Antigone

Sophocles' 'Antigone' is an Attic tragedy written either in 442 or 440 BCE. Following a civil war in which two brothers die, their uncle Creon issues a decree stating that one brother is to receive honors, while the other's body must be left unburied. Their sister Antigone defies this order and decides to honor her brother according to divine law, even though she faces the threat of execution. Her defiance triggers a profound conflict between family loyalty and state authority, as well as between the laws of the gods and the laws of men. The work explores moral dilemmas, individual resistance against tyranny, and the nature of justice.

Reading ease score: 50.0 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.