'Antigone' Summary

The story of Antigone is set in Thebes, Greece, after the death of King Oedipus. His sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, have killed each other in battle, and Creon, Oedipus's brother, has become the new king. Creon decrees that Eteocles, who died defending the city, will be buried with full honors, but Polyneices, who attacked the city, will be left unburied and exposed to the elements. Antigone, Polyneices' sister, defies Creon's decree and buries her brother. When Creon discovers what she has done, he orders her to be buried alive. Antigone's fiancé, Haemon, Creon's son, pleads with his father to spare Antigone's life, but Creon refuses. Haemon goes to Antigone's tomb and kills himself. When Creon's wife, Eurydice, learns of her son's death, she kills herself as well. Creon is left alone and devastated by the deaths of his son, his wife, and his niece.