Antigone by Sophocles
"Antigone" is a classic Greek tragedy written by Sophocles around 442 BCE, centered on the themes of duty, justice, and the conflict between individual conscience and state law. The play follows Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, as she defies the orders of her uncle Creon, the newly appointed king of Thebes. After a civil war resulting in the deaths of her brothers Eteocles and Polynices, Creon honors Eteocles with a proper burial while condemning Polynices to remain unburied as punishment for his rebellion. Driven by familial loyalty and moral conviction, Antigone secretly buries Polynices, leading to her arrest and a fierce confrontation with Creon over the nature of law and morality.
As the story unfolds, Antigone's unwavering stance highlights the struggle between divine will and human law, a central theme in ancient Greek thought. The play escalates into a tragedy as Antigone faces the death penalty, and her actions spark a series of devastating events, culminating in the suicides of both her fiancé, Haemon, and his mother, Eurydice. Ultimately, the narrative serves as a poignant exploration of the consequences of pride, the quest for justice, and the tragic fate that befalls those who challenge authority, inviting reflection on the balance between personal conviction and societal obligations.
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Antigone by Sophocles
First produced: c. 442 b.c.e.
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Tragedy
Time of plot: Antiquity
Locale: Thebes
Principal characters
Antigone , a young womanCreon , self-appointed king of Thebes, and Antigone’s uncleThe Chorus , Thebean eldersIsmene , Antigone’s older sisterHaemon , son of Creon, engaged to Antigone
The Story:
King Oedipus has died in exile, leaving the Kingdom of Thebes to his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices. The king had decreed that his two sons are supposed to take turns as rulers; they agree, initially. After Eteocles refuses to step down after one year, the two brothers fight over the prize. Polynices attacks Thebes, leading to civil war, and in the end both brothers are dead, each by the other’s hand. Creon, their uncle, assumes the role of king. He gives a state funeral to Eteocles but orders that the body of Polynices be left to rot in the sun as an example to his supporters.
Antigone, Oedipus’s daughter, meets her sister Ismene at the gates to Creon’s palace in Thebes. Antigone feels duty bound to bury her brother Polynices despite Creon’s edict and asks her sister for help. Ismene refuses, arguing that as women they should not go against the decisions of men, especially those of the king.
The Chorus is summoned to the palace. Creon informs the Chorus that he claims the throne and that Polynices is to be left unburied. However, Antigone has stealthily sprinkled Polynices’ body with a layer of dirt, giving her brother a symbolic burial. A guard runs to Creon and reports the attempted burial. Creon is furious and accuses the guard of being involved. One of the elders says it is the work of a god, but Creon disagrees. He threatens to torture and kill the guard unless he captures the real perpetrator. The Chorus sings about the wonder of humanity, but for the city to be safe, humanity should both honor civil law and revere the gods.
The guards brush the dirt off Polynices’ body and then hide, looking to ambush whoever tries to rebury him. Antigone soon arrives and tries to bury Polynices again, but is caught by the guards. She is brought before Creon, where she readily confesses. They argue over her actions and his decree. Creon tries to reason with Antigone, urging her to renounce her crime and assuring her of total indemnity so that she can go on to marry Haemon as planned and, presumably, to lead a happy life. Antigone, however, will have none of Creon’s proffered happiness, preferring to die rather than to take part in her uncle’s political scheme. Creon decrees that she must die. Ismene is brought in and questioned. She demands that she share the guilt. Antigone argues with her.
Creon’s son Haemon argues with his father, trying to convince him to relent. Creon remains stubborn and Haemon threatens to die with Antigone. Creon decrees Antigone to be entombed alive. Antigone mourns her fate and the curse on her family. The Chorus is divided in loyalty between Antigone and Creon. Antigone defends her actions and asks the gods to punish Creon. The Chorus reminds the audience of others who suffered because they tried to subvert the gods’ will.
The blind prophet Tiresias tells Creon that he has angered the gods and that Creon is to blame for the people’s prayers going unanswered. A sickness plagues Thebes, and neighboring cities bear Thebes ill will. Creon accuses the prophet of being paid to upset him. Tiresias calls Creon a tyrant and warns him that he will lose his son. This troubles Creon, and he asks the Chorus for council. They advise him to yield and release Antigone. Creon agrees and leaves. The Chorus then asks Dionysus to help Thebes.
A messenger arrives and relates to the Chorus what happened at the tomb. The messenger says that Creon and his men went to bury Polynices and to release Antigone, only to discover that she had killed herself. Haemon, weeping over her body, then kills himself before their eyes. Eurydice overhears the messenger. Creon arrives and openly accepts responsibility for the deaths of Antigone and Haemon. A second messenger arrives and tells him that his wife, too, has committed suicide. Creon prays for death. The Chorus delivers one of the moral lessons of the tragedy: Obedience to the laws of the gods comes first.
Bibliography
Butler, Judith. Antigone’s Claim. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. Butler presents a feminist critique of Antigone and examines the political and philosophical implications of Antigone’s resistance to the state. Collected from her lectures on Antigone.
Hong, Bonnie. “Antigone’s Laments, Creon’s Grief: Mourning, Membership, and the Politics of Exception.” Political Theory 37, no. 1 (February, 2009): 5-43. Hong discusses the politics of lamentation in Antigone, analyzing the conflicts between a family’s need for mourning and the state’s political needs.
Reed, Valerie. “Bringing Antigone Home?” Comparative Literature Studies 45, no. 3 (September, 2008): 316-340. Examines the theme of family versus state in Antigone, concentrating on what home means, literally and conceptually, to Antigone.
Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by Richard Emil Braun. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990. This exceptional translation comes with an informative introduction, notes, an appendix, and a glossary that student researchers will find useful.
Steiner, George. Antigones: How the Antigone Legend Has Endured in Western Literature, Art, and Thought. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. A very good overview of the play’s influence on Western culture.
Walsh, Keri. “Antigone Now.” Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature 41, no. 3 (September, 2008): 1-13. Walsh examines the reception of Antigone and gives a good overview of various critical approaches to the work. Also discusses the role of mourning in the play.