Antigone (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Jean Anouilh
- First Published: 1946
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Tragedy
- Time of Work: c. 600-500
- Setting: Thebes
- Genres: Drama, Mythological literature, Tragedy
- Subjects: Family or family life, Mythology or myths, Suicide, Brothers and sisters, Emotions, Kings, queens, or royalty, Loyalty, Ethics, Funeral rites or ceremonies, Greek or Roman times, Greece or Greek people
- Locales: Greece, ancient, Thebes, ancient
Characters Discussed
Antigone (an-TIH-guh-nee), the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, engaged to marry Haemon, son of King Creon and Queen Eurydice of Thebes. After Oedipus’ death, Oedipus’ son Eteocles ascended to the throne, but after one year he broke an agreement with his brother Polynices to share power with him. This action provoked a civil war in which both brothers were killed. Creon then became king. He ordered that the body of Polynices not be buried in order to discourage further rebellion. Antigone realized that Creon’s decree violated Greek religious law,...
[The entire page is 879 words long]
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