The Greek tragedy of Oedipus' daughter - Stephen Esposito
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DownloadThe gods watched as Oedipus’ daughter, Antigone,
stole out of the palace in Thebes the morning after a devastating battle.
Antigone was on a dangerous mission to do what she felt was right,
though it meant risking her life.
Oedipus had been king of Thebes, and his exile sent the city into chaos.
His younger son, Eteocles, claimed power for himself
and sought to banish his older brother Polyneices.
The two incited a bitter war, and both brothers fell at the city gates.
Oedipus’ brother-in-law, Creon, declared himself the new king,
having first aligned himself with Eteocles and denounced Polyneices as a traitor.
Now, he ordered that Polyneices be denied burial,
leaving his body on the battleground,
surrounded by guards and circled by vultures.
Anyone who violated his proclamation would be stoned to death.
Antigone and her sister, Ismene, were at their uncle’s mercy.
The fact that Antigone was betrothed to Creon’s son, Haemon,
seemed to earn her no favor.
Despite the dangers, Antigone secretly visited her sister
and whispered her intentions to honor their brother through burial.
In doing so, she would be defying Creon but abiding by divine law,
which insisted that one must bury one's own flesh and blood.
When Ismene refused to join her, insisting that girls shouldn’t disobey men,
Antigone set out alone.
She knelt by Polyneices’ corpse, undetected,
and began sprinkling it with dust.
When the guards realized and reported the disturbance,
Creon ordered them to find the man who so defiantly committed the crime.
At midday, Antigone returned to perform a more complete burial,
when suddenly a thick dust storm whirled onto the plain and choked out the sky,
as if conjured by the gods to aid her.
Creon's guards, blinded and disoriented,
didn't see as Antigone's stole into their midst
and covered her brother’s body with more earth and water.
As the tempest dissipated,
the soldiers were shocked to see that the culprit was a girl,
and the princess no less.
Creon barraged Antigone with accusations and insults.
Hoping to protect her sister, Ismene confessed to the crime.
But Antigone was steadfast.
She insisted she’d acted alone and according to divine laws.
Haemon urged his father to be reasonable and merciful.
But Creon was convinced forgiving Antigone would be a critical admission of weakness.
He spared Ismene,
but ignored his son’s unremitting pleas.
To evade direct blame for the young princess’ death,
Creon ordered a passive execution:
Antigone would be shut away in an underground cave.
As the guards dragged the sisters away,
Ismene was filled with remorse, wishing to die by Antigone’s side.
Creon maintained his show of power
and Thebes fell into a fearful state of mourning.
But then Creon was visited by the wise, blind prophet Tiresias.
He told Creon that his hubris was polluting Thebes,
and the underworld’s fiercely avenging divine Furies
were lying in wait should he not yield.
At last, Creon ordered his guards to free Antigone and to bury Polyneices.
But he had delayed too long— and it would cost him dearly.
Haemon had just reached Antigone’s prison, determined to save her.
Descending into the underground chamber,
he discovered with horror
his beloved fiancée hanging from her wedding veil.
Moments later, when Creon entered,
he was met by Haemon’s broken, hateful glare.
Haemon spat in his father’s face, drew his sword, and lunged.
But as Creon dodged the thrust,
Haemon turned the blade upon himself
and wrapped his arms around Antigone, in one last tragic embrace.
Word of Haemon and Antigone’s deaths reached Thebes before Creon’s return.
And upon hearing the devastating news, the queen took her own life at an altar,
cursing her husband with her dying breaths.
Failing to yield to Antigone’s righteous rebellion,
Creon, in all his pride,
had learned his lesson too late.
Anguished, hands bloodied, and all hopes dashed,
Creon’s attendants led him back into the palace.
Key Vocabulary (50)
toward
"Go to school."
belonging
"Cup of tea."
also
"You and me."
inside
"In the house."
specific
"That book."
A third-person singular pronoun used to refer to an object, animal, or situation that has already been mentioned or is clear from context. It is also frequently used as a dummy subject to talk about time, weather, or distance.
A preposition used to indicate that something is in a position above and supported by a surface. It is also used to indicate a specific day or date, or to show that a device is functioning.
A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
A conjunction used to compare two things that are equal in some way. It is most commonly used in the pattern 'as + adjective/adverb + as' to show similarity.
A preposition used to indicate a specific point, location, or position in space. It is also used to specify a particular point in time or a certain state or activity.
A coordinating conjunction used to connect two statements that contrast with each other. It is used to introduce an added statement that is different from what has already been mentioned.
This word is used to show that something belongs to or is associated with a male person or animal previously mentioned. It functions as both a possessive determiner used before a noun and a possessive pronoun used on its own.
A preposition used to show the method or means of doing something, or to identify the person or thing that performs an action. It frequently appears in passive sentences to indicate the agent or before modes of transport.
Her is a pronoun used to refer to a woman, girl, or female animal that has already been mentioned. It functions both as an object (receiving an action) and as a possessive adjective (showing ownership).
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Get to know the story of Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, who was determined to give her slain brother Polyneices a proper burial. -- The gods watched as Oedipus’ daughter, Antigone, stole...
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