 |
Menu
All lessons based on Elements of Literature published by Holt,
Rinehart and Winston.
Lesson 1 - Introduction
Reading:
Pages 685-687 "Greek Drama: Out of Ritual"
Pages 688-689 "The Story of Oedipus"
Page 690 "Before You Read"
Page 738 "Meet the Writer"
Page 739 "Connections"
Background:
According to Greek mythology, Dionysos was the son of Zeus (chief of the
gods) and the mortal Semele, a daughter of Kadmos (or Cadmus). To protect
Dionysos fro the wrath of Zeus's wife, Hera, he was taken as a child to
Mount Nysa, where mountain nymphs took care of him.
The cult of Dionysos celebrated his half-mortal, half-divine identity
as well as the annual cycle of death and rebirth. It was thought that Dionysos
not only freed worshipers from the restraints of reason, but also inspired
poets and artists to divine creativity. As the Dionysian rituals became
associated with dramatic productions, celebrations in the god's honor became
more formal and ceremonial.
* * *
Sphinxes were part of the mythologies of many Mediterranean and Middle
Eastern cultures; each was a mix of a lion with either another animal or
a human. Perhaps the best-known sphinx is the Great Sphinx, a monument
outside Giza, Egypt. Some 240 feet long and 66 feet high, the Great Sphinx
was already an antiquity by the time of Sophocles, having been built around
2500 BCE. King Khafre may have had it constructed; the Sphinx's face is
said to bear his likeness.
* * *
The city of Delphi was home to the chief temple of the god Apollo. Not
only individuals but also city governments consulted the oracle there.
The oracle was believed to speak the words of Apollo while in a frenzy;
priests would interpret the oracle's speech for the many who came to Delphi
for counsel.
* * *
Critic Bernard Knox points out that funeral rites in ancient Greece were
"the duty and privilege of the women." As Antigone and Ismene are the last
survivors of Oedipus's family," . . . it seems to Antigone that Creon's
decree is aimed specifically at them. . . . She takes it for granted Ismene
will help her and turns . . . contemptuously and harshly against her when
she refuses."
Literary Techniques and Terms:
-
Prologue
-
Tragedy
-
Tragic Hero
-
Catharsis
-
Tragic Flaw
Cooperative Learning: Due Next Class
Consult with a partner on the following questions. You may choose a partner
from this class, your family, someone else from school, or another class.
Write your answer down on paper and have your partner sign it. Each student
in my class must have his or her own copy of the answers. Be prepared to
discuss your answer in class.
-
Explain each of the following quotes and suggest how each author's thought
mirrors or differs from the ways in which ancient Greeks thought about
drama as discussed in "Greek Drama: Out of Ritual."
-
"I am convinced that there are absolutely unbreakable rules in the theater,
and that it doesn't matter how good you are, you can't break them. . .
. The theater is all about wanting things that you can or can't have or
do or do not get." (Marsha Norman)
-
"A talent for drama is not a talent for drama is not a talent for writing,
but is an ability to articulate human relationships." (Gore Vidal)
-
"We have to remember that, maybe more than any other art, the play lacks
independence as an artifact. It is a set of relationships. There really
are no characters in plays; there are relationships. Where there
are only characters and no relationships, we have an unsatisfactory play."
(Arthur Miller)
-
Why did the play competitions in ancient Greece include satyr plays as
well as tragedies and comedies?
-
What would it take for a modern audience to accept actors in masks?
-
Why did the Oedipus story have such a powerful hold on Greek thinking?
Art: Due in Two Classes (Date: )
As an individual or one of a pair of students, try telling the Oedipus
story in a comic-book or storyboard format. Plan the scenes ahead of time
and include dialogue that is faithful to the action. and story. Choose
a format that will be able to be displayed.
Short Answer: Due Next Class (Type your answer or write it on loose
leaf or theme tablet.)
-
Name two people who had a major part in changing the ritual worship of
Dionysos into drama as we know it. Explain what each person did.
-
What was the Dionysia?
-
What is at least one advantage of the masks used in ancient Greek drama?
-
What story about Antigone's father did the Greek audiences know?
-
What is the basis of the conflict between Creon and Antigone?
In Class:
As a class we should make a chart of the pros and cons regarding defiance
of authority out of conscience. We will follow the following form:
| Pros |
Cons |
-
defiance may bring about change
-
next one
-
next one
-
next one
|
-
defiance may result in punishment or death
-
next one
-
next one
-
next one
|
Lesson 2 - Prologue and Parodos
| Protagonists: |
Creon, Antigone |
| Antagonists: |
Antigone, Creon |
| Conflicts: |
Person vs. person; person vs. self; person vs. society; human law vs.
spiritual law |
| Setting: |
Thebes, the mythological past: outside the city palace during one day |
Reading:
-
Pages 693-699 Prologue and Parodos
Background:
The Greeks believed that the spirit of a dead person could enter Hades
only after the body had been purified and buried. Until the proper rites
were performed, the person hovered at the gate of Hades, neither alive
nor completely dead.
* * *
Women in ancient Greece had to depend on male relatives for support. Girls
married when they were thirteen or fourteen, and their husbands often were
more than twice their age. Women in wealthy households were secluded, had
no legal rights, and did not inherit property. If a woman's husband died,
a man in her family, her guardian, would try to find her another husband.
Literary Techniques and Terms:
Cooperative Learning: Due Next Class
Consult with a partner on the following questions. You may choose a partner
from this class, your family, someone else from school, or another class.
Write your answer down on paper and have your partner sign it. Each student
in my class must have his or her own copy of the answers. Be prepared to
discuss your answer in class.
-
Teiresias is a blind prophet. How important might the detail of the prophet's
blindness be to the story?
-
How are Antigone and Ismene contrasted in the first lines of the play?
-
In lines 25-26, what loaded words does Antigone use?
-
In line 35, what does this statement reveal about Antigone?
-
In one sentence, express Ismene's argument against aiding Antigone as she
explains it in lines 36-53.
-
Which of Antigone's last lines (76-81) are meant to produce the most emotional
effect?
-
How does the Parodos differ in tone and content from the Prologue?
-
Answer questions 2, 4, 5 and 9 on page 699.
Vocabulary:
Lesson 3 - Scene 1 and Ode
1
Reading:
-
Pages 700-706 Scene 1 and Ode 1
Background:
The original audience for Antigone might have read between the lines
in Creon's first speech to the Chorus (lines 21- 35). They might have seen
some political commentary. Athens was a democracy, but there were memories
of its previous rulers, who worked hard to preserve their family identities-and
their family welfare. Even in the democracy, aristocratic families were
known to promote their own interests. Thus, it would have been important
for the audience to hear Creon distancing himself from Polyneices, a rebellious
family member, and decrying nepotism.
Literary Terms and Techniques:
-
Translations
-
Ode
-
Internal Conflict
Cooperative Learning: Due Next Class
Consult with a partner on the following questions. You may choose a partner
from this class, your family, someone else from school, or another class.
Write your answer down on paper and have your partner sign it. Each student
in my class must have his or her own copy of the answers. Be prepared to
discuss your answer in class.
-
In Creon's first words to the Chorus, what were the "storms" that threatened
to destroy the Ship of State?
-
What reasons does Creon give for not allowing Polyneices to be buried?
-
How does the end of Creon's speech differ from the beginning (lines 45-49)?
-
How does the Choragos feel about Creon's command (lines 56-59)?
-
How do you know this?
-
What do lines 64-65 reveal about Creon's character?
-
How does the arrival of the Sentry affect this scene?
-
What news is the Sentry reluctant to deliver?
-
How does the Sentry's announcement-there is evidence that Creon's command
has been disobeyed-affect the action of the plot?
-
Retell the order of events of the Sentry's story in lines 98-112.
-
After reading the first three verses of Ode 1, state the main idea of the
first three verses.
-
On the basis of the final verse of Ode 1, why do you think the Chorus supports
Creon.
Short Answer: Due Next Class (Type your answer or write it on loose
leaf or theme tablet.)
-
Answer questions 2, 4, 7 on page 706.
Vocabulary:
-
comprehensive
-
senile
-
sententiously
-
lithe
Extra:
Architecture: Design a monument to honor Eteocles. You might study
some modern military monuments for ideas, or you may prefer to be completely
original. You may or may not incorporate elements of Greek design.
Fine Arts: Design costumes for the characters in this play. You
could study styles common in ancient Greece, or you might incorporate Greek
elements into more contemporary styles. Be prepared to display your sketches
in class.
Lesson 4 -
Scene 2 and Ode 2
Reading:
-
Page 707-714 Scene 2 and Ode 2
Background:
Creon's comment about his nieces (lines 148-150) underscores Ismene's role
as a foil to Antigone. Ismene's main purpose in the play is to emphasize,
through her own weakness, Antigone's strength.
* * *
The drawing on page 712 is a reproduction of a frieze, a sculptured
band that winds around a building. This frieze was probably part of a Greek
temple and sculpted out of a part of the building that served no structural
purpose, but instead was purely decorative.
* * *
The curse that afflicts the royal family is a thread that runs throughout
the play. In Ode 2, the Chorus identifies Antigone's suffering as a consequence
of the sin and downfall of Oedipus.
* * *
Notice that the language of Ode 2 is more metaphorical and alliterative
than that of the dialogue. The ode also contains several historical and
mythological allusions, whereas the dialogue is more plainly spoken.
Literary Terms and Techniques:
Cooperative Learning: Due Next Class
Consult with a partner on the following questions. You may choose a partner
from this class, your family, someone else from school, or another class.
Write your answer down on paper and have your partner sign it. Each student
in my class must have his or her own copy of the answers. Be prepared to
discuss your answer in class.
-
In lines 18-20, what does Creon's reaction suggest about his relationship
with Antigone?
-
Why has Antigone violated Creon's decree (lines 56-63)?
-
How do you feel about Creon's accusation of Ismene (lines 86-92)?
-
In lines 106-118, What is Creon's main point and what is Antigone's?
-
Lines 119-127 have contrasting images of Ismene, one from the Choragos
and one from Creon. What are they?
-
In this scene, Ismene wants to join Antigone in the death sentence. From
what you know of her, what do you think is her motivation?
-
From what you know of Antigone, why do you think she rejects Ismene and
excludes her from the death sentence?
Preparation: Prepare Now for a Writing Assignment Later
As you continue to read the play, consider which character, Antigone or
Creon, suffers more in this play. Depending on which character you choose,
how much blame should the other character shoulder?
Short Answer: Due Next Class (Type your answer or write it on loose leaf
or theme tablet.)
-
Answer question 1, 2, & 6 on page 714.
Vocabulary:
-
insolence
-
waver
-
transcends
Extra:
Written: Answer question 8 found on page 714. Be specific about
the historical or contemporary example that you choose for your answer.
Vocabulary: Complete the exercise found on page 715 about Greek
and Latin Roots. Please set this up neatly on cards or have it word processed.
Lesson 5 -
Scene 3 and Ode 3
Reading:
-
Pages 716-722 Scene 3, Ode 3
Background:
Although in Scene 1 Creon claims to represent the State, in Scene 3 he
refuses to accept the idea that his subjects support Antigone. "And the
City proposes to teach me how to rule?" he demands (line 103). Finally,
he gives up all pretense of representation and declares, "The State is
the king!" (line 107).
Literary critic Bernard Knox writes, "This autocratic phrase puts the
finishing touch to the picture Sophocles is drawing for his audience: Creon
has now displayed . . . the characteristics of the tyrant, "a despotic
ruler who seizes power and retains it by intimidation and force." It is
important to realize that Athenian audiences despised tyrants because tyrants
ruled Athens for about a hundred years before a democratic government was
established in 508 BCE. (The Elements of Literature, TE, p.319)
Literary Terms and Techniques:
-
Figurative Language
-
Tanka
-
Haiku
Cooperative Learning: Due Next Class
Consult with a partner on the following questions. You may choose a partner
from this class, your family, someone else from school, or another class.
Write your answer down on paper and have your partner sign it. Each student
in my class must have his or her own copy of the answers. Be prepared to
discuss your answer in class.
-
In lines 19-33, what is ironic about Creon's advice regarding Antigone?
-
Look at lines 35-36 and describe the kind of leader that would say these
words.
-
From lines 45-48, what would you say Creon fears most?
-
What is Haimon's main argument in lines 51-67?
-
What is Haimon's tone in the lines 51-67?
-
Why does the Choragos refuse to take sides in lines 92-94?
-
Lines 111-112 has Haimon expressing an opinion. How is his opinion like
Antigone's? What did she say that was similar?
-
What does Haimon mean in line 119?
-
How has Haimon's attitude changed from the beginning of this scene to the
end?
Staging: Prepare to play this scene in class. Emphasize lines 42-68
and 95-107. There is a great deal of emotion here. How do you think it
should be presented?
In Scene 3 there is great power in the dialogue between Haimon and Creon.
It is a verbal sparring match-and yet certainly some of the scene's dramatic
tension lies in how the actors present themselves on stage. Try out different
ways of positioning and moving themselves in relation to each other (and
possibly to the Choragos).How do the different possibilities affect your
understanding of the text.
Improvisation: If the actors who play Haimon and Creon truly
know their parts, I will have people try to mend the argument between them
and let the actors behave as the characters would.
Vocabulary:
-
autocratic
-
deference
-
malicious
-
somberly
-
piety
Short Answer: Due Next Class (Type your answer or write it on loose
leaf or theme tablet.)
-
Answer questions 3 and 4 on page 722.
Extra:
Written: Answer question 9 and give specific examples.
Creative Writing: React to Haimon by writing an impressionistic
poem-perhaps a haiku or tanka (see page 570). The poem can either praise
Haimon for his bravery in standing up to his father or condemn him for
his ineffectuality. You could choose another quality of Haimon's altogether.
Try not to go into too much detail; the poems should present a single feeling.
You might try copying your poem onto decorative scrolls or imitation
parchment or paper fans.
Written: Ode 3 is a rather bitter commentary on love. Discuss
or write about the view of love given in Ode 3. Why does the Chorus give
only one view of love? Suggest some of the Strengths of love.
Lesson 6 -
Scene 4 and Ode 4
Reading:
-
Pages 723-727 Scene 4, Ode 4
Background:
Antigone holds to a classical Greek view of the afterlife: Although it
is a place where there are "no more tears" (line 32) and where there may
be some reunion with those who have gone before (lines 61-62), it also
is a place without warmth and music (lines 9-10), a place of darkness (line
32), and a place of "thin ghosts" (line 60). Indeed, part of Antigone's
heroism lies in her willingness to consign herself to a place of such mixed
happiness and gloom.
Literary Terms and Techniques
Cooperative Learning: Due Next Class
Consult with a partner on the following questions. You may choose a partner
from this class, your family, someone else from school, or another class.
Write your answer down on paper and have your partner sign it. Each student
in my class must have his or her own copy of the answers. Be prepared to
discuss your answer in class.
-
In Antigone's first lines of Scene 4, is she showing regret? What is the
tone and mood of the beginning of this scene?
-
Whose fate does Antigone compare to her own?
-
What does Antigone say is the cause of her death?
-
What does Antigone look forward to in death?
-
What curse does she put on Creon?
-
Do you think the "family curse" deserve to be mentioned in this scene?
(lines 39-44).
-
How is alliteration used in line 52?
-
In lines 56-57, Creon says that his hands are clean. Does he believe this
or is he posturing?
-
What is the subject of Ode 4?
Vocabulary:
Extra:
Classroom Trial: Prepare several mini trials for the various characters
in the play.
-
Put Antigone on trial for her crimes. The prosecutor should be prepared
to take Creon's point of view of Antigone's crime.
-
Put Creon on trial for his crimes. What would his defense be? What would
the prosecutor decide his crime would be?
-
Consider the Nuremberg Defense: a person is obligated by loyalty to country,
even when ordered to violate moral codes. What do you think of this defense?
Mythology: Find out more about the stories that are alluded to in
Scene 4 and Ode 4. Why do you think these stories are presented at this
point in the play?
-
Acheron
-
Niobe
-
Tantalos
-
Danae
-
Lycurgos
-
The Muses
-
King Phineus & Cleopatra
Lesson
7 - Scene 5, Paean, and Exodos
Reading:
-
Pages 728-731 Scene 5
-
Pages 731-732 Paean
-
Pages 733-737 Exodos
-
Page 740 Connections
Background:
Most ancient Greek tragedies observed three unities-unity of time
(with all action in the play unfolding in one day),
unity of place
(with all action occurring in one place), and unity of action (with
all events an important part of developing or resolving the conflict).
* * *
In his Literary History of Greece, Robert Flacelière writes,
"What was genuinely new in the plays of Sophocles . . . was their greater
emphasis on the development of individual character. . . . His characters
are no longer simply the playthings of the gods. . . . They act in accord
with definite ideas of their own. . . . all of Sophocles' protagonists
display . . . unshakable will power. . . ."
Flacelière suggests that Antigone, rather than Creon, is the
play's best example of inflexible will power. Do you think Sophocles believes
"inflexible will power" to be a tragic flaw or a virtue?
* * *
Notice the repetition of a burial in the Exodos. Burials are representative
of familial and religious loyalty. This is the basic extended metaphor
of Antigone. By the end of the play, Creon will seek his own burial.
Literary Terms and Techniques:
Cooperative Learning: Due Next Class
Consult with a partner on the following questions. You may choose a partner
from this class, your family, someone else from school, or another class.
Write your answer down on paper and have your partner sign it. Each student
in my class must have his or her own copy of the answers. Be prepared to
discuss your answer in class.
-
What is the irony in line 24 of Scene
5?
-
From Scene 5 look at lines 56-57 at notice the alliteration
used by Teiresias and Creon. Teiresias uses alliteration in his aphorism.
Why does Creon use alliteration in his response?
-
In lines 70-84, what is Teiresias predicting?
-
At what point of Scene 5 does Creon change his tone and attitude? When
does he give in?
-
Why does Creon decide to save Antigone?
-
What words does Creon repeat in lines 103-107 of the Exodos? What does
this repetition suggest about Creon's state of mind?
Vocabulary:
Extra:
Art: Individually or with a partner, prepare posters advertising
a production of Antigone. In addition to including the necessary
information about location, dates, and tickets, each poster should feature
a striking visual that relates to a theme or conflict in
the tragedy.
Vocabulary:
The following words come to English from Greek drama. I encourage you to
consult a dictionary for the etymology of these words and to write comments
on words that you think have relevance to Antigone.
chorus
orchestra
comedy
proscenium
episode
prologue
exodus
scene
imitation
theater
melodrama
thespian
nemesis
tragedy
Philosophy:
"There is no happiness where there is no wisdom; / No wisdom
but in submission to the gods. / Big words are always punished, / And proud
men in old age learn to be wise."
These are the last words of the play stated directly to the audience.
What are your thoughts about these two sentences? Do you agree or disagree?
Is this the way life is or is there another point of view?
Lesson 8 - Final Projects
Assignment:
You have now read the play. In a well-written essay of a minimum of five
paragraphs, discuss which character, Antigone or Creon, suffers more in
this play. Depending on which character you choose, how much blame should
the other character shoulder? How much blame must the character himself
or herself bear? Please use quotes from the play to support your opinions.
See links to How to Write about Literature.
Example:
If you state that Creon has repented and feels guilty over having caused
so much grief, quote lines from the play that support your assertion.
By the end of the play, the audience sees that Creon believes
that he was wrong and is no longer of the opinion that he is the only one
who can be right when he tells the Choragos, "I have been rash and foolish.
/ I have killed my son and wife" (Antigone Exodos.134-135).
-
Notice that the period came after the parentheses.
-
Notice that Antigone was italicized.
-
Notice the period after the word Exodos to separate the scene
from the line numbers.
-
Notice the slash between the words foolish and I to signify
that the line ends there.
From Ann Raimes Keys for Writers: A Brief Handbook:
How do I refer to classic works of literature and poetry when different
editions are available?
Include information that will help readers locate the material in whatever
edition they might be using.
-
For a Novel: Give the chapter number as well as the page number
in the edition you used: (104; ch. 3).
-
For a Poem: Give line numbers, not page numbers: (lines 62-73).
Subsequent line references con omit the word lines. Include up to three
lines of poetry in you text, separated by a slash with a space on each
side ( / ). For four or more lines of poetry, begin on a new line and indent
the whole passage ten spaces from the left, double-spaced and with no quotation
marks.
-
For Classic Poems Such as the Iliad: Give the book or part,
followed by line numbers, not page numbers: (8.21-25).
-
For a Verse Play: Give act scene, and line numbers, using arabic
numerals: (Tempest 4.1.156-58).
Copyright 2001-2002 by Thomas Trevenen
Number of visitors since January 8, 2001:
You have visited this page 13 times.
|
