In Greek mythology, Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus and his mother, Jocasta. Oedipus, king of Thebes, unknowingly married his mother Jocasta, and had four children, Antigone, Ismene, Polynices and Eteocles. According to the most popular version of the story, after the death of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polynices ascended to the throne and would take turns reigning over Thebes. However, Polynices, forced out of the throne by his brother, commanded an army against his brother, and in the battle that followed, both brothers died. Antigone then pleaded to Creon, the successor to the throne, to bury Polynices; Creon did not allow it as Polynices was considered a traitor. As a result, Antigone buried her brother by herself, leading to her arrest. In the end, Antigone was incarcerated in a tomb. Creon later had a change of heart and went to the tomb in order to release her, only to find her hanged; Creon’s son, who was in love with Antigone, also committed suicide after learning the news, and Queen Eurydice, Creon’s wife, did the same not bearing to see her husband allow such acts.
See Also: Oedipus, Jocasta, Ismene, Polynices, Eteocles, Creon
Affiliation
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Father
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Mother
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Gender
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Female
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English Translation
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Worthy of one's parents
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