A review by niceisneat
Antigone by Sophocles

5.0

Summary: Before the play opens, Eteocles and Polyneices, sons of Oedipus, kill each other in a battle for the Theban throne. Their uncle Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, decrees that Polyneices’ body remain unburied where it lies, left to be eaten by carrion. Anyone who attempts to give him a proper burial will be put to death.
The play opens with Antigone and Ismene, E and P’s sisters, having a secret nighttime meeting outside the palace gates. Antigone wants to defy Creon and bury Polyneices, but Ismene fears the punishment and refuses to help her. Antigone performs the funeral rites alone and must face Creon’s wrath and consequences when he learns of her disobedience.

Antigone is my favorite Greek classic, a tale of family and loyalty and standing up against an unfair government. Endlessly quotable, it’s a beautiful work of poetry and storytelling. My personal favorites all come from Antigone and Ismene, who debate about thing like sisterhood and pride and civic duty. If you like stories about sisters (which are my favorite), you’ll like Antigone and Ismene, two sisters with different demeanors who fight with each other but ultimately remain loyal, even under threat from their uncle/king. There is also a love story between Haemon (Creon’s son) and Antigone, but the sister relationship is the best one in my opinion.

My rating: 5 stars