essay three: here are some questions to think about concerning the play antigone. use one or more of them to develop a theses for your third
Essay Three: Here are some questions to think about concerning the
play Antigone. Use one or more of them to develop a theses for your
third essay. These questions may also bring up new ideas of your own.
Feel free to develop a thesis on your own also.
Is Antigone concerned with personal glory, family matters, or the
proper burial of her brother?
Did Ishmene do the right” thing in urging caution and not helping
Antigone?
What were the values that Creon held very dear?
Is Creon a tragic figure? Do you feel sympathy for him at the end as
someone who initially tried to do good yet was overwhelmed by
circumstance, or do you believe that he is a bullying, misogynistic
control-freak who gets what he deserves?
What makes Antigone a tragic figure? Think about what, exactly, you
mean by such words as "tragedy" and "tragic".
Why does Antigone chose to commit suicide? Does it suggest her
mother's death, or is there an important difference?
What social and religious values are in conflict in this play and
which of the main characters holds which of these values?
Is the ending of the play justified?
Who is the true tragic hero in this play—Antigone, Creon, or Haemon?
How are Antigone and Haemon parallel to Romeo and Juliet?
What is Antigone’s flaw?
Is the death penalty a fitting punishment for Antigone's crime?
Explain. How does she defend herself?
What does family loyalty have to do with Creon's insistence on
carrying out the sentence? What does he hope to prove?
Why is Antigone not stoned to death as the first proclamation stated?
Explain the deaths of Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice. Why did they
consider suicide a viable "out"? What measures could each have taken
to effectively deal with their situations?
How does gender bias affect Creon's decision to stand by his original
decree? Why does he include Ismene in the sentence?
Here are some possible themes for Antigone. Select one and explain it
in the context of the play.
Pride
Individual versus State
Conscience versus Law; Moral or Divine Law versus Human Law
Gender: the Position of Women
The Threat of Tyranny