Antigone

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Many ancient cultures put great importance on funerary and burial rites. What are some of the ancient civilizations you are familiar with? How did they treat funerary and burial rites for their citizens and rulers? Why do you think that the afterlife was held in such a high regard?

Teaching Suggestion: This question invites students to consider the context of the story, which, depending on the group, they may not initially understand. As ancient cultures (e.g., Sumerians/Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Indus Valley civilizations, Greeks, etc.) placed a significant degree of importance on their funerary and burial rites, it would make sense that a play written in ancient Greece would have an improper burial be the central source of conflict. Wealthier individuals, such as those in the play, would have more social expectations in their burial process, as compared to the average citizen. Wealth and honor would be passed on to the afterlife, and a burial that was improper or did not occur would negatively affect this person. This question also links with the theme of God and Man’s Law as, in the play, divine law requires that Polyneikes be buried by his family. Kreon’s refusal to allow Polyneikes his burial rights and Antigone’s insistence that these be fulfilled is a key point of contention, which sets in motion a chain of events that culminates in tragedy.  

• This overview on burial from World History Encyclopedia provides an overview of funerary rites in the ancient world.
• This article entitled “Death, Burial, and the Afterlife in Ancient Greece” from the website of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art highlights funerary traditions in Ancient Greece from an artistic point-of-view.

2. Greece is considered the birthplace of modern theater, and Greek tragedy was a popular form of theater. This theatrical form centers on a protagonist who falls victim to disastrous circumstances. Can you think of other popular theatrical forms and name some playwrights associated with those forms? Can you think of other examples of popular tragedies?

Teaching Suggestion: This question prepares students for the type of drama represented by this play—specifically, Greek tragedy. This question tests students’ critical thinking skills by asking them to make comparisons between Greek drama and other categories of drama—most notably Shakespearean drama, which also includes comedies as well as tragedies. Additionally, students can make connections with other famous tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet.

• Collins Dictionary provides a succinct definition of Greek tragedy.
• World History Encyclopedia provides a brief overview of the history of Greek tragedies.
• The website Byarcadia.org compares and contrasts Greek tragedies and Shakespearean tragedies.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Reflect on a moment in your life when you stood up for something that you strongly believed in. What was this belief? Why was it important to you? Did you face any consequences as a result of your decision? What was the outcome?

Teaching Suggestion: This question relates to the psyche of the protagonist of the play, Antigone, who remains committed to the endeavor of burying her brother, even though it contravenes the will of the state and ultimately results in her death. Students might find it helpful to explore this question from the lens of their passions and beliefs. This question links to the themes of God and Man’s Law and Youth and Age as the youthful Antigone and Haimon, full of wisdom and reverence for divine law, defy the older generations, who foolishly attempt to impose their own will and law, rather than those of the gods.

Differentiation Suggestion: For a more advanced group of students, this question could be reframed as a debate on whether it is appropriate for an individual to give their life for a cause or belief. Students may be invited to take either a “for” or “against” stance, using both personal experience as well as examples from history, literature, etc. to substantiate their claims. For more information on how to structure a debate for advanced students, please see this Harvard University resource on classroom debates.