Antigone is the last play in Sophocles' trilogy, following Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. The play starts the morning after the war between Oedipus' two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices. The two brothers killed each other in the battle. Antigone, Oedipus' daughter, tells her sister, Ismene, that Creon, who has become king of Thebes now, has given Eteocles a proper burial, but has forbidden anyone to bury, or even mourn, Polyneices. Anyone who disobeys this law will face the punishment of death. Antigone tells Ismene to join her in burying their brother, but Ismene is scared and doesn't want to take part in it.

In the next scene, Creon is talking to the chorus when one of his sentries, who were guarding Polyneices' body, comes and tells him that someone has sprinkled the body with dirt, in an obvious burial attempt. Creon accuses the sentry of...