Author: CamdenScott

A Start on Character

 Edit:In looking at the characters, their desires, and their actions, there seems to be a great contrast between all of the Christian characters and Shylock the Jew. Not only are all of the Christian characters “right” and the “good guys” and Shylock “wrong” and the “bad guy,” the Christians seem more human. The Christians, even those who have their faults (Antonio mistreating Shylock, Gratiano being overly flippant, etc) have more human desire and a greater thirst for a good life. They desire things that will make themselves and others happy. Shylock, however, only wants revenge and his “justice.” It’s as if he is some how sub-human. The difference is not about moral rights and wrongs but entire states of being and outlooks on life.Bassanio

  • Motivation – Bassanio wishes to woo and wed Portia, he also wants Antontio’s wellbeing because he so devoted to him
  • Obstacles –  At first his lack of funds prevents him from wooing Portia, then he runs into the obstacle of the casket test. As for achieving Antonio’s wellbeing, he runs into the obstacles of Antonio’s ships apparently being lost at sea, and Shylock holding onto the agreement
  • Action/What? – What the characters does or is willing to do to satisfy the want In order to woo and wed Portia, Bassanio is willing to strain his relationship with Antonio by asking him for money yet again, and travel far. He is also willing to risk failing the casket test and being forced to swear to never pursue her again. In order to protect Antonio, Bassanio is willing to pay many times Shylock’s original price.
  • Action/Why? – Why the character chooses these actions? Bassanio chooses to ask Antonio for money because he knows he can trust him in a tight spot (he’s done it before), and he has really has a strong desire to try for Portia’s hand. He tries to save Antonio’s life because he is is closest friend, and he chooses the method of bribing Shylock because he is confident in his relationship with his new wife (it won’t strain anything between them).
  • Avowed Action/Why? vs. True Action/Why? – Why does the character SAY he does an action compared to the truth un why he does an action. Bassanio expresses that he would give is own life to protect Antonio. “Good cheer, Antonio! What, man, courage yet!/The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones and all,/Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.” (IV, 1, lines 133-155) He seems to be honest in this, traveling far to make it to Antonio’s trial and repeatedly offering to sacrifice money and his life for him.

Portia

  • Character(s) Motivation – Portia wishes to wed a good man that she loves, and support him and make him happy without breaking her late father’s will. (Should we also include something about wanting to please/support Bassanio? After all she is willing to go to great lengths to aid Antonio because of Bassanio)
  • Obstacles –  Portia struggles with the arrival of many base, arrogant, or simply undesirable suitors. She also struggles with the fact that when Bassanio arrives she cannot simply marry him without breaking her father’s will.
  • Action/What? – What the characters does or is willing to do to satisfy the want In order to not break her father’s will, she is willing to risk not marrying the one she loves. In order to support Bassanio and therefore Antonio, she is willing to provide great amounts of money, and concoct a scheme involving Nerissa and going under cover.
  • Action/Why? – Why the character chooses these actions? She chooses to aid Antonio and pretend to be a man with Nerissa because she feels it is her duty as Bassanio’s wife to support his close friend. “…for in companions/That do converse and waste the time together, /Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love,/There must be needs a like proportion/Of lineaments, of manners and spirit; Which makes me think that this Antonio, Being the bosom lover of my lord, Must needs be like my lord.” (III, 4, lines 11- 18) Portia specifically offers support in the form of money because she is quite wealthy. There doesn’t seem to be much difference in what she says and what she does, excepting the bit of fun she and Nerissa have with the rings and the expense of their husbands.

Final Plot Analysis for Antigone

Stasis
Thebes is torn apart by brotherly war and recent familial dishonor must decide between honor and civility when Eteocles and Polyneices, the two heirs to the throne, kill each other. Their headstrong sister, Antigone, rebels against a new law and Creon, the new King, must either stand by his new law or murder his niece. Inciting Incident: Although it happens offstage, the real action begins when Antigone attempts to bury her brother. This action is in direct opposition to the new decree and spurs on the rest of the action in the show.

 

Covering the action of the play (not the meaning) describe the significant part of the plot.

Two dueling brother, heirs to the throne of Thebes, kill each other in battle. The king of Thebes, Creon, decrees that it shall be a crime to give proper burial to Polyneices, but Antigone rebels against the law and gives burial rites to her brother. Through a series of complications and increasing amounts of pressure from both external and internal forces, Creon sentences Antigone to death. When his son's life is called into question, he quickly reverses his sentence, only to find that Antigone, his son Haemon, and his wife Eurydice have committed suicide on account of his actions. Creon admits his guilt in the matter, and is left with the prospect of ruling his city with no one to look to for support.

Inciting incident – what gets the whole story moving – it disrupts the stasis of the world of the play

Antigone buries and performs burial rituals and rites on the body of her brother Polyneices.

Beginning Exposition – what do we need to know to understand the story.

Most of the characters in the play come from the same royal family. Polynecies and Eteocles are brothers, Antigone and Ismene their sisters, and Creon their uncle. Also, Antigone and Creon's son Haemon are betrothed.

Eteocles and Polynecies, heirs to the throne, have agreed to share control after their father's death. However, when Eteocles eventually refuses to co-rule with Polynecies, a war erupts. This is what leads to the battle directly before the opening of the play.

Complications – disruptions that prevent the easy accomplishment of the goal of the central character (that characters “sufferings”); the pressures on the story.]

1. Creon bans an honorable burial for Polyneices
2. Ismene will not help Antigone bury her brother

a. "I'm not disrespecting them. But I can't act/against the state. That's not in my nature." (97-98)

3. The gods were against the war from the start

a. "seven equal warriors/paid Zeus their full bronze tribute,/the god who turns the battle tide,/all but that pair of wretched men,/born of one father and one mother, too-/who set their conquering spears against each other/and then both shared a common death." (168-173).

4. Creon is power-hungry

a. "And so I have the throne, all royal power" (171)

5. Creon does not want Polyneices to have an honorable burial

a. "€¦He'll be left unburied,/his body there for birds and dogs to eat,/a clear reminder of his shameful fate./that's my decision." (234-237)

6. The gods do not support Polyneices as a man and therefore do not honor his burial

a. "€¦Or do you see gods paying respect to evil men? No, no." (233-234)

7. Antigone does not fear Creon

a. "€¦Zeus did not announce those laws to me./and Justice living with the gods below/sent no such laws for men€¦" (508-510)

8. Antigone is emotional and perhaps not thinking clearly

a. "the spirit in this girl is passionate-/her father was the same. Shehas no sense/of compromise in times of trouble." (537-540)

9. Antigone wants to die with her brother. Creon must consider this

a. "Take me and kill me-what more do you want?" (565)

10. Antigone and Creon have conflicting ideas of honor

a. Creon: "These views of yours-so different from the rest/don't they bring you any sense of shame?"

b. Antigone: "No-there's nothing shameful in honouring my mother's children." (579-582)

11. Ismene tries to take Antigone's place

a. "I did it-/I admit it, and she'll back me up./So I bear the guilt as well." (614-616)

12. Antigone does not want to die with Ismene

a. "But you chose life-it was my choice to die." (635)

13. Creon will kill his son's love

a. Ismene: "You're going to kill your own son's bride?"

b. Creon: "Why not? There are other fields for him to plough." (650-651)

14. Creon's method of ruling called into question by Haemon. The city is on Antigone's side.

a. "Your gaze makes citizens afraid-they can't/say anything you would not like to hear./But in the darkness I can hear them talk-/the city is upset about the girl." (690-693)

b. Haemon: "The people here in Thebes all say the same-/they deny she is [doing wrong]."

c. Creon: "So the city now/will instruct me how I am to govern?" (835-838)

1.        "You'll not escape thei pain."  (1090)

2.        Teiresias foretells the death of Haemon's sons if Antigone is to die.

3.        Creon reaffirms his decision to sentence Antigone to death, despite the reasoning and arguments of his son Haemon.

 

Crisis – the moment leading to the climax

Creon reaffirms his decision to sentence Antigone to death, despite the reasoning and arguments of his son Haemon.

Teiresias prophesies that Haemon will die before the day is over because of Creon's actions.

Climax – the highest point of action where the maximum is at stake; a moment of discover and recognition

Creon reverses his death sentence on Antigone and rushes off to free her in order to prevent his son's death.

Reversal – the downward fall of the action.
The Messenger recounts to Chorus how Antigone and Haemon have committed suicide

Creon brings Haemon's body back to the palace and mourns, admitting total fault for the death of his son.

The Messenger reveals that Eurydice has committed suicide

Resolution – the final creation of a new stasis

Creon admits he was wrong and is completely guilty for the three deaths. He is left with only one surviving family member and no one to look to for support, praying only for death to come swiftly.

What is the play about based on our analysis?

Based on our analysis of the plot of Antigone, the play is about a King's downfall due to his pride and lack of wisdom and refusal to accept counsel.

"There's no release for mortal human beings,/not from events which destiny has set." (1336-1337)

"The most important part of true success/is wisdom-not to act impiously towards the gods." (1348-1350)