Antigone Part One (lines 1 -700) Reading Discussion

Welcome back readers.

This week we started the Oedipus Trilogy of plays by Sophocles, with Antigone. After a bit of trouble with the eBook formatting on my first choice of translators, I’m now reading a translation by Elizabeth Wyckoff, which so far has been really good. I don’t know if it’s just the particular translation that I’m reading but one thing that has stood out to me about Antigone is how modern the play feels. The drama so far has been great and I loved the speech we got from Antigone herself this week.

Next week we will be reading to the end of the play.

As usual, the questions will be in the comments.

Summary:

The play opens with the chorus giving us a short introduction to Antigone and her family. Then we turn to Antigone telling her sister, Ismene that she intends to bury their brother, Polynices. It turns out that this has been outlawed by the new King of Thebes (and their uncle) Creon, after Polynices killed their other brother Eteocles, in a war for the throne. Ismene tries to stop Antigone from breaking the law but fails.

In the next scene we meet Creon. Creon has a lot of opinions on what is right and what is wrong. It turns out that Creon has given Eteocles a proper religious burial, but not Polynices. Creon tells the chorus that he is sticking to his rules, because in his mind, Polynices turned against Thebes when he challenged his brother to the throne and brought in foreign troops to fight in his war. A guard appears and tells Creon that someone has attempted to cover Polynices’ body in soil. The guards are terrified that they will be blamed and executed, so they have removed the soil. There is some back and forth between Creon and the guard, who doesn’t want to be blamed for the burial.

Antigone is found soon after, trying to give her brother the proper burial rites (prayers and anointing him with oils before re-covering his body). Antigone is brought before the chorus (who are acting as a council) and Creon. She openly admits to her crime and boldly says that she would do it again. Creon decides to have no mercy; he declares that Antigone will be executed, alongside her sister (because Creon thinks that there can be no secrets between sisters).

There is some sympathy from the chorus, but Creon won’t listen. Antigone gives a stirring speech, before Ismene is brought out. Despite wanting nothing to do with the illegal burial earlier, Ismene claims to have been fully involved. She wants to be executed with her sister. Antigone tries to stop this but eventually seems to let Ismene make her own decision. The women are taken away.

The final scene is Creon speaking with his son (and Antigone’s betrothed), Haemon. Haemon claims that he is on his father’s side but warns Creon that there are rumours spreading around the city about his harshness.