Eng.

12 Mid Term Review

Antigone Passage Practice
Directions: Review the content below and answer the questions that follow
Antigone
Oedipus, the king of Thebes, had two sons, Polynices and Eteocles. After Oedipus died, the two agreed
to take yearly turns as ruler. Eteocles broke the agreement, and in response Polynices brought the Argive
army against Thebes. The army was defeated, and the two brothers slew each other in single combat.
Creon, the brother-in-law of Oedipus, took power. He decreed that Polynices, having been bold enough to
attack his own city, should not be buried. Instead, his body should be left for the scavengers. Scholars
have pointed out that Creon violated Greek custom by not permitting the family of Polynices to bury the
body at all (Protevi). Although traitors were not permitted to be buried within their cities, no such
restriction existed outside the city boundaries. Antigone, sister of the dead, was offended by Creons
orders.
Work Cited
Protevi, John. Sophocles Antigone. 15 Mar. 2005. LSU College of Arts and Sciences. 23 Sept. 2005.
<http://www.artsci.lsu.edu/fai/Faculty/Professors/Protevi/WGSreps/Antigone_lecture.html>.

ANTIGONE, daughter of Oedipus and sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene

ISMENE, daughter of Oedipus and sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Antigone
Taken from ANTIGONE
by Sophocles
(Before the Cadmean Palace at Thebes.)
ANTIGONE: Own sister of my blood, one life with me,
Ismene, have the tidings caught thine ear? All horror,
All pain, all outrage, falls on us! And now
The Generals proclamation of to-day
Hast thou not heard?Art thou so slow to hear
When harm from foes threatens the souls we love?
ISMENE: No word of those we love, Antigone,
Painful or glad, hath reached me, since we two
Were deprived of our two brothers,
Cut off with mutual stroke, both in one day.
And since the Argive host this now-past night
Is vanished, I know nought beside to make me
Nearer to happiness or more in woe.
ANTIGONE: I knew it well, and therefore led thee to
The palace gate, that thou alone mightst hear.
ISMENE: Speak on! Thy troubled look bodes some dark news.
ANTIGONE: Why, hath not Creon, in the burial-rite,
Of our two brethren honoured one, and wrought
On one foul wrong? Eteocles, they tell,
With lawful dedication he lays out,
And after covers him in earth, adorned
With amplest honours in the world below.
But Polynices, miserably slain,
They say tis publicly proclaimed that none
Must cover in a grave, nor mourn for him;
But leave him tombless and unwept. Such law
Good Creon hath pronounced. Whoso disobeys,
The citizens shall stone him to the death.

This is the matter, and thou wilt quickly show

If thou art noble, or fallen below thy birth.
ISMENE: Unhappy one! But what can I herein
Avail to do or undo?
ANTIGONE: Wilt thou share
The danger and the labour? Make thy choice.
ISMENE: Of what wild enterprise? What canst thou mean?
ANTIGONE: Wilt thou join hand with mine to lift the dead?
ISMENE: To bury him, when all have been forbidden?
Is that thy thought?
ANTIGONE: To bury my own brother
And thine, even though thou wilt not do thy part.
I will not be a traitress to my kin.
ISMENE: Fool-hardy girl! against the word of Creon?
ANTIGONE: He hath no right to bar me from mine own.
ISMENE: Ah, sister, think but how our father fell,
Hated of all and lost to fair renown,
Through self-detected crimeswith his own hand.
Then how the mother-wife, sad two-fold name!
With twisted halter bruised her life away,
Last, how in one dire moment our two brothers
With destructive conflict at a blow
Wrought out their mutual doom.
Now, left alone, O think how beyond all
Most piteously we two shall be destroyed,
If in defiance of authority
We cross the commandment of the King!
We needs must bear in mind we are but women,
Never created to contend with men;
Nay more, made victims of resistless power,
To obey commands more harsh than this to-day.
I, then, imploring those beneath to grant
Indulgence, seeing I am enforced in this,
Will yield submission to the powers that rule,
Small wisdom were it to overpass the bound.
ANTIGONE: I will not urge you! no! This single hand
Shall bury our lost brother. Glorious
For me to take this labour and to die!
Dear to him will my soul be as we rest
In death, when I have dared this holy crime.
My time for pleasing men will soon be over;
Not so my duty toward the Dead! My home
Yonder will have no end. You, if you will,
May pour contempt on laws revered on High.
ISMENE: Not from irreverence. But I have no strength
To strive against the citizens resolve.
ANTIGONE: Thou, make excuses! I will go my way
To raise a burial-mound to my dear brother.
ISMENE: Oh, hapless maiden, how I fear for thee!

ANTIGONE: Waste not your fears on me! Guide your own fortune.
ISMENE: Ah! yet divulge thine enterprise to none,
But keep the secret close, and so will I.
ANTIGONE: O Heavens! Nay, tell! I hate your silence worse;
I had rather you proclaimed it to the world.
ISMENE: You are ardent in a chilling enterprise.
ANTIGONE: I know that I please those whom I would please.
ISMENE: One should not start upon a hopeless quest.
ANTIGONE: Speak in that vein if you would earn my hate
And aye be hated of our lost one. Peace!
Leave my unwisdom to endure this peril;
Fate cannot rob me of a noble death.
ISMENE: Go, if you mustNot to be checked in folly,
But sure unparalleled in faithful love!
(Exeunt.)

Practice Questions with Answer Key and Rationale

1.
Which conflict does Antigone face that is found throughout contemporary literature?
1. debating the benefits of war
1. deciding to fight a war against a brother
1. arguing with a family member about religion
1. choosing between authority and moral belief
Answer Choice Rationale
1. The student may think the whole conversation between the two sisters is about whether the war was fought for
a just cause.
1. The student may realize that fighting against brother is a common conflict and may read the into the text that
the stem of the conflict is actually the conflict itself.
1. The student may read that the sisters are arguing about the afterlife fate of the brother who is not buried and
may think that the conflict is a difference in opinion about the religious fate of the dead brother.
1. Correct answer
Correct D
Standard(s) LA.9-12.CE 3.1.3, LA.9-10.RL.9-10.1

2.
What do the characters names in Antigone suggest about the setting of the passage?
1. It takes place in Mexico.
1. It takes place in Greece.
1. It takes place in Canada.
1. It takes place in the United States.
Answer Choice Rationale
1. The student may think the language sounds foreign and so may automatically choose Mexico.
1. Correct answer
1. The student may think Canada is a foreign country and so may choose it because the names are not English.
1. The student may think that every nationality lives in the United States and may think this a contemporary piece
of literature.
Correct B
Standard(s) LA.9-12.CE 3.3.2, LA.9-10.RL.9-10.1

3.
Read the sentence from the passage.
Why, hath not Creon, in the burial-rite,
Of our two brethren honoured one, and wrought
On one foul wrong?
Which dramatic element does this enhance?
1. conflict
1. mood
1. plot
1. setting
Answer Choice Rationale
1. The conflict is between Ismene and Antigone. The plot is what happens in the story, and this quote explains
the rising action.
1. The mood has been set in the first few lines. The plot is what happens in the story, and this quote explains the
rising action.
1. Correct answer
1. The setting refers to the time or place in which the drama occurs. This sentence does not give any indication
of time or place.
Correct C
Standard(s) LA.9-10.RL.9-10.4

4.
Which statement from Antigone supports the idea that Antigone will do anything to bury her
brother?
1. All horror, all pain, all outrage, falls on us!
1. Glorious for me to take this labour and to die!
1. But I have no strength to strive against the citizens resolve.
1. Go, if you mustNot to be checked in folly, but sure unparalleled in faithful love.
Answer Choice Rationale
1. This statement comes from Antigone telling Ismene what the proclamation was regarding the burial of Creon.
It does not show the reader the passion involved when Antigone says she will do anything to bury her brother.
1. Correct answer
1. This statement comes from Ismene telling Antigone that she will not participate in burying their brother. She
would rather follow the law and not get into trouble.
1. This statement comes from Ismene commending Antigone for her faithful love. It does not, however, show the
reader that Antigone will do anything possible to bury her brother.
Correct B
Standard(s) LA.9-10.RL.9-10.2

5.
How does Antigones decision to bury Polynices affect Ismene?
1. Ismene prepares to help her sister.
1. Ismene plans to tell what Antigone has done.
1. Ismene agrees that Antigone should not bury Polynices.
1. Ismene thinks Antigone should be able to do as she pleases.
Answer Choice Rationale
1. Although Antigone confides in Ismene about burying Polynices, Ismene pleads with her sister and fears going
against what Creon says.
1. Although Ismene fears Antigone being found out, she tells Antigone she will keep her secret.
1. Correct answer
1. Although Ismene listens to her sisters plans in confidence, she warns Antigone of the consequences of her
actions.
Correct C
Standard(s) LA.9-10.RL.9-10.1

6.
Which adjective BEST describes Ismenes character in Antigone?
1. afraid
1. happy
1. courageous
1. discourteous
Answer Choice Rationale
1. Correct answer
1. Ismenes brother, Creon, had just died and was not going to be buried, so she was not happy. Rather, she was
afraid to break the law.
1. Antigone is courageous in this passage, not Ismene. Ismene is afraid to do anything against the law.
1. Ismene said she was not trying to be discourteous, or irreverent, when she refused to bury her brother with
Antigone. She was afraid of what would be done to her if she went against the law of the land.
Correct A
Standard(s) LA.9-10.RL.9-10.2

7.
How does the language of Antigone clue the reader to the time it was written?
1. Most of the words come from contemporary languages.
1. The reference to a king suggests it was written long ago.
1. Many of the words are not used in contemporary language.
1. The foreign names of the characters give the story a contemporary feel.
Answer Choice Rationale
1. Students may think the language is made up from different contemporary foreign languages.
1. Students may think of kings as a form of government from a long time ago. However, kings still exist.
1. Correct answer
1. Students may equate the foreign names with a more global and current genre of writing.
Correct C
Standard(s) LA.9-12.CE 3.3.2, LA.9-10.RL.9-10.4

8.
Which quote from the passage BEST creates the mood of Antigone?
1. No word of those we love, Antigone, painful or glad . . .
1. Speak on! Thy troubled look bodes some dark news.
1. I know that I please those whom I would please.
1. One should not start upon a hopeless quest.
Answer Choice Rationale
1. Ismene says that she has not yet heard any news about her brother. However, this does not create a dark
mood because she does not have the information about him yet.
1. Correct answer
1. This quote comes from Ismene stating that she will go about her plan regardless of whom she pleases. It does
not create the mood, though, of Antigone.
1. Ismene is trying to convince Antigone not to bury their brother. However, this does not help to create the mood
of the play.
Correct B
Standard(s) LA.9-10.RL.9-10.4

9.
Read the lines from the play.
ANTIGONE: Thou, make excuses! I will go my way
To raise a burial-mound to my dear brother.
ISMENE: Oh, hapless maiden, how I fear for thee!
ANTIGONE: Waste not your fears on me! Guide your own fortune.
Which BEST describes the part of the plot represented in these lines?
1. climax
1. exposition
1. rising action
1. denouement

Answer Choice Rationale

1. Correct answer
1. The exposition is the beginning of the play, the introductory material that gets readers to the rising action.
These lines show the climax of the plot.
1. Rising action is the development of the plot. At this point, Antigone has decided what she will do, and Ismene
has to go along with her or argue with her. This is the climax.
1. The denouement signals the end of a plot, but these lines are still explaining the conflict. If the conflict has not
been resolved, then the falling action and resolution could not happen.
Correct A
Standard(s) LA.9-10.RL.9-10.2

10.
In this play, Sophocles emphasizes the central theme of defying tyranny in the cause of justice. How does
Sophocles elevate this theme in this scene? Provide at least three details from the text that support the
theme of defying tyranny.
Use details from the passage to support your answer.
(Standard(s) LA.9-10.RL.9-10.2)
SCORING RUBRIC
4

Response provides a complete explanation of, or answer to, the item by including main ideas and important
information, both stated and unstated, from the passage. Response connects authors ideas, provides specific
text examples, and effectively interprets or makes connections across the text or to other situations or texts
through analysis, evaluation, inference, and comparison. Response is supported with multiple details from the
passage.

Correct Answers:
Throughout the scene, Sophocles makes it clear that Creon is the tyrant who must be defied in the
cause of justice. In the underlying story of Antigone, Creon took power because the lawful rulers of
Thebes were killed in combat. So at the outset, the legitimacy of Creons rule is in doubt. As the
introduction to this scene points out, Creons decree that Polynices be left unburied violated Greek
custom. Antigones resolve to bury her brother can be viewed as the just decision, in opposition to
Creons tyranny. Sophocles emphasizes the justice of her cause throughout the scene. Her brother
Eteocles was lawfully laid out in contrast to Polynicess treatment. Her act in burying Polynices will be
a holy crime and a duty she must carry out. When she is punished, her defiance will earn her a
noble death because her cause is just.
3

Response provides a complete explanation of, or answer to, the item by including some key ideas, either stated or unstated,
from the passage. The response uses some information from the passage to make connections across the text or to other
situations or texts, but there are some gaps in analysis, evaluation, inference, or comparison. Response is supported with
some details from the passage.

Response provides a limited explanation of, or answer to, the item by including only limited ideas from the passage. The
response may have reasonable understanding or relevant support (not both). The response may use weak connections
between ideas, provide limited or unimportant text examples, and/or few supporting details from the passage.

Response provides a minimal explanation of, or answer to, the item. Response may be too brief to show understanding of
the text. Inaccurate, too few, or unsupported details may be included in the response.

Response is irrelevant, inappropriate, or not provided.

11.
In this play, Sophocles develops the theme of personal sacrifice for ones family. How does Sophocles
express this theme? Provide three details from this scene that support the theme of personal sacrifice for
family.
Use details from the passage to support your answer. (Standard(s) LA.9-10.RL.9-10.2)
SCORING RUBRIC
4

Response provides a complete explanation of, or answer to, the item by including main ideas and important information, both
stated and unstated, from the passage. Response connects authors ideas, provides specific text examples, and effectively
interprets or makes connections across the text or to other situations or texts through analysis, evaluation, inference, and
comparison. Response is supported with multiple details from the passage.

Correct Answers:
In this play, Antigone exemplifies loyalty to ones family. Because of her devotion to her brother, she vows to make the ultimate
sacrifice: She is willing to be stoned to death for giving her brother a proper burial. In ancient Greece, proper burial rights were of
extreme importance. Creons decision to prevent a proper burial could deprive him of an afterlifeas Antigone says, it threatens his
soul. But to Antigone, defying the king serves not only to help her brother. She also describes her defiance as a glorious act that
will be rewarded in heaven. As she states, by fulfilling her duty to her family, her home yonder will have no end. To Antigone,
sacrificing for ones family is a holy act, more important than obeying any earthly authority.