Lesson 3

Lesson Goals

Texts

Core

• • Antigone, Sophocles (translated by Robert Fagles), Penguin Books, 1984

• • “Is it a Crime for a U.S. Citizen to Vote?,” Susan B. Anthony, Public Domain, 1873

• • “‘Antigone’: Creon and Haemon,” National Theatre, National Theatre, 2013

Materials

Tools

• Antigone: Character Argument Note-Taking Tool

• Delineating Arguments Tool

• Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool

• Mentor Sentence Journal

• Video Note-Taking Tool

• Vocabulary Journal

Reference Guides

• Academic Discussion Reference Guide
• Claims Reference Guide

Question Sets

• Antigone: Section 3 Question Set

Editable Google Docs

• Antigone: Character Argument Note-Taking Tool

• Delineating Arguments Tool

• Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool

• Mentor Sentence Journal

• Antigone: Section 3 Question Set

• Video Note-Taking Tool

• Vocabulary Journal

Activity 1: Discuss – Listen – Read

We will revisit the first portion of Creon and Haemon’s scene in order to examine additional claims and arguments made by the play’s characters, then do a pair read-aloud to complete the scene.

Step 1

Now that you have studied the art of argument and the use of rhetorical devices in Susan B. Anthony’s speech, you will turn your attention back to Antigone.

Review your annotations on Lines 705-812, which you read in Section 2, Lesson 4. With a partner, discuss your annotations focusing on the scene between Creon and Haemon. Use the following questions to guide your discussion, and add to your annotations as necessary:

1. What is revealed about Creon’s belief regarding family? What lines can you point to that show this belief?

2. Which lines demonstrate how Creon characterizes women?

3. What do Lines 731-755 reveal about Creon’s beliefs about citizenship?

4. How does Haemon view his father?

5. Does Haemon use logos, pathos, or ethos in Lines 775-783? What is his purpose in using rhetoric here?

6. With whom does the Leader agree? What does this reveal about his character?

Step 2

With a partner, read-aloud Lines 813-878. One of you will take Creon’s role, the other Haemon’s. Once Haemon exits, the reader for Haemon will take the role of the Leader.

To prepare for the reading, keep in mind the following:

• The discussion you have just had regarding the first section of the father’s and son’s scene

• Ismene’s characterization of the relationship between Antigone and Haemon and Creon’s response in Lines 643-645

• The Chorus’s question in Lines 701-704

Step 3

Add any new details about the characters to your Character Argument Note-Taking Tool, and use a new tool if necessary to ensure you are poised to arrive at conclusions about their respective perspectives and positions. Be sure to update the thematic ideas in relation to each character based on this analysis.

Write down in your Vocabulary Journal new or interesting words you encountered.

Step 4

Reflect on the following questions and then discuss the following with your partner:

1. What words and phrases mark changes in Haemon’s position? How does his position and opinion of his father evolve over the course of their interaction?

2. What changes in Creon’s character do you identify in this part of the play? What details help you determine the change?

3. What does Creon’s choice of punishment reveal about his beliefs of leadership?

4. How would you characterize the father-son relationship between Creon and Haemon?

   1. Why is this such an important relationship in ancient Athens?

   2. Are Creon and Haemon similar or different in terms of their personalities?

5. What decisions regarding Ismene and Antigone has Creon made by the end of the reading?

6. How does Creon’s decision about Antigone absolve the State?

Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle set the ideal for a tragic hero as specifically a man of noble birth who is capable, powerful, flawed (this flaw ultimately leads to the character’s downfall), and whose fortunes change drastically as a result of this flaw.

7. In what ways is Creon heroic according to Aristotle's ideal?

8. In what ways is Haemon heroic according to Aristotle’s ideal?

Activity 2: View – Listen – Write – Discuss

We will watch a video from the National Theatre about Creon and Haemon’s relationship.

Watch the short video "‘Antigone’: Creon and Haemon" by the National Theatre to gain information about how a director and actors chose to portray the exchange between Creon and Haemon, following Antigone’s sentencing. Use the following guiding questions to help you take notes on your Video Note-Taking Tool as you watch:

1. How does this video add to your understanding of the lines you read in class?

2. What do you think about Creon’s and Haemon’s characters after watching this video?

3. In the interviews with the actors who portray the main characters, what insights do they share that help you understand more about the play?

Share your responses with a partner after watching the video. Note areas of agreement and disagreement.

Activity 3: Write – Discuss

We will participate in a silent whole-class writing activity to examine Haemon’s and Creon’s arguments, then discuss our responses.

Step 1

We will participate in a silent group writing activity, which responds to the following prompt:

1. Whose argument is the strongest between Haemon and Creon? Why?

In your group, you will have a large piece of paper that everyone in your group can write on. Each of you will be writing down your ideas, claims, and evidence in response to this question. Be sure to draw from your notes from your Character Argument Note-Taking Tools.

Discuss how you want to share ideas via this written conversation. Though you will be working silently, you can interact by reading and writing. Consider drawing lines or arrows between connecting or contrasting ideas.

Although you are completing this task silently, it is still a form of discussion between peers. Keep in mind our discussion norms, and in particular, the following guidelines:

• Use clear and respectful language and reference academic concepts and vocabulary as you present ideas and ask questions.

• Read others’ positions, and consider their ideas before you form a response.

• Build on or examine the thoughts of others by posing and responding to questions that make connections among ideas.

• Support your ideas by referring to research or evidence from texts.

• Be open to expanding your ideas or perspective based on new, credible information.

Step 2

One person from your group will hang your paper on the wall as directed by your teacher.

When directed, groups will rotate to another group’s paper and read their responses, questions, and ideas. If you have something to add to the paper, please do so. This activity will also be done silently.

Step 3

As a class, discuss the positions, ideas, and questions on the papers. Use the following guiding questions for our discussion:

1. Were there areas of agreement or disagreement reflected on the notes?

2. How did background knowledge of ancient Greek culture affect your position?

3. How did the video from the National Theatre affect your position?

4. How did the responses, questions, and ideas of your peers affect your position?

5. Think back to the initial prompt: Whose argument is the strongest between Haemon and Creon? Why? Did your answer change over the course of the activity? Why or why not?

Activity 4: Write – Read

We will identify, develop, support, and write about a claim that is found in both Susan B. Anthony’s speech and Antigone.

Step 1

Use the Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool to develop a claim based on the following guiding question:

1. What is one claim about the responsibilities related to governing that can be found in "Is it a Crime for a U.S. Citizen to Vote?" and Antigone (Lines 705-878)?

Use your annotations, Learning Log, Delineating Arguments Tool, Vocabulary Journal, Character Argument Note-Taking Tool and any other notes as needed.

To review and revise your claim, read it and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is the claim clearly stated?

2. Does the claim communicate your opinion or conclusion about your character?

3. Is the claim based on evidence that you gathered from the text?

4. Is the claim supported by evidence?

If you answered "no" to any of the questions, think about how you might revise your claim.

Step 2

Compose a one-paragraph response in your Learning Log based on the claim you constructed using the Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool, based on the same guiding question:

1. What is one claim about the responsibilities related to governing that can be found in "Is it a Crime for a U.S. Citizen to Vote?" and Antigone (Lines 705-878)?

Consider the following when composing your response:

• State your claim clearly and concisely.

• Integrate specific references and quotations from each work to support your claim.

• Use appropriate academic language to present your claim and evidence.

Use your annotations, Learning Log, Delineating Arguments Tool, Character Argument- Note-Taking Tool, Mentor Sentences Journal, Vocabulary Journal, and any other notes as needed.

Activity 5: Read – Write

For homework, we will continue adding to our Vocabulary Journals and complete an activity related to vocabulary comprehension.

Review your Vocabulary Journal and add any of the words below from Antigone Lines 813-878 that you have not already listed. For each word in the list below, identify the vocabulary strategy (e.g., context, morphology, reference resource) you used to determine its meaning.

• degenerate

• bandying

• trample

• accomplice

• blatant

• sermons

• delude

• rage

• riddance

• desolate

• trod

• piety

• defilement

• reprieve

Then, reflect on the following question:

1. What common connotations or feelings are suggested by this group of words?