and mood.

noun · Chapter 2

edict

An official order or law issued by a ruler that everyone under that ruler's authority must obey.

noun · Chapter 3

Ship of State

A metaphor treating the city or nation as a ship that must be steered carefully; loyalty to it means putting the community's survival above personal bonds.

phrase · Chapter 3

temper

The true character, disposition, and inner qualities of a person—not their mood, but the deeper nature that only reveals itself under pressure.

noun · Chapter 3

proved

Tested and shown to be what one truly is; here it means a person's real character is only revealed after they have faced the demands of holding power.

verb · Chapter 3

libations

Liquid offerings—wine, water, or oil—poured onto the ground or a grave as a religious ritual to honor the dead or the gods.

noun · Chapter 4

unwritten

Not set down in any human law or decree; referring to divine moral laws believed to come from the gods and to exist in every person's conscience.

adjective · Chapter 4

unfailing

Never breaking down, weakening, or ceasing to apply; absolutely reliable and permanent, unlike human rules that can be changed or ignored.

adjective · Chapter 4

mortal

Subject to death; belonging to the human world rather than the divine. Used here to contrast human rulers with the eternal authority of the gods.

adjective · Chapter 4

dweller

One who lives or resides permanently in a place; here it describes Justice as a being who inhabits the realm of the gods below, i.e., the underworld.

noun · Chapter 4

precedence

Greater importance or priority over something else; to take precedence means to matter more and therefore come first.

noun · Chapter 5

yields

Gives way; admits one is wrong and changes course rather than stubbornly holding to a bad decision.

verb · Chapter 6

repairs

Corrects or makes amends for a wrong that has already been done, restoring what was damaged by a bad decision.

verb · Chapter 6

blood-lust

A frenzied, unnatural craving for violence and killing; used here to describe the birds' wild, ominous behavior that the prophet reads as a divine sign.

noun · Chapter 6

omen

A sign or event believed to foretell future good or evil; prophets in ancient Greece interpreted natural phenomena as messages from the gods.

noun · Chapter 6

awe

A deep, reverent fear and respect, especially toward the gods; not mere admiration but a recognition of their overwhelming power over human life.

noun · Chapter 7

chiefest

An archaic superlative meaning the greatest or most important of all; an older form of 'chief' used to emphasize supreme importance.

adjective · Chapter 7

stricken

Struck down and severely afflicted by suffering or disaster; here it describes a heart laid low by the consequences of arrogant pride.

adjective · Chapter 7

kindred

Relating to family or blood relations; 'Zeus of kindred ties' refers to Zeus in his role as protector of family bonds and obligations.

adjective · Chapter 7

tolerate

To allow or put up with something one disapproves of without taking action to stop it; here Creon means he cannot permit defiance of his authority.

verb · Chapter 7