Antigone und Ismene, the only surviving cildren of Oedipus, discuss an edict prohibiting the burial of their brother Polyneices, who has been killed in a battle while attacking Theben, leading an Argive army asgainst this brother Eteokles. Kreon, their uncle, is the new ruler of Theben and has determinated to leave Polyneikes corpse unburied as an admonition for anyone else who attacks the state. antigone is set to give her brother proper funeral rites, even though her sister will take the chance with her. Successful in burying Polyneices, Antigone, is apprehended by Creon's guards when she returns a second time to ten the corpse. Her capture sets the stage with a series of confrontations, first between Creon and Antigone, then between Haemon, Creon's son, and his father, and finally between Creon Teiresias, the old Theben seer who announces that the gods are offended by Creon's refusal to grant burial to the fallen warriors. Shaken by Teiresias' prophecy, Creon attempts to undo the wrong, it is too late, however; antigone, interred by his order in sealed tomb, has taken her own life, and Haemon upon discovering her death kills himself.