Looking at Antigone

by David Stuttard

First published 2017

In the stark stone halls of Thebes, Antigone stands alone against her uncle Creon's brutal decree. After a catastrophic civil war, Creon has forbidden burial for her rebel brother Polynices, condemning him to eternal dishonor. Antigone's choice is brutal: obey the king's law or risk execution by performing sacred funeral rites for her dead brother. Her sister Ismene refuses to help, leaving Antigone to challenge the state's most fundamental power—the right to determine life and death. As political and familial tensions escalate, Antigone's moral certainty collides with Creon's absolute authority. Her defiance becomes more than a personal act; it's a fundamental challenge to tyrannical rule. One woman's conscience will shake an entire kingdom's foundations.

Genres: drama, historical-fiction, political-thriller, ancient

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, moral-dilemma

Setting: Thebes

Period: Ancient Greece

245 pages · Kindle Edition · Bloomsbury Academic

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