Antigone

Antigone is the name of the play and the main character. She and her sister Ismene are mourning the deaths of their brothers Eteocles and Polynices who killed each other in battle for the control of Thebes. Creon had made a decree that if any one dared to bury him, he would be punished by death, and Antigone was not going to allow this to happen to her brother because she followed the laws of the gods, whereas Ismene was more afraid of the laws that man had declared. Creon calls Polynices a traitor to Thebes, because he had married outside the Thebes gates. Antigone decides to go to the battle field and spreads dirt over the body of Polynices, performing burial rights, she deemed not rendering Polynices a proper burial disrespectful to the gods.

Creon finds out that Polyneices’s body has been buried and he becomes furious. Antigone is brought in for questioning. She tells Creon that she has buried her brother’s body. She argues with Creon about the morality of her actions. Later, Creon brings in her sister, Ismene, for questioning. Ismene lies about being Antigone’s accomplice, wishing to die alongside her sister. At this time we meet Haemon the son of Creon and husband to be to Antigone, who believes that his father decisions are not right, and pleads to his father that Antigone should go freed. However, Creon does not listen to what his son says and thinks that he is too young to understand the choices he has made, and because he felt his son was acting on emotion and not in the best interest of the city Haemon after hearing this, runs off.

The blind prophet Teiresias warns Creon that the gods side with Antigone. Creon accuses Teiresias of being corrupt and Teiresias says that because of Creon's irrational decisions, his son will die. The Chorus asks Creon to take advice from Teiresias and give Polynices a proper burial and set Antigone free. He finally agrees to free Antigone from the cave, but is too late,