Antigone

Antigone

Antigone by Sophocles is a tragic play that delves into the themes of loyalty, justice, and the struggle between individual conscience and state law. The story is set in Thebes, following the aftermath of a civil war in which Antigone's brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, have killed each other. Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, decrees that Eteocles will be honored with a proper burial, while Polynices, deemed a traitor, will be left unburied as a warning. Antigone, driven by familial duty and divine law, defies Creon's edict and buries her brother. This act of defiance sets off a chain of events that leads to her arrest and condemnation to death. Throughout the play, Antigone remains steadfast in her beliefs, confronting Creon and challenging the authority of the state. The conflict escalates as Creon’s son, Haemon, who is betrothed to Antigone, pleads for her life. Creon's stubbornness and refusal to heed the warnings of the prophet Tiresias result in tragic consequences. By the end, Antigone, Haemon, and Creon’s wife, Eurydice, all perish, leaving Creon to face the devastating repercussions of his hubris and inflexibility.