Themes and Motifs in Antigone

The video provides a comprehensive analysis of Sophocles' Antigone, covering the plot, characters, symbols, themes, and motifs. It highlights the conflict between divine law and human law, focusing on Antigone's defiance of Creon's edict to honor her brother Polynices with a burial. The tragic consequences of Creon's hubris and Antigone's steadfastness are explored, along with the roles of other characters like Ismene, Haemon, and Tiresias. The video also delves into the symbolic use of burials, birds, and blindness, and concludes with the play's resolution and its moral lessons.

What event sets the stage for the conflict in Antigone?

• The marriage of Antigone

• The invasion of Thebes by Argos

• The crowning of Oedipus as king

• The birth of Creon's son

Why does Antigone decide to bury her brother Polynices?

• To gain political power

• To honor the gods' laws over Creon's

• To win the favor of the people

• To defy her sister Ismene

What is Ismene's initial reaction to Antigone's plan?

• She suggests a different plan

• She reports Antigone to Creon

• She refuses out of fear of punishment

• She eagerly agrees to help

How does Haemon react to Creon's decision to punish Antigone?

• He disowns Creon and warns of further tragedy

• He supports his father's decision

• He remains silent

• He suggests a compromise

What does Tiresias warn Creon about?

• The need for a new king

• A coming war with Argos

• The gods' anger and impending punishment

• A plot against Creon's life

What tragic event occurs after Creon decides to free Antigone?

• Antigone is saved and marries Haemon

• Haemon kills himself after finding Antigone dead

• Creon is overthrown by the people

• The gods forgive Creon

What is the ultimate realization Creon comes to by the end of the play?

• He should have been more ruthless

• His laws were just and fair

• His hubris led to the loss of his family

• The gods were wrong to punish him

What does the chorus emphasize in the play's conclusion?

• The value of obeying the gods and humility

• The need for revenge

• The strength of human will

• The importance of political power

What does the metaphor of the ship of state represent in Antigone?

• The unpredictability of fate

• The balance between divine and mortal laws

• The stability of Thebes under Creon's rule

• The journey of life

How is blindness used as a motif in the play?

• It is a metaphor for the darkness of the cave

• It highlights the ignorance of the people

• It represents the literal blindness of Tiresias

• It symbolizes Creon's inability to see the consequences of his actions