Antigone by Sophocles is a tragedy based on Greek mythology. The new king of Thebes, Creon, decides not to bury Polynices, a warrior who died fighting with his brother over the throne. Meanwhile, Antigone cannot accept the fact that her brother’s funeral is violated and buries him herself. In this Antigone study guide, you can find everything you need to know about this story.
Antigone study guide prepared by Custom-Writing.org experts gives clues to a better understanding of Antigone context, plot, and symbolism.
Antigone Key Facts
Antigone Articles
Looking for Antigone summary? Want to quickly learn the key events of the tragedy’s plot? Find the detailed information on the Antigone summary page.
Who are the characters in Antigone? This page describes the main characters of the tragedy: Antigone, Creon, Ismene, and others.
Want to learn more about themes in Antigone? Sibling rivalry, fate vs. free will, gender roles, and mortality – all the themes are described in this article.
When was Antigone written? What are the key symbols in the tragedy? Here you’ll find all the answers about the Antigone’s symbolism and context.
If you need to write an essay on Antigone, check the collection we’ve prepared. It contains Antigone essay samples, topics, and prompts.
What is Antigone about? How do Eteocles and Polynices die?️ On this page, you’ll find the answers to the most pressing questions about the tragedy. Enjoy!
Historical Context of Antigone
Sophocles was a famous writer at his time. He won 24 out of 30 regular dramatic competitions held in Athens. Antigone is one of the three plays in his series concerning the Greek myth about Oedipus and his family.
The play was written and first performed around 441 BC in Athens. It became popular just before Athens entered a campaign against the riot in Samos.
Interestingly, Sophocles was placed as one of the generals in the Samian War. This detail seems of little importance. However, an essential fact about Antigone is that the tragedy highlights the state’s role, citizens’ duties, and civil disobedience as its central themes. Sophocles was chosen to be a general due to the popularity of his play.
Another exciting fact about Antigone context is that Sophocles wrote it before the other two parts of the trilogy. It is unusual because the play’s events indicate that it should be the last one in the series.
Antigone follows the rules of a traditional Greek tragedy: there is a Chorus and a tragic hero. At first, you may find it hard to decide which character falls under the description of the tragic hero. However, as soon as you read our guide, there will be no doubts!
