Antigone (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Sophocles
- First Published: 441
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Tragedy
- Time of Work: Remote antiquity
- Setting: Thebes
- Genres: Drama, Mythological literature, Tragedy
- Subjects: Mythology or myths, Suicide, Gods or goddesses, Fratricide, parricide, or filicide, Heroes or heroism, Prophecy or prophets, Greek or Roman times, Greece or Greek people, Heads of state, Oracles, Tyrants or tyranny
- Locales: Greece, ancient, Thebes, ancient
Characters Discussed
Antigone (an-TIHG-eh-nee), the daughter of Oedipus and sister of both Eteocles (who defends Thebes) and Polynices (an exile from the city who attacks it). After Eteocles and Polynices have killed each other in battle, Creon, Antigone’s uncle and now king of Thebes, decrees that Eteocles’ body shall be buried with honors befitting a national hero but that Polynices’ body shall be left unburied, a prey to scavengers. Divine law, Greek custom, and simple humanity demand, however, that Antigone see her brother buried; she must choose, therefore, between...
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See Also:
Sophocles (Encyclopedia of the Ancient World)Sophocles (Cyclopedia of World Authors)Sophocles (Drama)Sophocles (Dictionary of World Biography)
See Also:
- - Read the Antigone text online.
- - For teachers, the Antigone Lesson Plan.
- - Antigone summary and study guide in the eNotes.
- Add Antigone to your favorites