The story, Antigone written by Sophocles, is based around the conflict between Antigone’s Conscience and the town’s policy. The full meaning of this play is to be found in the contrast between Antigone and her uncle Creon.  Antigone’s concern of burying Polynices is founded on Greek ideas about death.  An unburied body meant that a soul was condemned to torment.  To bury the body was more than just simply a matter of family loyalty, it was an act of faithfulness commanded by the Gods.  Antigone takes on that responsibility even though it means betrayal to the town, the rejection of her fiancé Haemon, the rejection of her only sister Ismene, and her own death.  She is truly obstinate about the event.  As it turns out she is justified in her thinking but we do not know this until Tiresias comes in and then to everyone’s dismay it is too late to matter.

Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, have recently killed each other for power over the town.  Polynices had returned from exile to try to regain the throne and was therefore seen as a traitor.  Because Eteocles was the legitimate successor and Polynices the invader Creon has decided to punish the corpse of Polynices by denying it burial.  Antigone insists that Polynices’s body must be buried and asks her sister, Ismene, to help.  Ismene will not help her sister because she feels that by disobeying the laws that she would also be defiling the Gods, and that they are only women so there is nothing they can do.          

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The chorus, old men of Thebes, sings unfolding the tragic events of the battle, which depicted the men’s horrible fate.  Creon enters and gives a speech about the importance of faithfulness to one's country and the government.  Eteocles died in the battle, leaving Creon to see him as a hero and will have a proper burial.  Polynices is in his mind portrayed as the traitor and will not receive a proper burial and his burial is actually outlawed.  In those respects Creon becomes the possessor of the throne as Polynices and Eteocles died.  The chorus agrees to obey his orders, ...

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