The NHB Drama Classics series presents the world's greatest plays in affordable, highly readable editions for students, actors and theatregoers. The hallmarks of the series are accessible introductions (focussing on the play's theatrical and historical background, together with an author biography, key dates and suggestions for further reading) and the complete text, uncluttered with footnotes. The translations, by leading experts in the field, are accurate and above all actable. The editions of English-language plays include a glossary of unusual words and phrases to aid understanding.

Antigonei s the first great 'resistance' drama - and perhaps the definitive Greek tragedy.

Creon, the King of Thebes, has forbidden the burial of Antigone's brother because he was put to death as a traitor to the crown. Despite being engaged to Creon's son Haemon, Antigone disobeys the King and buries her brother. Enraged, Creon condemns Antigone to death and buries her alive in a cave. The prophet Teiresias warns Creon against such rash actions, and eventually Creon relents - but when he goes to release Antigone it is too late: she has already hanged herself.

Translated and introduced by Marianne McDonald.

Sophocles was born about 496 BC in Colonus Hippius (now part of Athens). He is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, along with Aeschylus and Euripides.

He wrote more than 100 plays, including seven complete tragedies and fragments of 80 or 90 others. His completed plays included Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles influenced the development of the drama, most importantly by adding a third actor, thereby reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot.