creon initially blamed ismene for the burial of polyneices.
creon initially blamed ismene for the burial of polyneices.
who does creon initially blame for the burial of polyneices?
ismene
antigone, the daughter of oedipus king of thebes, greece, learns that her two brothers polyneices and eteocles have killed each other fighting on different sides of a war. creon, antigone's uncle and newly appointed king of thebes, buries eteocles, who fought on the theban side of the war, hailing him as a great hero. he refuses to bury polyneices, proclaiming that any who attempt to defy his wishes will be made an example of, on the grounds that he was a 'traitor' fighting on the opposing side in the war. the play opens with antigone and her sister ismene discussing what action to take in response to creon's new law against the burial of their brother. antigone is reactive, arguing that creon is breaching divine law by denying burial to polyneices. despite ismene's pleading, antigone heads off alone to enact the burial rites both for her own glory and for the preservation of her brother's soul.
the burial at thebes
tiresias, the blind prophet, enters. tiresias warns creon that polyneices should now be urgently buried because the gods are displeased, refusing to accept any sacrifices or prayers from thebes. creon accuses tiresias of being corrupt. tiresias responds that because of creon's mistakes, he will lose "a son of [his] own loins" for the crimes of leaving polyneices unburied and putting antigone into the earth (he does not say that antigone should not be condemned to death, only that it is improper to keep a living body underneath the earth). all of greece will despise creon, and the sacrificial offerings of thebes will not be accepted by the gods. the leader of the chorus, terrified, asks creon to take tiresias' advice to free antigone and bury polyneices. creon assents, leaving with a retinue of men. the chorus delivers a choral ode to the god dionysus (god of wine and of the theater; this part is the offering to their patron god). a messenger enters to tell the leader of the chorus that antigone has killed herself. eurydice, creon's wife and haemon's mother, enters and asks the messenger to tell her everything. the messenger reports that creon saw to the burial of polyneices. when creon arrived at antigone's cave, he found haemon lamenting over antigone, who had hanged herself. after unsuccessfully attempting to stab creon, haemon stabbed himself. having listened to the messenger's account, eurydice disappears into the palace.
antigone (sophocles play)