ake advicetell meset the girl free bury the boyyou really mean this I should just give inquick quick quickcatastrophe can outrun foolsit's hardit's hard but yes I mustquick quick quickgo yourself go now
There’s a strong contrast between haste and hesitation in this passage
0 yes O dear yesno one else is to blameI killed you I killed you, 0 dear one, I didsomeone, take Kreon awayhe no more exists than someone who does not exist
Why does Kreon say he “no more exists than someone who does not exist”? Is he expressing extreme guilt and shame, or does this line suggest that he feels spiritually or emotionally dead after losing everything?
I went with your husband as guideto the edge of the plainwhere it laythe dogtom partsthe parts of himPolyneikeswe prayed the gods to hold back their angerwe washed him and bumed himon freshcut brancheswe piled high a mound and we leftto go to the tomb of the girlthe bride of Deat
The phrase “dogtom parts” refers to Polyneikes’s body being torn apart by dogs, symbolizing the dishonor of being left unburied. In ancient Greek culture, this was considered a terrible fate because an unburied soul could not rest in the afterlife
nd the strange mad flower of his mind42InIII'IANTIGONEdripped in the dark
The image of a “strange mad flower” growing or “dripping in the dark” contrasts beauty with madness and decay
ake me homehe can vent hisrage on younger menand find a gentler tonguea better attitude
Why does the speaker say “take me home”? Are they asking to escape suffering or death? And who is “he” a god, a king, or someone else the speaker fears?
0 filth of Deathwho can clean you out0 pilingup of Deathwho can reckon youyou take a man already brokenand grind him to dustcome tellme your news, messengerthe woman the blood the boy
This poem personifies death as dirty and unstoppable “filth” that destroys the broken. Reckon means to judge or measure (Merriam-Webster). The final line lists victims, showing death’s human cost.
anarchy! what greater evil
What does this speaker mean by “anarchy”? Is it literal lawlessness — or symbolic of disobedience, especially by women or marginalized people?
take them insideand tie them upno more free-running womeneven the boldest of them willtake to their heelsif they see Death nearby
Are these commands intended as protection or punishment? Is the speaker claiming this will save them from Death or simply control them out of fear?
no actually they all dobut you've nailed their tongues to the floor
There’s a contrast between "they all do" (implying universal agreement or action) and the act of silencing them ("nailed their tongues").
don't say another worddon't be that stupidgodsmixedupin thisyou demented old menyou think thegodsburied him for his good intentionsyou think thegodsgave him a prize for citizenshipdespite the fact he came to bum their temples downto desecrate their lawsyou think the gods find gangsters like that hrmourahk
Q. Who is “hrmourahk”? Is this a real person, a mythological figure, or a symbolic name. Understanding who “hrmourahk” is might help clarify the speaker’s anger and the argument being made about divine justice (or the lack of it).
he answersevery question put to himevery question put to himbut oneto Death he has no answerfrom Death he finds no exit
O. if u look you'll see the repetition of “every question put to him.” This creates a pattern that emphasizes the subject’s capacity. he seems all-knowing, reliable, and consistent. But the repetition also sets up an expectation that is immediately broken by the line that follows: “but one.”
was there putrefaction and vermiculation yes
E. i had to look this up, i did not know what vermiculation was. (The process of rotting or decaying, especially due to bacterial activity after death. It’s physical, visceral, and inevitable.)
There are plays here that richly reward close reading
i like that the highlights the fact that close reading is rich. It emphasizes the depth and value of the reward. It suggests that the benefits are abundant or meaningful.