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Antigone was one of the daughters of Oedipus, that tragic figure of male power…

CLAT 2010 · English Language · 10 questions

Antigone was one of the daughters of Oedipus, that tragic figure of male power who had been cursed by Gods for mistakenly killing his father and subsequently marrying his mother and assuming the throne of Thebes. After the death of Oedipus, civil war broke out and a battle was waged in front of the seventh gate of Thebes-his two sons led opposing factions and at the height of the battle fought and killed each other. Oedipus brother Creon, uncle of Antigone, was now undisputed master of the city. Creon resolved to make an example of the brother who had fought against him, Polynices, by refusing the right of honourable burial. The penalty of death was promulgated against any who should defy this order. Antigone was distraught. Polynices had been left unburied, unwept, a feast of flesh for keen eyed carrion birds. Antigone asks her sister Ismene, for it was a challenge to her royal blood. "Now it is time to show whether or not you are worthy of your royal blood. Is he not my brother and yours? Whether you like it or not? I shall never desert him-never!" But Ismene responds, "How could you dare - when Creon has expressly forbidden it? Antigone, we are women, it is not for us to fight against men." With a touch of bitterness, Antigone releases her sister from the obligation to help her, but argues she cannot shrug off the burden. "If I die for it what happiness! Live, if you will live, and defy the holiest of laws of heaven."

Question 1

What is the main theme of the story of Antigone?
  1. A. One must be truthful and honest.
  2. B. There is a conflict between the laws of men and heavenly laws.
  3. C. One must be true to one's kins.
  4. D. War is an evil.

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Question 2

Why did Antigone decide to defy the orders of Creon?
  1. A. She loved her brother.
  2. B. She was to give an honourable burial to her brother.
  3. C. She felt she was bound by her heavenly obligation.
  4. D. To teach Creon a lesson.

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Question 3

What, in your opinion, would have been the logical end of the story?
  1. A. Antigone might have agreed with her sister and refrained from giving a burial to Polynices.
  2. B. Antigone might have been allowed by Creon to give a decent burial to her brother.
  3. C. Antigone might have defied the order of Creon but forgiven by him
  4. D. Antigone might have been executed for defying the order of the king.

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Question 4

What was the status of women in the contemporary society? They _____.
  1. A. were liberated
  2. B. could have taken their own decisions
  3. C. considered themselves inferior and subordinate to men
  4. D. claimed equality with men

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Question 5

Why did a civil war break out in Thebes? The war broke out because
  1. A. of the curse of the Gods
  2. B. the brothers of Antigone were greedy
  3. C. there was a fight among sons of Oedipus for the inheritance of the kingdom
  4. D. there was a conflict between a son of Oedipus and Creon

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Question 7

Why did Creon deny decent burial to Polynices? He did so because
  1. A. he did not love Polynices
  2. B. Polynices fought against Creon
  3. C. Polynices was disobedient to Creon
  4. D. Polynices did not show bravery

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Question 8

Why did Ismene not support Antigone? Ismene _____.
  1. A. was weak and did not have the courage to defy orders of the powerful king
  2. B. did not consider it right to defy the king
  3. C. did not think it fit to defy her uncle especially after the death of her father
  4. D. did not believe that Polynices deserved better treatment

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Question 10

Does the story approve the principle of vicarious liability? If so how?
  1. A. No, it does not.
  2. B. Yes, it does, because of the acts of Oedipus his children suffered.
  3. C. Yes, it does, because his father was killed by Oedipus.
  4. D. Yes, it does, because he married his mother.

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