"I was born to join in love, not hate—that is my nature": Civil Disobedience in Antigone

Lesson 14
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ELA

Unit 3

10th Grade

Lesson 14 of 23

Objective


Analyze Creon as a tragic hero. 

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Antigone by Sophocles; Translated by Robert Fagles  — pp. 110–117, lines 1090–1238, pp. 119–128, lines 1272–1470

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

Complete Creon's column in the Tragic Hero Graphic Organizer. Where possible, use quoted evidence from the text as you apply each stage to his character (evidence can be today's reading as well as earlier readings).  Briefly explain your evidence. 

After completing Creon's column of the chart, discuss the following questions with a small group using the Collaborative Conversations protocol:

  • Prioritizing country over family is a core value for Creon. Should he have compromised that core value because his son, his future daughter-in-law, and his citizens wanted him to? When should someone compromise their values?
  • Who is more of a tragic hero, Antigone or Creon? Explain.

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Close Read Questions

What bird imagery do you see in lines 1101–1130? What does this imagery reveal about the gods' reaction to Creon's decree? What does Tiresias advise Creon to do as a result? 

How does Creon initially react to Tiresias? How does his reaction change later on in the scene? What causes this change? Use the word revile as you discuss this question.

How does the messenger describe Haemon and Antigone's lifeless bodies? What moral does the messenger share, and how does this moral apply to the play? How does it apply to the world outside of play?

How is Creon characterized at the end of the play? Why is it ironic that without his family Creon says he is "nothing" (line 1446)?  Does his character invite sympathy? Why or why not?

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Standards


  • RL.9-10.3 — Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
  • RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
  • SL.9-10.1 — Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9—10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.6
RL.9-10.9
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.9
W.9-10.10

Next

Analyze the director's purpose in creating Antigone in Ferguson and make connections between the events of the play and Michael Brown's death in 2014.

Lesson 15
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Lesson Map

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