Summary of the play

ÒANTIGONEÓ is the story of a warrior-woman named Antigone. Her two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, were supposed to reign jointly as kings of Thebes after their father, Oedipus the King, dies. But Eteocles betrayed his brother and had him exiled. Polyneices comes back and attacks Eteocles and both of them die.

The next king, Creon, who is also AntigoneÕs uncle (and of course OedipusÕ brother-in-law), is enraged at Polyneices for attacking Thebes and killing Eteocles. So, after he gives a great state funeral and high honors to the dead Eteocles, he decrees that PolyneicesÕ corpse must rot in the open and be picked at by predatory animals and birds in retribution for his treachery in attacking his own city. Antigone and her sister Ismene come out of the palace. Antigone tells her sister about CreonÕs edict forbidding the burial of Polynices and confides that she intends to defy the order. She asks Ismene to help, but the older sister is afraid and protests that they are only women and too weak to resist the king. Antigone asserts that their highest obligations are to the dead and the gods, not the king.

The real story is about Antigone and her conscience. She is the sister of Eteocles and Polyneices and she sides with the wronged brother. She is especially concerned that it is her sacred duty to perfom sacrifical rites over Polyneices so that his soul can find rest. But this would go directly against the will of King Creon who would put to death anyone who buried PolyneicesÕ corpse. When her sister Ismene tries to disuade her from trying to bury their brother, Antigone counters that, in a choice between sacred law and human law (CreonÕs new laws), obedience to the gods deserves first place. Antigone then performs burial rites and scatters dust on Polyneices Ô body. Then Creon has her arrested. The plot thickens as Haemon, CreonÕs son, is soon to marry his cousin Antigone. Haemon urges his father to clemency, a disposition to be merciful and especially to morderate the severity of punishment due. Creon is unmoved and vows to execute Antigone in front of his son. Teiresias, the blind seer, comes onstage and denounces Creon for his heavy-handedness, and warns him of dire consequences to the city if he persists in the plan to execute Antigone. Teiresias predicts that the Òwailing of men and of womenÓ will soon come to CreonÕs house.