As a director, or as a costume designer, discuss your ideas for presenting Ismene and Eurydice in their first appearances,
in order to achieve your intended dramatic effects. You must make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or
historical context of Antigone in your answer. [25 marks]
INTRODUCTION
-’Antigone’ was written in 442BC by Sophocles. It was first performed in the city of Athens at the Theatre of Dionysus.
Within ‘Antigone’ Sophocles portrays the ancient Greek feminine ideal through the characters of Ismene and Eurydice.
In Ancient Greek society, women were expected to be quiet, passive, subservient to men and obedient to authority.
Both Ismene and Eurydice represent this ideal, therefore I will use this social and historical context to shape my
response to accentuate the feeble, docile and tractable appeal of the women in order to educate the modern audience
on the role of women in Ancient Greece.
CONTEXTUALISATION
-Ismene’s first appearance is in the prologue at the very beginning of this Ancient Greek tragedy. The recent battle has
just ceased, and the attacking armies of Argos have just left Thebes. Ismene is summoned by Antigone to meet in secret
outside the palace doors. Antigone informs Ismene of Creon’s decree; Polynice’s burial is forbidden.
RESPONSE
- Ismene wearing black peplos to allude to her state of grief, with makeup applied to make Ismene’s face red
and have bloodshot red eyes from excessive crying
- “My own flesh and blood – dear sister, dear Ismene” - A hugs Ismene tightly while I shakes and persists to sob
quietly
- “What haven’t you heard? Don’t you see?” - A and “Not I, I haven’t heard a word, Antigone” - I (immediately
establish the proactive vs passive nature/ accentuate appeal of Ismene being passive)
- After Antigone’s rhesis which informs Ismene of Creon’s decree, Ismene “My poor sister, if things have come
to this who am I to make or mend them, tell me, what good am I to you?” (pause/ breathless/ scared facial
expression)
- In response to A asking I to bury the body “What? You’d bury him- when a law forbids the city? (shocked
expression, hand on heart, scared)
- “Remember we are women, we’re not born to contend with men” - I (bitter tone, angry tears, scrunched up
face, higher volume)
- “Do as you like, dishonour the laws the gods hold in honour” - A (would say confidently, bitterly,
antagonistic)“I’d do them no dishonour... but defy the city? I have no strength for that” - I (I loyal to state, turn
away from Antigone, feeble/ gentle tone, quiet volume and go sit down on the stairs of the proskenion, hands
on head distressed)
CONTEXTUALISATION
- Eurydice’s first appearance is in the final part of ‘Antigone’, the Exodos. In this scene, the Messenger brings
the news of Haemon and Antigone’s death to the coryphaeus. Eurydice overhears a bit of the conversation as
she is exiting the palace to go and give prayers.
RESPONSE
- After the cue, “those are the facts, deal with them as you will” from the Messenger, Eurydice enters from the
central doors dressed in a purple ankle-length chiton, the colour purple referring to her regal status and
wealth.
- Eurydice - “My countrymen, all of you” (walk to downstage centre of proskenion, speaks to chorus, frail tone,
frightened expression, pause)
- EURYDICE - “I was just loosing the bolts, opening the doors” (deflect eye-contact from chorus to the floor to
show she is thinking internally, speaking towards the ground, becoming shakey)
- Eurydice - “when a voice filled with sorrow, family sorrow, struck my ears” (look up to the heavens, trembling
tone, eyes darting frantically)
- Eurydice rushes down the steps of the proskenion and grabs messenger by the hands “tell me the news, again,
whatever it is...” (impatient tone, stressed, demanding)
- As Messenger prevails in speech, infomng Eurydice of Antigone and Haemon's death, Euydice reacts to it.
“suddenly leaning his full weight on the blade he buried it in his body” - Messenger (Eurydice stares at the
floor, emotionless expression, blank, unresponsive, silent)
- After a long pause, Eurydice turns and walks slowly back into the palace
CONCLUSION
- Overall, I would want the audience to understand the role and nature of women in Ancient Greek society
through my portrayal of Ismene and Eurydice in their first appearances in the play.
, As a performer, discuss how you would perform the role of the Sentry in each of his appearances in order to convey his
changing attitudes towards Creon. [In some editions, the Sentry is referred to as the Guard or the Soldier.] You must
make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or historical context of Antigone in your answer. [25 marks]
INTRODUCTION
-’Antigone’ was written in 442BC by Sophocles. It was first performed in the city of Athens at the Theatre of Dionysus.
Within ‘Antigone’ Sophocles portrays the motif of agon through the character of the Sentry. The Sentry fights for
himself in the beginning of ‘Antigone’ in order to prove his innocence. Agon is a Greek term referring to struggle,
conflict and competition. The sense of agon brings out the Sentry’s attitude of fear towards Creon, and then later his
confident and self-serving attitude, therefore I will use this historical context to shape my response to accentuate the
shift in the Sentry’s attitudes towards Creon from the First to the Second Epeisodion.
CONTEXTUALISATION
- During the First Epeisodion, Creon delivers a speech in front of the chorus in which he states his decree –
burial of Polynices is forbidden. Shortly after this, the Sentry enters the palace, terrified, and gives Creon the
news that someone has buried Polynices.
RESPONSE
- - “My lord, I can’t say I’m winded from running” (rush onto proskenion via parados, disorientated expression,
breathless tone, hands on knees)
- “I was lost in thought, and it made me stop, often, dead in my tracks, wheeling, turning back” (gaze darting
frantically, speaking with fast pace, overwhelming panic)
- “Idiot, why? You’re going straight to your death” (hands to head, raised volume on first half of line, second
half more quiet with a solemn tone)
- “First, myself, I’ve got to tell you, I didn’t do it” (engages in eye-contact with Creon, moves closer to him sat
on his throne situated downstage centre before the audience, hands clasped together in begging gesture,
fearful expression, trembling tone)
- “Out with it – then dismiss!” - C vs “All right, here it comes. The body – someone's just buried it” (Creon
raised volume, tone of anger and Sentry replies in frightful, shakey tone, pause after “the body”, shaking
stance)
CONTEXTUALISATION
- The Sentry returns to the palace in the Second Epeisodion and announces that he and his fellow guards caught
Antigone reburying Polynice’s body after they had removed the layer of dust, she had already sprinkled on
him.
RESPONSE
- “My king, there’s nothing you can swear you’ll never do-” (pleased to see Creon, almost excited facial
expression eagerly smiling, confident tone)
- “I’m bringing in our prisoner – this young girl -” (place a hand on A’s shoulder, proud tone, pleased expression
with smug smile)
- “This is my luck, my prize, no one else’s” (chuckling smugly to myself, hand on heart, grinning, edge closer to
Creon with an assured gait)
- “Take her, question her, cross examine her to your hearts content” (quickening pace, cheerful tone which
highlights a sinister, self-serving side to the Sentry) “but set me free, it’s only right – I'm rid of this dreadful
business once and for all” (move away from Antigone and towards Creon, a pleased tone and neutral volume,
grin at the end of the line)
- “we brushed the corpse clean of the dust that covered it, stripped it bare... it was slimy, going soft” (no sense
of fear, telling the story plainly and confident, direct eye-contact with Creon)
CONCLUSION
- Overall, I would want to present the shift in the Sentry’s attitude towards Creon from being fearful and
defensive in the First Epeisodion to proud, assured and selfish in the Second Epeisodion. The motif of agon
sustained as in the First Epeisodion, I hope to have accentuated the Sentry’s struggle and fear, and also in the
Second Epeisodion where the Sentry has the competitive aspect of proving his innocence to Creon.
As a director, discuss the production methods you would use in order to communicate your interpretation of the
relationship between Creon and Haemon. You must make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or historical
context of Antigone in your answer. [25 marks]
INTRODUCTION
