Classical Literature: Antigone - Summary

Prologue

Antigone brings her sister, Ismene, outside the palace and tells her that their uncle and current King of Thebes Creon will bury one of their brothers, Eteocles, but not the other, Polyneices, because he is regarded as a traitor. Creon will sentence anyone who attempts to bury Polyneices to death, but even so Antigone asks Ismene to help her bury him. Ismene refuses, arguing that since they are only women it would be impossible for them and that the rule of law is absolute. Antigone treats her with contempt, and states that she is happy to accept a heroic death if that is the outcome of her actions.

Parados

The chorus of Theban elders praise Thebes’ victory over the enemy Argives and thank the god Zeus for his support.

First Episode

Creon addresses the Chorus, first thanking them for their loyal service to Thebes, then outlining the principles he will follow as a ruler. He will not remain silent when he sees something is wrong and will always do his best to benefit the people. He will make no exceptions for his loved ones: everyone must be equally accountable before the law even if they are close to the one in power. He will put the state above all else. He tells the chorus that he will bury Eteocles, who defended Thebes, with honour, but will leave the corpse of Polyneices, who tried to attack Thebes, to rot and be eaten by wild animals. Anyone who tries to disobey Creon and bury the body will die. One of the sentries who was guarding Polyneices’s unburied body appears. He says that he didn’t want to come because he was afraid he would be wrongly accused, but that he was forced to report to Creon that Polyneices’s body has been covered in dirt. Creon becomes furious and accuses the sentry of taking a bribe to bury the body. The sentry denies this but Creon doesn’t believe him and tells him to find the man who paid him so that they can both be punished, otherwise he alone will be executed.

First Choral Ode

The chorus praise man: he can defeat anything except death. His resourcefulness can be used for good or evil depending on whether he obeys the law.

Second Episode

The sentry returns to see Creon again, this time alongside Antigone. He describes that just after he had left, Antigone was spotted by the other sentries trying to complete the burial of Polyneices. Antigone admits to her crime, stating that she would rather obey the rules of the gods (to bury the dead) than to obey Creon’s laws. Creon gets very angry and states that Antigone will die, alongside her sister Ismene whom Creon assumes had an equal part in the crime. Ismene is summoned, and tries to confess to the crime so that she can die with her sister, but Antigone tells her not to because she was too much of a coward to help Antigone from the start, so she shouldn’t be able to join her halfway through. The chorus question Creon’s decision to sentence Antigone to death, particularly since Creon’s son Haemon was to marry Antigone. However, Creon says that he wouldn’t want his son to marry an evil woman like Antigone anyway.

Second Choral Ode

The chorus sings about how the curse affecting Laius and his son Oedipus is now about to take the lives of two more of the same family — Antigone and Ismene. They mention that the two sisters will die because of their foolish thoughts, and that no one who has committed a crime can escape the justice of Zeus.

Third Episode

Haemon meets with Creon, and Creon tells him he hopes Haemon will side with his father, like a dutiful son, rather than with Antigone. He tells him that when one is in power they must treat everyone, even family members, equally, and also that if Haemon is to lose to anyone it should be a man rather than a woman. Haemon agrees to be faithful to his father, and that his father’s happiness and success is above all else to him. However, he also says that he has heard that the people are uneasy about Antigone’s punishment, that they think Antigone has done well to bury her brother and should not be punished for it. He tells Creon that a good leader should listen to the desires of the people, and shouldn’t be so inflexible as to be unable to change his mind. Creon is outraged that a young person should try to question their elder, and that his own son should dare to tell him how to rule. He tells Haemon that he has become a woman by submitting to Antigone. Haemon leaves, saying that should Antigone die, her death will cause another. The Chorus ask Creon whether he will kill Ismene as well as Antigone, but Creon says that he will let Ismene go since she hasn’t committed the crime herself. However, Antigone will be sealed inside a stone tomb until she dies.

Third Choral Ode

The chorus argue that it is love that has caused the argument between the son, Haemon, and his father, Creon — specifically Haemon’s love for his fiancee, Antigone. They say that love is a powerful, destructive force that not even the gods can fight against.

Fourth Episode

Antigone complains to the chorus that she will die without ever marrying, and that it was her awful fate caused by the curse of Laius and Oedipus that led her to this situation. The chorus try to remind her that it was her own choices that caused this outcome, but Antigone continues to cry about her awful luck. Creon arrives and orders that Antigone be taken away to her stone tomb, stating that he feels no responsibility or guilt for Antigone. Antigone happily imagines reuniting with dead family members after death — her mother, father and brothers.

Fourth Choral Ode

The Chorus compare Antigone to the princess Danae, mother of the famous hero Perseus by the god Zeus; King Lycurgus, who was imprisoned after persecuting the followers of the god Dionysus; and Cleopatra, the last ruler of Egypt. It should be noted that these comparisons are, on the whole, quite complementary to Antigone — she is compared to a mother of a hero and consort of the king of the gods, a great female ruler, and a man (remember that men were considered much better than women).

Fifth Episode

Creon meets with the blind seer Teiresias, who tells him that while watching the birds he saw them start to fight — a bad omen. He tried to make an offering to the gods in order to calm their fury, but the offering wouldn’t burn. He tells Creon that by refusing to bury Polyneices and the rest of the Argives he has polluted Thebes, and this is why the gods are angry. Creon gets angry and accuses Teiresias of taking bribes in order to say this to him. Angered by this, Teiresias tells him that one of his children will die because he has been so stubborn, and then leaves. After this, Creon thinks that maybe he should listen to the prophet, and asks the Chorus for their recommendation. They tell him to bury Polyneices and free Antigone — Creon agrees.

Fifth Choral Ode

The Chorus ask Dionysus, the god that protects Thebes, to purify the city of the filth caused by Creon’s decision to leave Polyneices and the Argives unburied.

Exodos

A messenger tells the chorus and Haemon’s mother Eurydice that Haemon is dead. Creon buried Polyneices as he promised, then went to free Antigone. However, when he arrived he found his son, Haemon, crying over Antigone’s dead body — she had hung herself. Haemon spits on Creon then stabs himself with his sword, cradling Antigone as he dies. Eurydice goes inside without another word — after a while the messenger goes to check on her. Creon arrives later with Haemon’s body, and the messenger comes back outside to tell him more bad news — Eurydice, Creon’s wife, had killed herself after blaming Creon for the death of both Haemon and another of their children who had died when Polyneices tried to take over Thebes. Creon accepts his guilt, and begs for his own death. The chorus refuse, saying that they mustn’t hasten death and rather allow events to take their natural course.

Oedipus Summary: Questions 1 - 18