Antigone Study Guide
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Oedipus Rex
1
Who is Oedipus’ father?
2
Who is Oedipus’ mother?
3
What prophecy did the Oracle of
Delphi give the family?
4
Who is Oedipus raised to believe
were his parents?
5
After hearing his prophecy, Oedipus
journeys away. What happens on his
journey?
6
Who is the Sphinx?
7
What is the riddle of the Sphinx?
Explain.
8
What does Oedipus receive as his
reward for defeating the Sphinx?
9
10
Who must Oedipus find in order to
save Thebes from the pestilence that
has befallen the city?
How did Queen Jocasta and King
Oedipus react to the news that the
servant brought?
Antigone
1
Who is the author of Antigone?
2
In which city does the play take
place?
Prologue
3
Which brother is buried?
4
Which brother has Creon refused to
bury?
5
By Creon’s decree, what will happen
to anyone that buries this “enemy”
brother?
6
Which sister decides it is her family
duty to bury the unburied brother?
7
Which sister refuses to take part in the
burial?
Powerful Quote
8
“It is the dead, not the living, who make the longest demands: we die for
ever…”
What type of death does Antigone
believe is the worst type of death?
Parados
Summarize
Scene I
9
Who is the new king of Thebes?
10
What is an extended metaphor?
11
What is the ship?
The recent storms?
The harbor?
12
Does Creon believe in nepotism?
Explain.
13
What is a sentry?
14
What message does he deliver to
Creon reluctantly?
15
Who does Creon initially blame for
the crime? What is their motivation?
Powerful Quote
Line 156: “How dreadful it is when the right judge judges wrong.”
Ode I
16
What is the most powerful of all
earth’s wonders?
Summarize
Scene II
17
Who does the sentry catch burying
Polyneices for the second time?
18
Which laws does Antigone claim to
be following?
19
What is Antigone’s “double
insolence”? (Line 92)
20
Who does Creon declare guilty by
association?
21
Give an example of the use of
personification in the scene.
Ode II
Summarize
Scene III
22
Who is Haimon?
23
How does Creon believe that a son
should behave?
24
Should all laws created by the
government be obeyed?
25
What is anarchy?
26
What does Haimon say the public is
really feeling about Antigone’s
criminal act?
27
What does Haimon believe is Creon’s
tragic flaw?
28
To what two things does Haimon
compare Creon’s decision-making?
(Line 83)
29
What does line 125 foreshadow?
30
How does Creon change his decision?
31
How has Antigone’s sentence been
altered?
Ode III
32
What is blamed for Haimon’s anger
towards his father?
Scene IV
33
What is different about Antigone in
this opening speech (Line 5-10)
34
What does Antigone blame for all of
her problems?
35
What is the “infection” of all of
Antigone’s family?
Powerful Quote
Your marriage strikes from the grave to murder mine
Ode IV
36
What are the alternating stanzas of the
odes called?
37
Summarize
-Danae
-Lycorgos
Scene V
38
What is Teiresias’ disability?
39
Why is this ironic?
40
What is the message that Teiresias
brings to Creon?
41
Again, what does Creon blame for the
message he receives?
42
What is Teiresias inferring when he
says that Creon will find his words
“too costly”?
43
What does Teiresias say Creon has
kept from the gods?
44
Creon realizes his tragic flaw. What
is it?
45
What has Creon decided at the end of
Scene 5?
Paean
46
What god does the Paean honor?
Exodus
47
Who is the first person the messenger
reveals is dead?
48
How did this character die?
49
Who is Eurydice?
50
How does she react when she learns
of the death of her son? Initially and
finally
51
What has happened to Antigone?