Who Does Antigone Bury?

Antigone, the main heroine of Sophocles’ play, buries her brother, Polynices. It was forbidden by the current king of Thebes, but the girl decided to pay more respect to the gods than to him. Eventually, she gets caught and punished for this crime. Creon entombs her alive but suffers the consequences of his decision. 

The play starts with Antigone saying that she wants to bury her brother’s body even though it is forbidden. Later, the audience has a chance to understand what caused this situation. It appears that during the war for Thebes, two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, killed each other. The new king, Creon, treats the latter as a traitor and forbids anyone to bury his body. Meanwhile, Eteocles is buried properly with all the honors. Antigone does not agree with such a decision. According to her beliefs, the gods require a proper burial, and it is disrespectful to go against traditions. 

No one seems to support Antigone. Even her sister, Ismene, tries to talk her out of this idea. However, the main character is adamant about her decision – she is going to bury Polynices’ body herself. She does it during the storm and it seems like no one should have seen her. However, a bit later the guard catches her. Creon is furious about such news and orders to kill Antigone. She should be treated as a criminal, even though she is his future daughter-in-law. However, the girl is not afraid of the punishment. She knew the risks but her family was way more important than the king’s words. Antigone has to pay for what she has done but she buried Polynices’ body properly. 

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