Character/Theme Development

As you read, complete this chart to help you understand how certain characters and events are connected. As
characters act and react to situations, you will notice relationships or conflicts developing. Through these events,
themes also develop throughout the play. For most of the play, you will complete entries for major characters only:
Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haimon. However, Scene 5 and the Paen challenge you to explore different characters,
some of which are minor to the play as a whole, but integral to those scenes.

Scene of Characters Relationships or Conflicts What motivated the What could be a possible
Play character to react this way? developing theme?

Prologue, Antigone Antigone is very angry and sad at what Creon declared that one of her A possible developing
Scene 1, Creon has decreed happens to her brothers. brothers be buried with full
theme could be that
Ode 1 She decides to go and bury her brother military honor and the other
herself but goes to ask Ismene brother lie in the battlefield with family will always
no burial and no one can even honor each other.
say a prayer for him.

Ismene When Antigone comes to ask for help Ismene is afraid of Creon for his
burying their brother, Ismene refuses to go power and does not want to die.
with Antigone and get herself caught and
killed.

Creon Creon is angry and upset that the brothers
have died and that one brother came back to
fight their home city and to enslave his own
people
Polyneices came back from his
exile to fight his own city and to
enslave his people. And Creon is
upset to say that the other
brother who was fighting
honorably for his city died nobly.
Scene of Characters Relationships or Conflicts What motivated the What could be a possible
Play character to react this way? developing theme?

Antigone Thru this time frame Antigone has been King Creon had created a new Antigone is the only
caught burying the body of her brother law that said no one was to bury
one out of the kingdom
Scene 2, Polyneices and king Creon is sentencing her polyneices or else they would be
to isolation for the rest of her life in a cave. punished by death. who was willing to go
Ode 2
against Creon and his
Ismene Ismene was taken from her home second to Ismene feels that if Antigone dies power, though she had
be interrogated by Creon and she decides to without her then she will have asked her sister Ismene
lie and say that she also committed the nothing more to live for so she to help bury their
crime of burying Polyneices because she wants the honor to die with
wants to die next to Antigone. Antigone. brother but she refused
because of the power of
Creon Creon decree that Antigone will be locked in The soldier had brought Creon and death.
isolation for the rest of her life and Ismene Antigone to him saying she was
be set free and the soldiers are to uncover the one who buried and broke
Polyneices body. the law, although he believed
that Ismene was contributing to
it but she was not so she was set
free.

Scene of Characters Relationships or Conflicts What motivated the What could be a possible
Play character to react this way? developing theme?

Scene 3, Antigone Antigone has already been taken away by Creon had already sent the Citizens would not say
Ode 3 Creon’s servants so she was supported by soldier to lock her in the cave and
that someone who went
her Fiance Haimon who is apart of Creon’s Haimon had already heard the
family. Haimon is angry his father would do news so he went to discuss it with against Creon should
such a thing to his fiance. his father. be honored in front of
him because they do
Ismene Ismene had already been released by this King Creon had released Ismene not want to be
time but i predict that she was still very because she was not the one who
upset and angry for not being able to die by had buried Polyneices but she punished so they say
Antigone’s side. wanted the honor to die by this to each other and
Antigone whether she did it or Haimon listens to the
not and her permission was people not just what he
denied by Creon and Antigone
believes and Creon only

Creon Him and his son Haimon were arguing as to
the punishment for Antigone which Creon
had decided on so his son was trying to
convince him by trying to persuade him
using Pathos. But Creon was very mad that
Haimon was being disobedient to him.
Haimon He argued with Creon on his decision to
keep Antigone in isolation so he tried to
persuade him by pathos but it had not
worked so he was enraged and frustrated at
his father and his decision.
Scene of Characters Relationships or Conflicts
Play
Scene 4, Antigone The chorus feels pity for Antigone because
Ode 4 she is being put in isolation for the rest of
her life.
Creon Creon is tired of Antigone prolonging her
isolation and sees the chorus feels pity so he
says that if dirges could put off death then
man would be singing.
Scene of Characters Relationships or Conflicts
Play
Scene 5 Creon Creon was fearing what Teiresias had to say
because he has not been known for his
proclamations to be wrong so Creon scared
both. does what he think is
right.
Haimon is Creon’s son and he
expects his son to agree with
every decision he makes and to
not be disobedient to him.
Antigone is Haimon’s Fiance and
she did it for the rule of god not
the rule of man and he has heard
on the streets that the citizens of
Thebes believes that she should
be honored for going against
Creon.
What motivated the What could be a possible
character to react this way? developing theme?
Antigone is about to be put in the King Creon does not
cave by Creon’s servants and she
want the chorus to feel
is not afraid of death she just
wants the chorus to pity her and pity so that she can get
disregard the king and agree to out of death or so they
Antigone’s actions. will pray for her in
death so Creon hurries
Antigone is trying to get out of
death so he quickly pushes the the servant so there is
servant to get her inside the cave no more pity then there
and keep her away forever. already is.
What motivated the What could be a possible
character to react this way? developing theme?
Teiresias was not known for his Creon believes his
proclamations to be incorrect so
judgement is right so
he was fearing what would
he refuses to believe
 and unknowing asked what was needed and
he said to free Antigone and bury
Polyneices. But he soon gets his real
power-crazy-self back and goes against him
saying that he only does it for gold.
Teiresias He was outraged that Creon was still not
accepting his wrongdoings so he told him
what would happen if he didn’t do as he was
informed.
happen to Haimon when he said anyone else even if he is
that and he does not want to
proved wrong he does
show weakness to anyone.
not want to accept that
he is equal to others.
He thinks he is
Creon was refusing to do what superior.
was told so he was enraged and
he was fearing what he saw when
he was listening to the birds
talking.

Scene of Characters Relationships or Conflicts What motivated the What could be a possible
Play character to react this way? developing theme?

Paen Creon Creon is upset of the news the messenger The messenger sent news that He realizes he is alone
sent also he does not believe there is any the queen was dead after seeing
and he has no family
reason to live anymore. his son kill himself because of his
fiance he is at a very depressing and he shows a lack of
time. power.

Messenger The messenger shows pity to the king giving
him this news but stands firm as to say that
he is still the king and must keep his people
safe and that there is no reason he should be
praying because the gods won’t respond to
his prayers.
The messenger knows that
someone is still needed to rule
and he is the last one of the royal
family now.

Think about the title of the unit, ​Taking a Stand.​ Read back over your notes on this chart. If you
could choose the most critical theme that Sophocles was trying to develop throughout this tragic
play, what would it be? Which characters helped to develop that theme the most?
The most tragic theme would be not to abuse power because when you have the most power you forget what people cared for you the
most and The characters that helped develop this theme would be Haimon and Tiresias.