A Review of The Play Antigone by Sophocles

Antigone is a tragic play by Sophocles. This play bears the deaths of many throughout the story. In the story, Creon takes on the role of the king after Oedipus and his two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices die in battle. Creon must face the gods after his decision to sentence Antigone to death after breaking the law.

The central issue of the play begins with the death of the heirs of the throne, Eteocles and Polyneices. The two were in line for the throne after the death of their father, Oedipus. However, the two of them died against each other in battle. The new king, Creon, stated that Eteocles shall have a proper burial for he died in honor, however, Polyneices would be left out in the battlegrounds for the birds and the dogs, because he had fought against his home city and was therefore known as a traitor. Antigone was not going to follow the law because, traitor or not, Polyneices was her brother and she would not leave him there to rot. When Creon learns that someone has put a small layer of dust of Polyneices’ body, he is infuriated and sends a sentry out in search of who did so. When he comes back with Antigone, he sentences her and Ismene to death (Ismene is sentenced because she had to have known of the criminal act and did not report it). Creon must then face wise men and his son telling him that he has done wrong and must set Antigone free before it is too late.

The most difficult thing for me to understand in the play was when Haimon and Creon were bickering back and forth. It just confused me really, because while Haimon was being respectful to his father, he was still trying to tell him that he was wrong for sentencing Antigone to death. Other than that, everything was very clear.

Emotionally, I responded most when Creon found Haimon and Antigone (Antigone already dead) in the stone chamber. It was kind of like a Romeo & Juliet scene. Haimon refuses to be without Antigone so he kills himself to be with her. Positively, I felt like Creon got what he deserved when he found that his wife had killed herself as well. He had just, in a way, killed his entire family and I think he got what he deserved.

I think the play could be relevant in a way today. For example, if President Obama told you that you had to leave your brother out in the battlefield because he moved to Canada and we went to war against Canada, you would go out and bury him anyway because that’s your brother. Traitor or not, a king (President Obama) has no right to tell you that you can’t bury your dead brother.

In conclusion, Antigone was a death-filled tragedy that made me cry. Creon went through a test of fate and, in the end, he lost all that was precious to him, just like Antigone and Eteocles. In the end, he felt their pain of losing all of their family. He got what he caused.

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