Monday, December 15, 2008

Antigone Discussion Questions

Loyalty or obligation to family: Throughout the text, there are numerous cases where the value of loyalty and obligation to family is tested. In the end of this text, nearly all family ties have been broken for one reason or another. Why is it important to the characters in this text? How and why are these family ties tested and broken? What does it teaches us about the importance of family?

Obedience to civil law: Creon states that anarchy is the greatest of evils, and that good lives are made through discipline and lawfulness (3:42-47). How does this line of thinking explain Creon’s judgments? Discuss how Creon’s emphatic support of this value is a positive and negative quality as a leader.

Observance of religious law: Antigone was originally written by Sophocles to be performed at a religious festival. How does this relate to author’s intent and the text’s treatment of the importance of observing religious law? Provide specific examples from the text to defend your answer.

Protection of Personal Dignity: If “personal dignity” is defined as “an individual’s own self-respect,” many characters in Antigone work to maintain theirs. Conflict occurs in the play when one character’s personal dignity interferes with what another character thinks is right. Keeping this in mind, explore what the play teaches us about the importance of protecting not you’re your own personal dignity but that of others as well?

Freedom: Some people say freedom is a state of mind. Other people say that freedom is the right to choose actions for yourself. Still others say freedom is a basic human right. Keeping these things in mind, examine the topic of freedom using Antigone as your guide. Be sure to look at the words and actions of particular characters to see what we in the 21st century can learn from this ancient text.

Protection of Community or Nation: Thebes has undergone an extremely stressful time before the play begins. Oedipus’ family seems plagued by the gods. The city has been in the state of civil war since Etocles would not surrender the throne to Polyneices as promised. Creon comes to the throne untested, and he rules with “an iron fist.” Explore how effective Creon’s rule of Thebes is keeping in mind the gains and losses he, his family, and the city have experienced.

This play includes many allusions. An allusion is a reference to a person in literature the author expects the audience to know. Explore how the use of allusion is used in the play and how does its use deepen the understanding of the text?

Scene Three shows the conflict between Haemon and Creon. How does this conflict illustrate the characters’ differences in values? How does this one scene act as microcosm of the play as a whole?