Antigone

Lines 1-489

It starts off outside the palace gates of Thebes. Antigone and her sister Ismene are talking about the tragic deaths of their brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, during battle for the Theban kingship. Because there was no winner, their uncle Creon became king. Antigone tells her sister of the troubles that have hurt their family, including their parent's deaths.

"Don't you notice when evils due to enemies / are headed towards those we love?"

Now another problem has aroused, Creon will not allow Polyneices to be granted the proper burial rites. Creon considered him to be a traitor of the city and will expose his body in shame. He has created a degree to not allow this.

Antigone is asking her sister to join her in secretly burying their brother as it is the law of the god's that all dead mortals should be properly sent off. Ismene disagrees and believes breaking the decree will cause them to be in more trouble. She believes they should stay proper like woman and let men decided everything. Antigone runs off without Ismene to bury Polyneices.

The chorus of Theban elders speaks about the two brothers in battle when Creon joins them. Creon therefore repeats his decree and twists his words to say that Polyneices wanted to "lead the rest of us to slavery!" The Chorus readily agree with him. The sentry interrupts saying he has important news. But he is too evasive and afraid to say what he has to. He did not volunteer to tell the news but the ill fate of winning the lottery. He says that someone has sprinkled dust over Polyneices body and has given him the burial rites. There are no foot prints so it was hard for them to find the culprit. The Chorus suggests the god's did this but Creon replies in anger, "do you see the god's honoring criminals?" Creon orders to find the culprit or the crimes are on his head. He accuses him of not doing his work properly so the sentry accuses him of having a poor judge of character. Creon departs for the palace.

The sentry returns with an unhappy Antigone. Creon comes out surprised