Antigone, 1

After Oedipus's death, a war rages for the control of Thebes.  Oedipus's two sons, Polyneices and Eteocles, are killed on opposite sides of the battle.  Oedipus's brother Creon, now the acting king, declares that Polyneices's body should receive no burial, he being on the rebellion side of the battle.  Oedipus's daughter Antigone vows to give her brother a proper burial, just as Eteocles rightly received.  She tries to talk her sister Ismene into aiding her in the burial, but Ismene is too fearful to do so-- and does not want to contribute to her family's sad history of ignominy.  Disgusted, Antigone asks her instead to proclaim loudly what she intends to do-- she welcomes the punishment of death that Creon has threatened, as long as she is seen to do right by her family.

Thebes's soldiers (the Chorus) enter, bragging loudly over their victory.  Creon enters and clarifies to them his method of rule.  He will have utter allegiance to the city from its citizens and military.  All other relationships come second.  To that end, he explains his proclamation that Polyneices not be buried: it is the proper punishment for one who raised arms against the city. 

But on the first night, a Sentry enters, disheveled, confused, fearful, and hesitant to tell what he knows.  He finally explains that Polyneices body was sprinkled with earth-- enough to show that a burial ceremony had been performed.  The guards argued over who was at fault-- all declaring profusely that they were innocent-- before he was chosen to bring the news to Creon.  Creon, in turn, is apoplectic.  A soldier suggests it might be the work of one of the gods, but Creon declares that Polyneices was certainly not deserving of such an honor.  He decides that the guards around the body must have been bribed into allowing this to happen, and directs the Sentry to discover who defied his orders.  The Sentry protests, and Creon leaves in disgust.  Alone, the Sentry vows that he shall not return-- it's not worth the hassle.

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The language here seems to be more... regal than in the Ajax.  I suppose that is in keeping with the characters we've met, who are of royal station.  But it might just be Roche being careful about that sort of thing (he did give the Sentry a Cockney accent to contrast with Creon).

There was a very quick, but useful, introduction of the overall conflict of the play: duty to family vs. duty to state.  Creon explicitly demands utter and complete loyalty to the state, even under penalty of death.  But implicit in this is the idea that the threat of violence is needed to maintain the loyalty to the state-- and that will have no effect on those willing to martyr themselves over their loyalty to family, as Antigone expressly states that she is.