Antigone begins with The two sons of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polyneices, who are fighting for the kingship of Thebes. Both men die in the battle. Their successor, Creon, decides that King Eteocles will be buried, but Polyneices, because he was leading a foreign army, will be left on the field of battle. Antigone, his sister, buries him anyway.

Antigone is caught burying Polyneices and is condemned to death. Her fiance and Creon's son, Haemon, learns about this and tries to convince Creon to change his mind. It's only then that the seer Tiresias appears. After a long discussion, he finally persuades Creon that the gods want Polyneices buried. By then it's too late Antigone has hung herself, Haemon kills himself when he finds her, and Creon's wife kills herself when she learns about her son.