Antigone (Director's Playbook Edition, Annotated) characters

Appears from the start

A daughter of Oedipus and sister of the two princes who have killed each other in the struggle for Thebes. She is determined to give Polynices the burial rites that Creon has forbidden, placing divine obligation and family loyalty above obedience to the new king.

Appears from the start

Antigone's sister and the other surviving daughter of Oedipus. She fears the power of the state and initially refuses to help bury Polynices, although her caution comes from concern for Antigone as well as concern for herself.

Appears from the start

The new king of Thebes and uncle of Antigone, Ismene, Polynices, and Eteocles. Intent on restoring civic order after civil war, he honors Eteocles as a defender and prohibits burial of Polynices as a traitor. He treats resistance to the decree as a challenge to royal authority.

Appears from the start

Creon's son and Antigone's intended husband. He approaches his father respectfully, then argues that Theban opinion favors Antigone and that a ruler should be willing to listen and change course.

Appears from the start

An elderly blind prophet whose guidance Creon has trusted before. Led by a young attendant, he reports ominous failures in sacrifice and warns that the gods reject Thebes' treatment of Polynices and Antigone.

Appears from the start

A nervous sentry assigned to watch the unburied body of Polynices. He brings Creon unwelcome news that someone has performed burial rites, then returns after the guards catch Antigone repeating the act.

Appears from the start

Creon's wife and Haemon's mother. She appears late, hears the messenger's account of the disaster involving her son, and withdraws into the palace without public display.

Appears from the start

The representative voice of the group of Theban elders who observe the conflict. He receives reports, questions the principals, and eventually urges Creon to follow Tiresias's warning without delay.

Appears from the start

A palace messenger who reports the consequences of Creon's delayed reversal, describing what happened at Polynices' body and at Antigone's sealed tomb.