ANTIGONE ( Greek: Antigone )
Plot Summary
Polyneices and Eteocles, two brothers leading opposite sides in Thebes
civil war, have both been killed in the battle. Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, has declared that Eteocles will be honoured and Polyneices disgraced.
Antigone and Ismene are the sisters of the dead brothers; they are now the last children of the ill Oedipus. Antigone wants to bury Polyneices’s body, in defiance of Creon’s edict. Ismene refuses to help her, fearing the death penalty.
A Sentry reports that the body of of Polyneices has been buried. Creon orders Sentry to find out the doer. Sentry leaves, and after a short time absences he returns bringing Antigone with him. Antigone admits what she has done. She argues with Creon about the moralty of Creon’s action and her action. Creon groes angrier and thinking Ismene must have helped her. Creon orders those two women be temporarily locked up.
Haemon, Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiancé tries to persuade Creon to release Antigone, the discussion brings Haemon vowing never to seee Creon anymore.
Creon decides to spare Ismene and to imprison Antigone in a cave.
Teiresias, the blind prophet warns Creo that the gods side with Antigone. Teiresias also states that Creon will lose one child for the crimes of leaving Polyneices unburied and putting Antigone into the earth. Creo agrees to bury Polyneices an not long after that the Messanger tells them that Haemon has killed himself.
Eurydice, Creon’s wife and Haemon’s mother asks the Messanger to tell her everything. The Messanger reports that Haemon and Antigone have both taken their own lives.
Creon carries Haemon’s body, he understands that his own actions have caused these events. A second Messanger arrives to tell Creon that Eurydice has killed herself.
Creon blaims himself for everything that has happened.
Characters
&
middot; Antigone
· Ismene
· Creon
· Eurydice
· Haemon
· Teiresias
· First Messanger
· Second Messanger
· Guard
Theme
The sisters’ rivalry
State control
Moral value
Gods law is above state law
Feminism
Setting
Inside the palace
Outside the palace
About the Writer
The Greek playwright was born in 496 BC at Colonus, near Athens as the son of Sophillus . Sophocles (ancient Greek Sophocles ) had the fortune of being revered for his genius during his own lifetime. He lived to the age of ninety and grown up in a stable, well to do family, and from the beginning it seemed that he was blessed in every way. Handsome, wealthy, and well educated, Sophocles lived and died as one of the Athens’ most beloved citizens.
Sophocles wrote 123 or more plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form, namely Ajax, Antigone, Trachnician Women, Oedipus the King, Electra, and Oedipus at Colonus. The most famous of Sophocles’ tragedies are Oedipus and Antigone.
Sophocles died at the venerable age of ninety in 406 BC. He was so respected by the Athenians that two plays performed at the Lenea. Both Iophon, one of his sons, and a grandson, also called Sophocles, followed in his footsteps to become playwrights themselves.
Comment
In Antigone, Sophocles tries to ask to us, which law is greater: God’s or men’s. Sophocles votes for God. Sophocles wants to warn his countrymen about arrogance because he knows this will be their own downfall.