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71 pages 2 hours read

Sophocles

Antigone (The Theban Plays, #3)

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 2005

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Scenes 7-8

Scene 7 Summary

A messenger enters, telling the Chorus that both Antigone and Haimon are dead. Haimon has killed himself in fury at his father. The Chorus exclaims that the seer’s prophecy has been fulfilled.

Eurydike, the wife of Kreon and mother of Haimon, enters, demanding to hear the news. The Messenger tells her that after they left with Kreon, they first buried the body of Polyneikes. They then proceeded to Antigone’s tomb to find it already open. Within, Haimon was wailing, clutching the body of Antigone, who had hanged herself. At seeing Kreon, Haimon wordlessly spat in his face, then fell on his own sword and, with his final breath, laid down with Antigone.

Eurydice wordlessly returns inside the royal house. The messenger follows her.

Scene 8 Summary

Kreon arrives, shrieking a lament for his son and blaming his own foolishness for this death. The Messenger returns, telling Kreon that Eurydice has also just killed herself in grief and with her last words cursed Kreon. Wailing, Kreon asks his servants to guide him within, “I who am no more / than nothing” (1,409). He prays to die. As Kreon exits,

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