The city of Thebes has been in battle. One ruler conquered over the other, yet died in the process in defending the city. These men were brothers. The new king, Creon, their uncle, has decreed the man who fought against the city shall not be buried, a mortal sin against the laws of heaven. Antigone, the sister of the two brothers, wants to bury the cursed one, even against the penalty of death. The plot unfolds as compromise attempts to conquer over pride; the characters learn to understand rather than to just listen.