It is easier to say that out of all the main characters in the play, only Creon stays alive. Antigone’s suicide triggers a chain of other deaths that leave the king heartbroken. His son, Haemon, could not stand the news about her death and killed himself. The same happened to the queen, Eurydice.Â
Since Sophocles’ play is a tragedy, there is nothing surprising in the fact that there are so many deaths. Even though Antigone describes the aftermath of the war, there is still a part dedicated to the events before and during the battle. The two brothers who were supposed to rule Thebes kill each other then. As a result, Creon takes the throne and forbids burying Polynices, who is considered a traitor. However, Antigone decides to go against the order and give her brother a proper burial. It leads to her being punished for it later on. The girl is ready to accept her fate and commits suicide after Creon puts her in the tomb alive. Â
Creon’s son, Haemon, seeing his fiancĂ©’s dead body, gets overly emotional and tries to kill his father. However, it does not work out, so he kills himself. Therefore, Haemon appears to be the second main character to die in the play. Not long after that, the queen gets to hear the news. Without any further thinking, she leaves the scene. Later, Creon, who is already devastated by his son’s death, is told that his wife committed suicide as well. All in all, there are three characters who pass away throughout the play.
