Sinopsis Antigone

Synopsis Antigone

This Greek tragedy starts off with the end of a war in Thebes, kingdom of Creon, where Oedipus’s sons, one fighting for Thebes, Eteocles, and the other one leading the army fighting against Thebes, Polynices, have died. Oedipus’s daughters are on stage, Antigone discussing with Ismene if she would help her on this plan of hers, to burry Polynices, disobeying Creon’s command to leave the traitor unburied as his punishment. Ismene had always been a bit of a coward, and didn’t agree on helping her sister even though it was her brother too. The next act of the scene starts with the chorus to give welcome to Creon, the new king, on the stage for his speech. He starts asking for their equal loyalty to him, as to his preceding. Right there, he takes the opportunity to give his first regulation, the prohibition to burry the “traitor brother” Polynices, and he announces that the will pay tribute Eteocles for being so brave and loyal. Your would think that no one would want to risk their own life just to burry some other man and give him peace. But the fact is that, sisterly love is greater than nothing. The soldiers guarding Polynices’ body caught Antigone nearly burying the body, and they took her to his uncle Creon. He could believe what the soldiers were stating, but the moment he asked her if she did it she didn’t even doubt for a second her YES. Creon was astonished, and furious. With Ismene on the scene he had to ask “Do you confess your share on this crime, or deny it? Answer me.” Ismene trying to make it up to her sister confessed that she was part of it. Antigone coldly said “The dead man and the gods who rule the dead know whose act this was.” She knew that disobeying the law would bring inevitable consequence but she was willing to accept them all. The king, Creon, was so mad at that point that he simply ordered the guards to throw them both into the cell.

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