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

Lesson 5
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ELA

Unit 3

10th Grade

Lesson 5 of 23

Objective


Evaluate Antigone's argument for reasoning, rhetorical appeals, and logical fallacies.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Antigone by Sophocles; Translated by Robert Fagles  pp. 78 – 90 — lines 425–655

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

Evaluate Antigone's argument for why she broke Creon's law. Which rhetorical appeals did she use and to what extent did you find them effective for persuading an audience? Where did she make logical fallacies? How would her argument be stronger had she not made these logical fallacies? 

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Close Read Questions

Consider the sentry's description from lines 464–479 of what happened after he and the guards brushed off the burial dirt from Polynices' body. What might the dust storm reveal about how the gods are feeling? What is the effect of the sentry comparing Antigone to a mother bird? 

What is Antigone's perspective about dying for her act of civil disobedience? In your response, incorporate one or more of the following vocabulary words: decree, submit, and/or retribution.

How does Creon respond to Antigone's argument? What types of logical fallacies does he make?

How do you see Creon using gendered language (emphasizing that he is a man and Antigone is a woman)? What does his gendered language show? Do you think he would react the same way if Antigone were a man?

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

logical fallacies

common errors in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument

ad hominem

an argument that attacks the person who is making an argument rather than actually opposing the argument

straw man

an argument that distorts the opposing side's argument to make it easier to attack or refute

false dilemma

an argument that assumes that there are only two options or outcomes in a situation, when there are other alternatives

bandwagon

An argument that assumes that because so many other people hold a specific belief, that belief can't be wrong

hasty generalization

an argument based on insufficient evidence, often caused by a sample which is too small or is not representative of the whole population

red herring

an argument that diverts a discussion from the main argument by changing the subject or bringing up irrelevant points

Text-based

retribution

n.

punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act (line 511)

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Standards


  • RI.9-10.8 — Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.
  • 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).

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.5
L.9-10.6
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.6
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.9
W.9-10.10

Next

Analyze Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s reasoning for breaking unjust laws and make connections back to Antigone

Lesson 6
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