'Antigone (Plumptre Translation)' Summary

The play begins with the aftermath of a civil war in Thebes, where Antigone's brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, fought to death. Creon, the new king, decrees that Eteocles will be given a proper burial, but Polynices, deemed a traitor, will be left unburied and unmourned. Antigone, however, feels a deep sense of duty to honor her brother, even if it means breaking the law. She secretly buries Polynices, defying Creon's decree. Creon, upon learning of Antigone's act, is outraged and sentences her to death. Antigone's fiancé, Haimon, pleads for her life, but Creon refuses, blinded by his sense of absolute authority. Creon's own son, Haimon, and his wife, Eurydice, take their lives in despair, while Antigone, imprisoned, also chooses death over living in defiance. Creon, left alone, recognizes the tragic consequences of his actions and the disastrous results of his hubris, but it is too late. The play ends with the lament of a king broken by his own tyranny, reflecting on the powerful consequences of prioritizing law over conscience and family.