- Antigone defies her uncle's decree that her traitorous brother should go unburied and therefore find no rest in the afterlife; however, her actions have tragic consequences.
- The tragic tale of King Oedipus, who ruled over the city of Thebes, unfolds with a series of horrific events. Unknowingly, he killed his father and married his mother, resulting in four children--two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, and two daughters, Ismene and Antigone. A calamitous clash between the brothers for the throne leads to Creon, the new monarch, issuing a decree that the body of the traitorous Polynices should be left unburied. However, Antigone, driven by devotion, defies the royal order and buries her brother. This act of reckless rebellion leads to her imprisonment in the castle's cold dungeons, where she faces a cruel fate. The blind prophet of Apollo, Tiresias, warns of the Gods' wrath, unaware that the arrogant hubris has already triggered an irreversible chain of events.—Nick Riganas
- After Oedipus is persecuted, he leaves the throne of Thebes to his two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, who must take it in turns to rule. Eteocles rules first but the two become enemies after Eteocles refuses to give up the throne, and Polynices is exiled. He returns to attack in the Seven Against Thebes campaign. At the beginning of the play, both brothers are dead, apparently slain by the other's hand. The current ruler, Creon, has made a decree: Since Polynices fought against Thebes and betrayed his motherland, he shall be left unburied, without the proper burial rites. Meanwhile, Eteocles is to be buried with full military honors.
Antigone, the youngest daughter of Oedipus and the sister of the dead brothers, believes this proclamation to be against the will of the gods (which she describes as "...the unwritten and unfailing statutes of heaven. For their life is not of today or yesterday, but from all time, and no man knows when they were first put forth.") She confides her plan to bury Polynices herself to her sister Ismene, but Ismene, being more timid, refuses to take part. Ismene admits to her fear, but agrees with Antigone's motive.
When Creon is informed that someone is trying to bury Polynices, he orders the body to be uncovered. Antigone is caught returning to her brother's body, and brought before the furious king. She proudly accepts her death as she sees no wrong in honouring her "...unwept, unburied" brother. Ismene claims that she also took part in the crime. But Antigone tells her to stay out of the matter, since she had chosen to have no part in the actions.
Antigone's fiancé, Haemon (also Creon's son), arrives talking about how the whole city thinks Antigone did the right thing. Although he claims to be 'neutral' on the matter himself, he tells his father that he is on the side of the state. Creon, however, keeps yelling, saying that Haemon has sold out to a woman. Finally, Haemon states that Antigone's death will cause another. When Creon scoffs at the seeming threat on his own life, his son tells him it is not Creon who will die. Enraged, Creon decides to let Antigone starve to death in a sealed cave. The chorus persuades him to let Ismene go, as she is innocent.
The blind prophet Tiresias then tells Creon that his actions are not right. Creon sneers, mocking Tiresias with how prophets have always loved gold. Tiresias tells him that soon his own flesh and blood will die, and his actions are causing a miasma (pollution). Faced with this terrible prophecy, Creon is torn but comes to the conclusion that Polynices must be buried and Antigone must not be killed.
He finds that his anagnorisis (discovery) has come too late. Antigone has already committed suicide in the cave, hanging herself as her mother Jocasta had (in Oedipus the King). Haemon makes his way to save Antigone, but finds only her dead body in the cave. Creon also makes his way to Antigone but is confronted by the sight of Haemon leaning over Antigone's body. Haemon threatens Creon, before stabbing himself and taking his own life. Creon's wife, Eurydice, also kills herself in grief over the death of her son.
Creon, having lost his family, lets himself be taken away. His hamartia (mistake) has come back with a vengeance, taking from him all that he loved.
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