Sophocles, Antigone
Characters
Antigone – Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, sister to Ismene, engaged to Haemon. Antigone is a very strong willed character, and believes that her brother was doing what was right, and even if what he did (charging the city as his brother would not step down from the throne) was wrong, the rights given to a man in death cannot be changed by someone less than a god, as these rights were formed Zeus himself.
Ismene – Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, sister to Antigone. Very faithful to Creon and the laws of their city but overall cares more for her sister than anyone and is willing to die alongside her as living would be a crueller punishment.
Chorus – Group of old Theban citizens who are accompanied by their Leader. Act as a form of narration.
Creon – The King of Thebes, uncle of Antigone and Ismene. A selfish ruler with a suspicion towards everyone that if anything happens that defies his wishes or his laws that it is due to a lust for wealth that leads to these betrayals.
Sentry – A sentry to the king
Haemon – son of Creon, engaged to Antigone
Tiresias – a blind prophet who foresees the deaths of Antigone, Haemon and Eurydice.
Messenger – A messenger of Thebes
Eurydice – Wife of Creon, killed by her own hand due to the overwhelming grief felt from the loss of her son and the guilt she feels for it being her own husband who was the cause of his death.
Plot:
Antigone reveals to her sister Ismene that she is to bury the body of Polynices despite this being against the kings law. Ismene tries to reason with her sister, explaining that with the rest of their family (mother, father and brothers) all dead, there is only the two of them left alone, and that they will die the worst possible death if they violate these laws. Antigone and Ismene exit, both without a change in their view. The sentry then informs Creon of the fact that the body of Polynices has been buried and given the proper ceremonial rites and the culprit was nowhere to be found, the only evidence was a shovel. Creon then goes on to accuse the sentry of being bribed into doing this crime by someone else and so were all the other guards around the body, and leaves after threatening the sentry that if the culprit was not found, he would be killed. Soon after Antigone is found out as the culprit and Creon explains that she will be buried alive in a rock cave to rot in, as she is as undeserving of the traditional funeral rites, as well as threatening to kill Ismene along with her sister. Soon after this, Haemon is called upon his father