Key Themes Of Antigone

Antigone is a tragedy play written by Sophocles around 441 B.C. and is the last play in the Greek trilogy. The play is made up of approximately 1,352 lines and was originally written in Athens under Pericles reign. Events of the play unfold in a little less than 24 hours with the scenes unraveling in front of the palace at Thebes. Antigone explores various themes ranging from natural law vs man-made law to family (Mastin 2009). The play begins with Antigone and her sister Siemen talking outside of the palace gates. Initially, their plan was to return to Thebes and save their brothers from killing each other over the throne. However, they receive news that their brothers are already dead and the sisters began to take the journey home. In Antigone, the root problem is that Creon has ordered that Eteocles be given the proper burial and Polynices’ body be left untouched and without a burial site. Creon believes that Polynices was a traitor and believes that traitors should be left for the buzzards to pick over your body. When Antigone returns to Thebes and she learns about her brother’s burials and intentionally disobeys her uncle’s commands. Creon learns about what Antigone had done and confronts her, but she does not deny her actions. Out of rage, Creon orders Antigone be sent to jail

From the beginning of the play until the end, the action is a snowball effect of her actions. For instance, Antigone buried her brother which caused Creon to seek her out. Towards the end of the play, Haemon kills himself because his father ordered his wife, Antigone, to be put to death. Creon is the main supporting actor because he is constantly having to react to the other character’s actions. As an example, Creon has Antigone placed in jail because she disobeyed his orders, he attempts to release her because his family and friends begged him, and then he’s seen being carried off the stage because his family has committed