Summary of Sophocles' Antigone

The Decree and Defiance

Following the civil war in Thebes, King Creon forbids the burial of Polynices, labeling him a traitor. Antigone, defying Creon's decree, prioritizes divine burial laws over human edicts and resolves to bury her brother, despite the threat of execution and the pleas of her sister, Ismene.

The Conflict with Haemon

After being caught burying her brother, Antigone remains defiant before Creon. Creon's son, Haemon, who is engaged to Antigone, attempts to intercede, warning his father that the citizens sympathize with her. Creon dismisses his son's advice as weakness, leading to a bitter confrontation where Haemon vows never to see his father again.

The Prophet's Warning and Tragedy

Tiresias, the blind prophet, warns Creon that his actions will invoke the wrath of the gods. Although Creon eventually relents and attempts to free Antigone, he is too late; she has already taken her own life. This triggers a chain reaction: Haemon kills himself in grief, and subsequently, Creon's wife, Eurydice, also commits suicide, leaving Creon completely shattered by the consequences of his rigid rule.