Structure

Objective for this Page: To present an overview of the play, emphasizing its structure.

The translation by Robert Fagles in our course textbook (John Schilb and John Clifford, Making Literature Matter [Boston: Bedford-St. Martin's, 2000]:1305-1345) does not segment the play, but I find it handy to quiz students by assigned section. As a result, their contributions have been made according to the outline in the buttons above and the lines in section notes below. The part name in the chart below are linked to summary, commentary, and discussion questions for that part, as are the buttons above.

Ancient Greek Play Structure Applied to Antigone

Part	Lines in Fagles	Main Action
Prologue	1-116	Antigone declares her intention to defy Creon's decree against burying her brother, Polynices. She also observes that this decree seems aimed directly at her.
Parados	117-178	The elders of Thebes glory in the victory in yesterday's attack on the seven gates of Thebes.
Episode 1	179-377	Creon decrees that anyone burying Polynices will be stoned to death inside Thebes.
Stasimon 1	378-425	The elders of Thebes revel in the greatness of mankind.
Episode 2	426-656	Creon arrests Antigone, assisted by a hinky sentry who could easily be portrayed by Jar-Jar Binks.
Stasimon 2	657-705	The old men of Thebes grouse about the moral blindness that seems to infest Oedipus' spawn.
Episode 3	706-879	Haemon tries to play his dad in order to save his woman, but soon loses it and the scene degenerates into a Defcon 1 father vs. son hurling of insults.
Stasimon 3	880-969	The chorus (those old guys) blame the city's current turmoil on Love and hassles Antigone about her actions and parentage.
Episode 4	970-1035	Creon condemns Antigone to being entombed alive with her last meal; Antigone (wrongly) assumes no one will mourn her.
Stasimon 4	1036-1091	The elders of Thebes site other famous people who were buried alive or turned to stone as punishment by the gods [overlooking the fact that Creon isn't a god, just a tyrant trying to solidify his power base].
Episode 5	1092-1239	Tiresias straightens out Creon, but predicts that his slowness to rescind his decree will cost him the rest of his family.
Stasimon 5	1240-1272	Choral Paean: The elders of Thebes celebrate Creon's relenting.
Epilog	1272-1466	The messenger has some bad news and some more bad news.
Exodos	1467-1471	Fate teaches wisdom and piety, claim the Theban elders.

Assessment: As you read the play, make notes in your text about the structure and plot, using the above table as a guide.

This instructional web was made in July, 2002, by Prof. Eric Hibbison, who is solely responsible for its content.