After the victory over the Argives, the Thebans arranged a luxurious funeral for Eteocles and all the fallen soldiers, and Polyneices decided to deprive Creon and the Thebans of burial for having led a foreign army against Thebes. His corpse lay near the city walls in a field, left to be torn to pieces by predatory animals and birds. The soul of Polyneices was doomed to eternal wandering; she could not find peace in the kingdom of the souls of the dead.
The noble daughter of Oedipus, Antigone, ready for any self-sacrifice, suffered, seeing the dishonor to which her brother was doomed. Despite everything, she decided to bury Polynices’ body herself. The death that Creon threatened anyone who dared to bury Polynices, having performed all the funeral rites, did not frighten her. Antigone called her sister Ismene to go with her, but the timid sister did not dare to help her sister, fearing the wrath of Creon. She even tried to persuade Antigone not to go against the will of the king of Thebes; she reminded her of the fate that befell their mother and brothers. Does Antigone really want to destroy herself and her? Antigone did not listen to Ismene: she is ready to fulfill her duty to her brother alone, she is ready to endure everything without complaint, so long as Polyneices does not remain unburied. And Antigone fulfilled her decision.
Creon soon learned that his command had been violated. One of the guards told him that someone secretly came to the corpse of Polyneices and, covering it with earth, performed the funeral rite. Creon flew into a terrible rage; he threatened the guard with terrible torture if he and his comrades did not find the one who performed the funeral rites over the corpse of Polyneices; he swore by Zeus himself to fulfill his threat.
The guard went to where Polyneices' corpse lay. The guards threw the earth off the corpse and sat down on a hill nearby so that the stench from the decomposing corpse would not reach them. Suddenly at noon a storm arose, a whirlwind swirled clouds of dust across the entire field; when the storm passed, the guard saw a girl bending over the corpse, who was mourning Polyneices, and her mournful voice sounded like the mournful cry of a bird that saw that someone’s evil hand had stolen its chicks. The girl was already pouring libations in honor of the underground gods when the guards grabbed her and led her to Creon. This girl was Antigone.
Creon greeted Antigone with angry words and demanded that she confess to the crime. Antigone did not even think of denying her guilt. She violated Creon's command, but fulfilled the law and the will of the gods. Antigone fulfilled her duty to her brother by burying his corpse. Death does not frighten her; she longs for death, since her life is full of only sorrow. In terrible anger, Creon threatens to execute not only Antigone, but also Ismene, who, as he is sure, was Antigone’s assistant.
Hearing that Creon also wanted to put Ismene to death, Antigone shuddered with horror. Will she really have to be the culprit in her sister's death? The servants followed Ismene. Here she appeared on the threshold of the palace. Tears of grief for her sister roll from Ismene’s eyes.
To Creon’s question, the always timid Ismene, having learned that death threatened her sister, found the courage to share her fate with Antigone. She firmly answers Creon that she also took part in performing funeral rites over the corpse of Polyneices.
Antigone does not want the innocent Ismene to suffer along with her. In vain Ismene prays to her:
“Oh, sister, don’t reject me, don’t say that I’m unworthy to die with you!” Does life without you make sense to me? Don't insult me!
But Antigone answers her sister:
- No, you don't have to die with me! You shouldn’t call something your own that you didn’t commit! My death alone will be enough! You chose life, and I chose death!
Ismene begs Creon to spare Antigone; she begs him to think about the fact that he is dooming his son’s bride to death. But Creon is not moved by Ismene’s pleas. He replies that he will not allow his son Gemon to marry a criminal. No, Antigone must die, death will separate her from Haemon. Creon orders his servants to take Antigone and Ismene to the palace and guard them there so that they do not try to escape. The servants took Oedipus's daughters away. The citizens stood silently. They sympathized with Antigone, they realized that she had accomplished a feat. Antigone was right when she told Creon that she would not have blamed her people for the burial of Polyneices if fear of the power-hungry Creon had not bound his lips.
Creon's son, young Haemon, having learned what fate threatens his bride, comes to his father and asks to have mercy on Antigone. Haemon knows that all the people feel sorry for the innocent Antigone, that he grumbles that she is threatened with death for her pious deed. Gemon asks his father not to persist and admit his error.
- Everyone in Thebes considers Antigone innocent! - Haemon boldly tells Creon. - Father, I see that you are prone to lies! You have broken the very law of the gods!
Creon is increasingly inflamed with anger; he thinks that only love for Antigone makes Haemon protect her so much. In anger he shouts at his son:
- Oh, you think like a despicable slave of women!
“No,” answers Haemon, “but you will never see me sympathize with an evil cause.” I stood up for you!
But Creon no longer hears Haemon’s words; he says that he has firmly decided to execute Antigone. Hearing this decision from his father, Gemon says:
“If she dies, she will cause the death of another.”
But Creon no longer knows the limits of his anger. He orders the soldiers to bring Antigone and kill her here, in front of Haemon.
- No, she won’t die before my eyes! - Gemon exclaims. - You will never see me again, father! You can go crazy alone among your flattering friends!
With these words Gemon left. In vain did the citizens warn Creon that the anger in which Haemon left him would only bring trouble - Creon was adamant.
Now Antigone is being led to a terrible execution. Creon decided to bury her alive in the Labdacid tomb. Antigone goes on her last journey, goes to the shores of Acheron. She will be walled up alive in a tomb; She will not be among people, but among the dead; she will belong neither to life nor to death. Her friends are not accompanying her; without mourning, they take her away to her death. She will no longer see the clear light.
Antigone had just been taken away when, led by a boy, the blind soothsayer Tiresias came to Creon. Ominous signs were given to him by the gods during the sacrifices. The gods are angry that the corpse of the murdered man is not buried, that birds and dogs carry pieces of the decomposing corpse everywhere. Creon, in his insane stubbornness, does not even listen to Tiresias, who advises him to bury the corpse of Polyneices. He says that even if the eagle of Zeus himself carries a piece of the body to the very throne of the Thunderer, then even then the corpse of Polyneices will remain unburied. Creon accuses Tiresias of being bribed, of giving him advice out of self-interest. The angry Tiresias menacingly tells Creon that only he himself is to blame for everything: he insulted the gods by imprisoning Antigone alive in a tomb, dishonoring the corpse of Polyneices, and violating the laws of the gods. The gods will punish him for this. Creon's whole house will be plunged into sadness, punishment will befall the one who is dearest to Creon. The Erinyes, who know no mercy, will take revenge on Creon. Nothing will save him from terrible vengeance.
Creon was frightened by the words of the prophetic Tiresias. He canceled his order not to bury the corpse of Polyneices. Creon himself hurries to the field and performs funeral rites and prays to Hades and Hecate not to be angry with him and Thebes. Having completed the burial, Creon and his retinue go to the tomb of the Labdacids to bring Antigone out of there. Late! Antigone made a noose from her clothes and hanged herself. Creon finds Haemon in the tomb crying over the corpse of his bride. In vain Creon begs his son to come out of the tomb. Haemon, in front of his father, pierces his chest with a sword; he falls dead on the corpse of the bride. Creon is in despair - he has lost his last son. He weeps bitterly over his corpse.
Meanwhile, the messenger brought Creon's wife, Eurydice, the news of Haemon's death. Eurydice listened to him silently and went into the inner chambers of the palace. There she killed herself, piercing her chest with a sword, like Gemon. As soon as Eurydice committed suicide, Creon came to the palace. In his arms is the corpse of his son. Here, at the palace, a new terrible grief awaits him - he learns about the death of his wife. The proud, power-hungry spirit of Creon is broken. In despair, he calls for death so that at least it will stop his suffering. Creon lost everyone he loved.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru