Question

Explain the cause-and-effect relationship among the plot events that result in Antigone’s punishment.

Answer 1

The event that triggered the chain of events leading to Antigone's punishment began when her brother Polyneices rebelled against Thebes. During the battle he and his brother killed one another. Polyneices' rebellion made him a traitor in Creon's eyes; therefore, Creon refused to allow anyone to give Polyneices a proper burial. Antigone chose to defy Creon's law and bury her brother. The action led to her arrest. Her fiancé and Creon's son, Haemon, made an argument against his father's decision to execute Antigone. While Creon did not change his mind about her execution, he did change his method. Instead of having Antigone stoned to death, he will place her in a tomb where she will eventually die.

Answer 2

The event that triggered the chain of events leading to Antigone's punishment began when her brother Polyneices rebelled against Thebes. During the battle he and his brother killed one another. Polyneices' rebellion made him a traitor in Creon's eyes; therefore, Creon refused to allow anyone to give Polyneices a proper burial. Antigone chose to defy Creon's law and bury her brother. The action led to her arrest. Her fiancé and Creon's son, Haemon, made an argument against his father's decision to execute Antigone. While Creon did not change his mind about her execution, he did change his method. Instead of having Antigone stoned to death, he will place her in a tomb where she will eventually die.