A Watchman from the burial site enters with some bad news: Polyneices has been buried and the perpetrator is unknown. The watchman speculates that it was a man who buried Polyneices when actually it was Antigone. This highlights how out of the ordinary Antigone’s actions are. Creon tells the watchman to find whoever is responsible or he will be killed. The innocent Watchman leaves.
The Watchman returns after the Chorus’ first stasimon, with Antigone in tow. The Watchman is very anxious to leave Antigone with Creon. Creon however wishes to know every detail of Antigone’s capture and it is not until she admits that she is guilty that the guard is told to leave.
Antigone is then interrogated further by Creon. She questions the validity of a law set by Creon. She also says that if her brother was left unburied the pain would be greater than her death. This shows Antigone as a martyr and might have won her character support in an Athenian audience unlike her rebellious actions seen hitherto. Antigone is boasting about what she has done and is filled with arrogance. Her arrogance shows Hubris, which is compounding her failure.
The Chorus pick up on her Hubris and relate it to her “wild” father Oedipus. Creon adds to the Chorus’ remarks by saying that people who are unwilling to change are the people who fail. He is referring to Antigone and how she is set that her actions were justifiable. He continues by saying she must be punished like a normal person and will not get any privileges even though she is his niece. Creon is following his plan said at his speech to the council elders earlier, showing him as a consistent leader.
Creon then says that Ismene too must die. He feels that she was an accomplice to the crime, resulting in shock from the Chorus and most probably from an Athenian audience. Ismene enters crying. Creon asks if she is guilty of burying Polyneices. Ismene shockingly says she is guilty. Antigone tries to rationalise Ismene, saying her sister must not be held accountable for her actions.
The audience receive another shock when Ismene asks Creon why he would kill the future wife of his son, Haemon. Calmly, Creon says that there are more women that his son can marry. Ismene continues with her inquisitiveness which angers Creon, so he sends the sisters away.
The Chorus enter to perform their second stasimon. They sing that great people are affected by madness and how there is very little hope in this story. The Chorus paints a very bleak picture, not only for Antigone who in the eyes of an Athenian audience was great / mad but also for the rest of the story. At the end they introduce the arrival of Haemon, Creon’s son.
Haemon has come to speak to his father and seems cool and calm. He flatters his father by telling him how wise he is. This pleases Creon who goes on to reiterate that Antigone is no good for his son. Creon is portrayed as a man more concerned about his public perception than family matters of love. The Chorus agree with Creon’s views.
Haemon slowly suggests that his father’s opinion is refutable. Haemon believes no man should be left unburied. He adds to this by saying that punishing an action worthy of praise might do harm to his public credibility. Haemon highlights how Creon is unwilling to change his decisions. He advises his father to be more lenient.
The Chorus also agree with what Haemon has said. However, Haemon’s speech and, his father’s speech contrast each other thus it is ambiguous which speech the Chorus like better. Creon questions how able young people are to advise their elders He is referring to Haemon’s advice. This triggers an argument between father and son which culminates with Haemon saying: “She’ll die, and her death will destroy Someone Else”. Haemon is referring to himself but this is misinterpreted by Creon as a death threat from his son.
Haemon leaves and Creon is alone to tell the Chorus that Antigone is still going to die but Ismene will not. Creon reveals that Antigone will die in a tomb but will be given food. As she wants to die, she will not eat the food and will kill herself of starvation.
Creon enters and orders Antigone to be taken to her tomb. Antigone starts her last speech in which she remains certain that what she did was right. She is says she is happy that she will soon be with her departed family. Antigone tries to justify herself one last time by saying her brother was irreplaceable. If it was a son or a husband, she informs, a replacement could have been found.
The next stasimon is about myths of deaths and premature burial. It is meant to provide solace for Antigone as she is taken to her burial site. Tiresias the soothsayer enters when the stasimon ends. He is a man who can predict the future accurately. Tiresias tells Creon that Antigone being sentenced to death was a mistake. He says that it can all be fixed if he is less stubborn.
Tiresias also predicts that Haemon is going to die. The soothsayer leaves and reminds Creon that his predictions are accurate. Creon realises he is wrong and leaves to free Antigone and give Polyneices a proper burial. Creon says this is difficult for himself but necessary. Creon leaves urgently with attendants and shovels to free Antigone.
A Messenger enters to relay the message that Haemon has killed himself in a rage over the death of Antigone. Eurydices, mother of Haemon and wife of Creon, enters and hears everything. She asks to know what occurred in detail. The Messenger tells of Creon and his attendants cremating and entombing Polyneices. The group then went to Antigone’s tomb and as they approached heard a wailing voice. Creon recognised it was his son’s voice and realised that the soothsayer’s predictions were materialising. The tomb was opened; Haemon and Antigone could be seen. Antigone was hanging by a noose, Haemon was hugging her and crying. Haemon, upon seeing his father, tried to stab him with a sward. Creon dodged the swipe of the blade. Angered he turned the sword on himself and stabbed himself in the lungs and died falling into Antigone.
Eurydice leaves and the Chorus speculate why she has gone. It is assumed by the messenger that she wants to mourn personally. However the chorus think she might kill herself. The messenger leaves.
Creon enters in a distressed state. He is consoled by the chorus. Creon admits that he is made some mistakes and learnt from them. The messenger, harbinger of bad news, returns just as normality returns. He informs Creon that his wife, Eurydice’s, has killed her self. The messenger goes on to describe that Eurydices blamed Creon for everything saying “these are your crimes, Childkiller!”
Creon asks to be taken away and feels worth “less than a nobody”. The play closes with Creon praying to his Gods. He is miserable and says he is useless. The chorus close the play by reassuring Creon that the Gods will always help him. Hubris is referred to one last time as the cause of the incidents and that Creon will learn not to be so arrogant.