Character List

Antigone: Daughter/sister of Oedipus, she and Ismene are the last of the Labdacid family. After her father went into exile, she and her sister were raised in the house of Creon. Her brothers Polyneices and Eteocles were casualties in a brutal war for power, each brother dying by the other's hand. Creon has declared that Eteocles will be honored with burial while Polyneices' body is left to rot; this edict is the thing that drives Antigone to defy the state. At times self-righteous and off-putting, she is nonetheless the character who has most consistently captured the imaginations of the audience since the play's first performance over two-and-a-half millennia ago. Her deeds expand the possibilities of human action, as she sets her individual conscience and her love for her dead brother above and against the power and authority of the state.

Ismene: Antigone's last surviving sibling, she is the foil for her stronger sister. Compared to Antigone, she has almost no agency. She does not help to bury Polyneices, nor is she able to die with Antigone later on. She has great love for her family, but she lacks the fierce pride and strength of will exhibited by Antigone.

Chorus of Theban Elders: The Chorus comments on the action and interacts with Creon, actively interceding with advice at a critical moment late in the play. They are Theban elders, important for maintaining order in the city, and Creon summons them to win their loyalty. They watch the unfolding of events with sympathy and a discerning eye, pitying Creon and Antigone but also commenting critically on their faults.

Creon: Ruler of Thebes in the wake of war, Creon cherishes order and loyalty above all else. He cannot bear to be defied, any more than he can bear to watch the laws of the state defied. He has Polyneices' body defiled while Eteocles is honored because he feels that he cannot give equal to share to both brothers when one was a traitor and the other was loyal. He does not recognize that other forms of justice exist, and in his pride he condemns Antigone, defies the gods, and brings ruin on himself.

A Sentry: The Sentry brings the news that Polyneices has been buried. He also captures Antigone later on. His speech is an interesting experiment in the history of Greek drama, as it attempts to approximate the rhythms and diction of natural speech.

Haemon: Son of Creon and Eurydice. Haemon is engaged to be married to Antigone. In a dramatic dialogue with his father, Haemon defends the moral grounding of Antigone's actions while warning his father that the people of Thebes sympathize with the girl. He and his father part in anger. Haemon's devotion to Antigone is clear; at her death, he is so distraught that he tries to kill his father and then kills himself.

Teiresias: The blind prophet. He warns Creon that the gods do not approve of his treatment of Polyneices' body or Antigone. Creon then insults him. Teiresias responds with a prophecy foretelling the death of one of Creon's children, warning that all of Greece will despise the king if he does not relent. The prophet is an important part of Sophocles' vision. Through him, the will of the gods is made known, and his existence implies that there is a definite will of the gods to defer to and obey.

A Messenger: The Messenger reports the suicides of Antigone and Haemon to the Chorus and Eurydice. He leaves to follow Eurydice when she runs off in grief.

Eurydice: Creon's wife and Haemon's mother. Broken by her son's suicide, she kills herself, calling curses down on Creon for causing the tragedy.

Second Messenger: The Second Messenger reports Eurydice's suicide to the Chorus and Creon. Creon, already broken by Haemon's death, is forced to confront the suicide of his wife as well.