Antigone Notes

* Ismene is for the submissive role of women, quote on page 4 * On page 13 Creon talks about taming Antigone. Antigone needs to be tamed because women are supposed to be submissive and Creon’s ability to rule is in his ability to have everyone, especially women submissive. * On page 14, Creon’s comment about snakes suggests that women are snake like in nature, with a manipulative duplicity to their nature. He suggests that women hide their evil qualities behind attractive looks. * Creon thinks that all women are all the same

* “It’s very important to keep women strictly disciplined” page 15 * “If I must lose my throne, let it be a man that takes it from me. I can’t have people saying my will has been defeated by a woman.” Creon on page 17 * “Deprived of my chance to marry and raise children” Antigone on page 22. She recognizes how these play a role in her being a woman and it’s notable that she finds it notable that she will be missing out on marriage and children. Individual vs Society

* Antigone is the first to go against societal norms, when she goes against Creon. Although she does so in honour of the gods * There is a sense of Antigone being an isolated force, not even her sister agrees with her * A Doll’s House – both Nora and Antigone disobey society for the people they love * Creon vs Society – on page 13 when Antigone says “these men are on my side, but they daren’t say so” , everyone is on her side but they cannot speak up. Creon has lost sight of what the country actually wants. * Creon vs Society – Haemon comments on page 18 , “You can see the trees…to survive the flood” …Standing still and alone against the tide will bring about the downfall of the individual ? * Page 22 and 23 as Antigone goes to de condemning society * “ I’m not. I’m simply powerless to act against the city’s laws.” – Page 4, Isme Youth vs Age

* Qualities associated with age
* Page 18 “Am I to stand here and be lectured to by a kid? A man of my experience?” – Creon after being talked to by Haemon * Page 23 “It’s old Teiresias. What’s up, old fellow?” * Page 9, “Shut up before I lose my temper. You may be old, try not to be foolish as well” – does Creon believe that age brings foolishness? What about himself? * Page 18, Haemon says “I may be young, but judge me by the facts.” * Page 19, Haemon says to his father, “You are talking like an adolescent now.” * Creon views youthful people as irrational ?

* ”All old men have learned to be sensible; but their juniors will not take the lesson as proved.” * Those that have not experienced god’s wrath are still drawn to challenge him Morals vs The gods

* On Page 4, Antigone is completely brazen in her reverence of the gods, “I intend to give my brother burial. I’ll be glad to die in the attempt – if it’s a crime, then it’s a crime that god commands.” * The Chorus is there to highlight the power of the gods over the power of man- their message seems to be if the gods are against you there is no hope for you * Creon is more interested in worldly powers than he is in the power of the gods. He only explicitly talks to/ refers to god at the end, after the disaster that acts as deux ex machina , forcing Creon to finally submit to the gods * “All other loyalties are subject to our country’s interests.” – Creon on page 7. He thinks that even loyalties to the gods come second to the country, a country that he is in control of. * Creon’s thought process is centred around man and his failure to keep away from lusts like women and money. He struggles to believe that Haemon’s interference is not because of his lust for Antigone, and that Antigone buried her brother for honour. * Page 9, Creon sees all his laws as just. He believes that gods punish people that disobey him because he feels they should. He feels he knows the will of the gods, presuming that he is in himself a sort of god. * We also think that the chorus is trying to stress the need for a balance. * Both Antigone and Creon are both short-sighted in their un wavering opinions, it’s fairly tragic. * Antigone on page 12

* Antigone and Haemon take the roles of the gods when they kill themselves and as such their ‘marriage is consummated in hell’ Life vs Death
* There is an importance to how one enters the afterlife because life is temporary but life after death is eternal
* No human can fight death page 10 and 23
* Creon may value life over death because in life he can be in control but in death the gods have power over him. * There seems to be a middle place between life and the afterlife. Polynicies is not alive but not dead in that he is waiting to be taken to the afterlife, and all this is in the hands of Antigone’s actions and the gods. * Death id an uncontrollable force, on page 30 Creon says “ I invite death. Or do you only come uninvited?” TRADEGDY

* Oedipus is said to be the only Greek tragedy that follows all the rules of a tragedy. * It’s all to do with the plot. Plot is key
* The plot has to be complete. ‘Unity of action.’ – Everything is connected. There is a cause and effect continuum. Everything works together . * Mimesis. – an imitation of action. It’s meant to show rather than tell a story. It’s not a narrative, it’s not telling a story, it’s showing. * The idea of fate.

* Tragedy arouses pity and fear in the audience
* Character and characterization.
* Nobility of Spirit – Megalopsychia – a potential of greatness – this makes the audience care about the character * They have this greatness but they have this flaw. (Hamartia) * Hubris –> a type of tragic flaw, it is arrogance, thinking you know better and not being able to accept your flaws. Creon has this. * Characters are true to life, realistic in their thinking * There is a consistency, they are true to themselves and their believes * Tragic hero goes through transition by the end of the tragedy he has a better understanding of himself and his existence * Anagnorisis a moment of recognition Creon has this at the end * Uneasiness from the beginning , then it builds to the climax * The tragedy then ends with a catharsis a cleansing, a purging of the emotions for the audience