The Chorus recounts the events leading to Antigone's tragedy. Oedipus, Antigone and Ismene's father, had two sons, Eteocles and Polynices. Upon Oedipus' death, it was agreed that each would take the throne from one year to the next. After the first year, however, Eteocles, the elder, refused to step down. Polynices and six foreign princes marched on Thebes. All were defeated. The brothers killed each other in a duel, making Creon king. Creon ordered Eteocles buried in honor and left Polynices to rot on the pain of death.

It is dawn, and the house is still asleep. Antigone sneaks in and the Nurse appears and asks where she has been. Suddenly Ismene enters, also asking where An

Second Guard - Largely indistinguishable from his cohorts, the Second Guard jeeringly compares Antigone to an exhibitionist upon her arrest.

Here Antigone offers her last thoughts, delivering them through her letter to Haemon. Anouilh complicates the pathos of this message with its dictation to the Guard. The pathos of the scene thus also inheres in the final indignity that Antigone suffers. As before, the Guard considers the condemned Antigone with the same callous indifference. His job security ever in mind, he only agrees to transcribe her letter. As the bribe of the ring suggests, he acts out of vulgar self-interest alone. The ring is also a gift from Haemon, it evokes Antigone's lost love and the virginity she will take to the grave. As a number of critics have noted, Anouilh comically casts the transcription of Antigone's letter as that of a schoolboy doing dictation. The Guard licks his pencil, repeats her words dully, and asks her to slow down. The Guard's muttered repetition of Antigone's wrenching last words would rob it of its pathos. To the Guard, her farewell is a "damn funny letter."

The Chorus, who ultimately enters a spotlight, also recounts the events leading to Antigone's story and introduces all of its players under the sign of fatality. They have come to play their roles and, if such is their fate, die. The Chorus is omniscient, narrating the characters' thoughts: their roles, already predestined, should be self-evident, even if the reason they come to doom is ultimately not. Thus the Chorus traces each character's fate. Antigone is here to rebel and die; Creon is the unwilling king; Eurydice's role is but to die in her room; the guardsmen emblematicize the common rank-and-file. Importantly, it also establishes a key contrast between the two sisters: Ismene the full-figured beauty and Antigone the scrawny, sullen brat.

Antigone sits before the pacing First Guard in her prison cell. She remarks that his is the last face she will see. She chides him for hurting her this morning upon her arrest. She asks him his age, whether he has children and if he loves them, and how long he has served in the Guard. The Guard rambles about his pay, the extra rations for his family, promotions, and quibbles between sergeants and guardsmen. "I see," Antigone replies, barely audible. She abruptly interrupts him, pointing out that she is soon to die. The Guard gapes at her and turns away.

Antigone sits before the First Guard in her cell; his is the last face she will see. The Guard rambles about his pay, rations, and professional quibbles. Antigone interrupts him, pointing out that she is soon to die. She asks how she is to be executed. The Guard informs her that she is to be immured. The Guard asks if he can do anything for her. She asks if he could give someone a letter, offering him her ring. Reluctant to endanger his job, the Guard suggests that she dictate her letter and he write it in his notebook in case they search his pockets. Antigone winces but accepts. She recites her letter, "Forgive me, my darling. You would all have been so happy except for Antigone." Suddenly a drum roll is heard, and the Guards lead Antigone out.

The First proposes that they throw a party. The trio discusses plans, the First insisting that they keep it from their wives. Creon and the Page enter, and the guards stand at attention. The First explains Antigone's arrest. The guards had moved the corpse upwind to mitigate the stench. When he took a break for some tobacco, he found her madly clawing in the broad daylight. Antigone affirms his account and also confesses to having come the night before; the child's shovel on the scene was once Polynices's. The First Guard remarks how one sentry thought she was a dog. Creon sends the guards out.

Creon assures Antigone that he does not romanticize his work: ruling is his trade, and a trade he takes seriously. If some wild messenger was to tell him tomorrow his wife was his mother, he wo

Some common words found in the essay are:
Thebes Creon, Strangely Chorus, Creon Page, Antigone Creon, Ismene Antigone, Chorus Antigone's, Haemon Anouilh, Aware Antigone, Antigone Antigone, Antigone Nurse, antigone replies, bury polynices, creon king, creon antigone, antigone's act, tells antigone, creon replies, insistence desire, death creon, antigone's death, recounts events leading, events leading antigone's, death natural climax, creon makes final, makes final appeal,
Approximate Word count = 11452
Approximate Pages = 46 (250 words per page double spaced)