Antigone

In the aftermath of a brutal civil war, Thebes is ruled by the new king, Creon. Creon’s first decree is that his nephew Polynices, a traitor to the city, must remain unburied but Etocles, the traitor’s brother, is honoured with full burial rites as a symbol of his dedication to Thebes. Defying this edict, Antigone (daughter of the previous King) believes that divine law requires her to honour her brother with a proper burial. Captured and sentenced to death, Antigone's unyielding sense of duty and moral conviction lead her to a tragic fate. Her defiance sets off a chain of events, culminating in devastation for the new King and those closest to him. Sophocles' play, written in 440 BCE, delves deep into themes of duty, justice, and the enduring conflict between individual conscience and state law. These questions are as important now as they were then. Our version, set in the 1990s, explores the story through the lens of royal scandal and the scrutiny of the media.