Greek mythology questions ANTIGONE Why did Creon forbid the burying of Polyneices? Creon had strong values about enemies and considered them to be still an enemy even if in death. Polyneices having been deemed a traitor by his brother Eteocles, when he dies œin the war of the seven, Creon issues strong orders with heavy penalties their burial in the city. The orders favor no one even if they are family or friends because they still remain enemies to him. The severity of his order is shown when Antigone defies and buries his brother; she is buried alive in the same grave. 2. How does Ismene react to Antigone’s decision to bury her brother? Are her reasons logical? Why or why not? Ismene fears for her life and strongly disapproves the disobedience of the king’s orders not to burry Polyneices. The reason is selfish as she does not show the loyalty of family hood because according to their belief, if a person is not buried his soul is trapped on earth for eternity to suffer. This is a more a more cruel fate to suffer for anyone and can never be equated to the loss of one’s life. 3. What punishment did Creon decree for anyone who violated his law? How did he react when he realized who the culprit was? Creon decreed that anyone who broke his law not to burry Polyneices,their punishment would be death by stoning. This was meant to discourage anyone from violating his law. However, Antigone decides to disobey and burry his brother. She is caught and taken to the king. Creon is appalled by the courage of a woman to break his laws as he considered women lowly creatures. This surprises him and angers him at the same time on the courage Antigone shows in challenging his law and due to pride he sentences her to death by isolation and starvation. 4. The theme of the play is Civil Disobedience vs. Man-made laws. What defense does Creon offer for his law forbidding the burial of Polynices? Are his arguments valid? Why or why not? Antigone disobeys the rule of his authoritarian uncle Creon as he considers himself sovereign ruler. This brings a clash between the established laws of man and the challenge by citizens of these laws. The man made laws that seek to oppress its citizens leads to civil disobedience and this is shown in the story when king Creon issues an order Polyneices not to be buried as he was a traitor that brought war to the country and lead to the death of his brother and for that he was to suffer eternally. The punishment was not to be buried which was in opposition to the laws of the gods concerning burial. The argument Creon presents are not valid as they are a manifestation of his pride and want to proclaim his power and rule is supreme even if it goes against the gods. His arrogance is shown when he refuses to listen to the wise blind prophet and even insults the god Zeus. 5. Some critics have argued that Antigone has a death-wish, a theory which decreases the impact of the sacrifice she is willing to make. Do you agree or disagree with this theory? Explain your answer. Antigone is at first driven by sacrifice to bury her brother and when she is caught and taken to the king, she challenges his decision concerning his authority to go against the gods. However, her open challenge to the king and the argument as if they are equals further infuriates the king and at some point, he threatens to kill her where she stood. The heated argument is seen as unnecessary and it seems as if she is intentionally provoking the king’s wrath by challenging his pride. This makes the king stubborn to a point that he does not listen to reason from his citizens, son, wife and prophet and issues a death sentence by starvation and solitude for Antigone. 6. What role does Tiresias have in this play? How does Creon react to his words? How does his reaction differ from his words in OEDIPUS? Tiresias plays the role of a blind prophet that warns Creon of the vengeance the gods are going to take on his household if his does not allow the body of Antigone’s brother is not buried. He also tells him that even the gods have refused sacrifices from people as crows have eaten from the corpse of Polyneices. Creon becomes agitated and even goes on to dishonor the god Zeus when he says that the birds could as well take the pieces of meat to Zeus himself. This is contrary to when he follows Teiresa’s advice concerning the identity of Laius’s killer and Oedipus. 7. What flaw does Creon have? Give examples to support your answer. Creon has a lot of pride and thinks himself to be always right no matter what other people think. It is his pride that leads him to ignore the council of his wife, son and the prophet concerning his sentencing of Antigone. Also he is chauvinistic as he regards women as lowly creatures and is offended by the disobedience of Antigone to his decree. He also tells his son to spit on Antigone when he intervenes in their argument and calls him a woman’s slave. Another flaw that Creon portrays is stubbornness as he is insistent on punishing Antigone even after being warned of the wrath of the gods that is going to befall him. 8. At what point does the reversal scene occur? Support your answer. The reversal occurs after the talk with Tiresias about the anger of the gods and the severity of his punishment if he continues to disobey. This makes him to later change his mind and swallow his pride when he says that to yield is terrible. He orders for Antigone to be released and Polyneices body be buried. However, the change in heart is too late as he is informed that his son and Antigone have killed themselves. This is followed by his wife also taking her life which further humbles Creon. 9. How does he punish Antigone? Why does he choose this type of punishment? Antigone is punished by being walled in a cave to die from starvation. Creon changes his sentence from public stoning as he says stoning Antigone will stain the town and makes it unclean for her deed was surely unclean and evil. This is through the words that a public execution within the city walls would pollute the city. 10. How does his son react? And his wife? The son tries to plead Antigone’s case before his father Creon trying to warn him not to be close minded in his judgment as she was protecting the religious laws of burial. When the father refuses to heed his advice and calls Antigone, so as to mock Haemon by sentencing her in front of him, Haemon vows that that was the last time he would see him and storms out angrily.Creon’s wife offers advice to his husband not to be too hard and change his judgment. When he refuses and her son kills herself, she hangs herself also in her palace. 11. What does he realize at the end of the play? He learns that he should have listened to advice and not let pride cloud his judgment and that his wisdom came later from the punishment by the gods. He also learns to respect religious laws concerning burial and even contemplates death. OEDIPUS REX 1. Why do the people of Thebes think Oedipus is a great king? This is because he answers the riddle of the sphinx that used to terrorize travellers. When people failed to get the answer to the sphinx riddle they would be killed. After Oedipus answered the riddle, the sphinx committed suicide. 2. How does he react to the desperation of his people? What does this say about him? He is concerned about his peoples suffering and vows that he would end the pestilence in the land. He sends Creon to the oracle for guidance. This shows that he cared for his kingdom and would protect it any cost. 3. What was the answer to the riddle posed by the Sphinx? Man: when he is an infant, he crawls on four; as an adult he walks on two legs and; in old age, he uses a walking stick to support himself while walking. 4. Who is Tiresias? Why was he reluctant to tell Oedipus the truth? How did Oedipus react to his words? He is a blind prophet that was to help them in finding the identity of the killer of king Laius. Tiresias knew the true identity of Oedipus and also that he was the killer of the former king. This is shown when he was pressured to identify the killer; he named Oedipus and also told him he was miserable because he did not know the identity of his birth parents.Oedipus is angry to hear the accusations and accuses Creon for the false accusations. 5. What warning did Creon bring from the Oracle of Delphi? How does he react to the accusations of Oedipus? The oracle warns them that until the killer of the former king Laius is found and killed or exiled, the plague would not go away. He is angered and a heated argument ensues as he tries to justify himself. He tells the king that they tried to search for information concerning the killer but found none. Also Creon said that he was satisfied with his role and had no reason to plot against the king and time would tell who the killer was. 6. Why does Oedipus continue his search for the killer of the previous king? Oedipus does so in order to free his guilty conscience that he might be the killer of king Laius, his father. When a messenger comes and tells him that his father has died and left his kingdom to him, he becomes joyful that he was not the cause of his father’s demise. When he tells the messenger his good news, the messenger informed him that he was adopted and this gives the urge to Oedipus to find out what really happened to king Laius and who his parents were. 7. What reassurance does Joscasta give him? What is ironic about her words? She begs Oedipus not to continue with his search for the killers of king Laius and about his true parents despite the many clues that he has unearthed. Oedipus misunderstands this and thinks that his wife is ashamed that he might be the son of a slave. This is ironic as she already realized that Oedipus was his son and that he fulfilled the words of prophesy of killing his father and sleeping with his mother. 8. At what point does the reversal scene occur? Defend your answer. The reversal scene occurs when the messenger from Corinth comes bearing the news of the death of Oedipus father and that he has left him his throne. Oedipus being afraid to fulfill the prophecy refuses to attend the funeral. The messenger assures him that he was adopted and goes on to explain the story on his adoption. This point changes the flow of the story as later chapters continue to build on the case about Oedipus true identity. 9. Who is the first to understand the truth? How does this person react? Jocasta is the first one to understand the truth after the narration from the messenger of Corinth. She becomes ashamed and tries to persuade Oedipus not to continue in his quest for truth. She later hangs herself in her chambers. 10. What is the significance of the shepherd? What does he tell Oedipus? The shepherd was a credible and important witness to solve the mystery of the parents of Oedipus. The shepherd sheds light on who Oedipus was as he tells him that the same child that was given to the messenger was from the house of Laius. After being threatened not to lie, he admits that the child he was told to get rid of was Jocasta’s child not a slave child as Oedipus believed. 11. How does Oedipus react to his words? He is in anguish and he cries out in pain wishing to be blind. This is expressed in his words that œlight of the sun, let me look on you no more. He later accepts that fate cannot be escaped. 12. Why is he banished at the end of the play? What is ironic about his punishment? Oedipus is banished so that the curse is uplifted from the land. His banishment is I accordance to the advice of the oracle to either kill or banishes the killer of king Laius. The punishment is ironic in that in the beginning he is an unwanted in the kingdom since he was a child. Also he proclaims a strong punishment for the killer of the former king who later turns out to be him. MEDEA IN ATHENS 1. How can this play be considered a tragedy without a tragic hero? This is because Medea being the villain in this story commits many murders and no one avenges them. This is seen through her vow to kill the woman who stole her husband and when she is banished, she plots revenge that leads to the death of the princess and king of Corinth. She executes the deaths by poisoning the gown which results in an excruciating death for the father and her daughter. She also kills her children to protect them from the wrath of Creon’s men and also to hurt his husband Jason. The story ends without Medea being held accountable for her crimes therefore no hero in the end. 2. How does Medea convince Aegeus to give her protection in Athens? Medea convinces Aegeus that she would help him get a child as he was childless. She convinces him that with her thorough knowledge of drugs and medicine, she would help him if he assures her for her of safe haven in Athens. This is achieved by the king vowing by all the gods that he would protect her. 3. Why does the author use women in the chorus? What point is he trying to make? The women of Corinth in the chorus are used to present the view of women against Medea’s actions as she goes too far in her revenge. However, they do not stop her and this represents their support for standing against the oppression of men in the society. The play symbolizes men as spineless and domineering and they deserved the punishment that befell them, in this case Medea’s wrath. 4. Why is Creon planning to send her into exile? How does Jason react to this information? What does this say about his character? Medea issues threats of vengeance against the king Creon and her daughter. Medea is angry about his husband betrayal for his love and marrying the daughter of Creon. Creon does this to protect himself against the threats of Medea. Jason scolds her for her loose tongue and tells her she brought it upon herself. He offers calculated explanations to justify himself from Medea’s accusations. This shows how self-centered and gutless he is. He offers to help her escape and offers cash but Medea refuses his offers. 5. Why does Jason show up every time Medea demands his presence? What interpretation is possible about their relationship? Jason fears Medea as he knows what she is capable of and does not want to offend her. The sacrifices Medea makes for Jason to get the Golden Fleece and the fact that she is a witch. He knows the extent her conviction to do something can drive her. So Medea appears to be the authority in the house with fearful Jason at her command. 6. The play ends with several issues unresolved. This stands in contrast to other tragedies, which end with the idea of order being restored. What point is the author attempting to make? Why is it easier for modern readers to understand this play than other tragedies? The author was trying to show the consequences that can arise from oppressing women in the society as they can be responsible for greater evil. Medea is painted a demon through her actions that lack remorse and respect for human life. This play is caution to the society who regard so low of women. This tragedy is easier to understand now as in the world of equal rights, the interpretation of the play is not clouded by chauvinistic society. The story also shows the lengths love can go in avenging a wrongful act. 7. Give two examples of œdues ex machina. Define the term. This term means that œGod made it happen or œGod from machine. In superman two when clerk gives up his powers forever but later in the artic finds a magic green crystal that restores his powers. The intervention of god in time bandits when he resets everything