Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type : Tragedy
Anticipation Stage
Antigone returns to Thebes with the intention of helping her brothers avoid the prophecy of their death.
Antigone is hopeful and dedicated to serving her brothers. She is focused and confident.
Dream Stage
Antigone discovers her brothers are dead and that Polyneices has not been given a proper burial. She commits herself to burying her brother at all costs.
Antigone dreams of giving her brother a proper burial.
Frustration Stage
Antigone is caught burying her brother and is brought to Creon. She willingly admits her crime and further irritates Creon by challenging his moral authority.
Antigone defends her actions, and by further irritating Creon, essentially seals her fate. Well, for the time being at least.
Nightmare Stage
Antigone is locked away in a jail cell to die.
Locked away in jail, Antigone realizes that she’s definitely going to die.
Destruction or Death Wish Stage
Antigone perceives her death as imminent and so commits suicide in jail. Finding her dead, Antigone’s fiancé Haemon and Creon’s wife kill themselves. Creon intends to release Antigone, but discovers them all dead instead. Much grief follows.
Unable to bear their circumstances any longer, the main characters all kill or injure themselves. This is sounding quite familiar.