Antigone

This book begins with the reader finding out that Antigone is all grown up and her brothers have died, each killed by the other. One of her brothers is lying in the street dead. He has not been given a proper burial and a law has been passed that says that anyone who tries to bury him, will be killed. Antigone however does not agree with this law. She asks Ismene, her sister, if she will help her bury their brothers body. Ismene however is scared, and refuses saying that it is not worth the consequences. Antigone dissagrees, she believes that the law has no right to tell her that she cannot bury a loved one if she desires to do so. She says, "Is he not my brother, and yours, whether you like it or not? I shall never desert him, never. . . He (Creon) has no right to keep me from my own." Ismene pleads with her sister, asking her to abandon her thoughts of dissobeying the law, and when that doesn't work asking her to at least do it under cover and keep it a secret. But Antigone refuses she wants people to know that she is speaking out against the absurd law, and doesn't care about the consequences. Antigone then leaves to go bury the body.
When Creon finds out that someone has dared to dissobey his commandment he is outraged. He tells the sentry who brought him te news that he had better find out who the culprit is, or else he will pay with it with his own life. The sentry tells him that finding a culprit will be nearly impossible as there were no footprints, no marks nothing to suggest that anyone was even there. However Creon insists and the sentry leaves t carry out his duty.
A group of gaurds un cover the body and sit on a nearby hill waiting. Soon Antigone comes, carrying a jar of dirt and begins to pour it on her brother, making no attempt to hide the fact that she is doing so. The gaurds promptly arrest her and bring her to Creon. Creon is astonished and asks her if she knew of the law. She replies that she did but it didn't matter to her because she believed it was wrong. "That order did not come from God.Justice that dwells with the Gods below , knows no such law. I did not think your edicts strong enough to overrule the unwrittian unalterable laws...I knew that I should die of course with or without your order. If it be soon so much the betterLiving in daily torment as do I, who would not be glad to die." (138) Anigone askes Creon if her punishment will be any worse than death and he replies that it won't. Ismene then tries to join in her sisters punishment wanting to be killed as well but Antigone wll have none of it. She says that since she had nothing to do with the crime she shall have nothing to do with the punishment either. Creon decides that Ismene will not die but Antigone will die slowly and painfully. She will be locked away in a tomb until she dies. As she is being taken away she speaks about the situation. She justifies her acts in saying that f ot had been someone whom she could have replaced such as a husband or son she would not have dissobeyed the law. However this was her brother and both her parents were dead so he could not have been replaced. She is put into her tomb and laft. Meanwhile Haemon (promised in marriage to Antigone) tries to reason with his father. He says that all the people of Thebes think that Antigone is a hero if anyhting, not a criminal. But Haemon acts childish saying that he is the king and he doesn't take orders from his people. He does things his way. Haemon points out that this is a childish thing to say but Creon doesn't care. Haemon gets angry and leaves, but not before saying that He'll never see Antigone die and that his father will never see him again.
Tiresias is then led in by a boy. Creon asks him for advice and he tells him that if he follows through with Antigones punishment, the Gods will curse him. Tiresias then leaves a very shaken up creon. The chorus is also very worried about what will happen, so Creon decids to do what the people want him to do, and decides to let Antigone free. However we soon find out that Antigone has hung herself with the cloth of her dress, and Haemon, is heard wailing in sorrow by Creon, who has gone to rebury Polynices. creon goes to see waht is the matter and Finds Haemon with Antigones dead body. He trys to kill Creon but he runs away and Haemon runss himself through with the sword. When Haemons mother hears the news she returns quietly back to the palace and kills herself as well. A messenger tells Creon that Euradice (haemons mother) blamed Creon for everything. Creon then Prays and Begs for death.