Antigone And Ismene Essay

Although Antigone shows equality for women and rights, each character in the play has different views and believes. As a tragic hero of the play, Antigone has a tragic flaw and is very brave, as she defies Creon’s law and buries her brother, despite the fact she knows she will have to face consequences. Ismene and Creon on the other hand, do not appreciate

Antigone, written by the Athenian Sophocles, is about a woman named Antigone who lives in a city named Thebes. The play’s plot is based on her attempt to successfully bury her brother Polynices whom perished in a battle with his brother that also assumed the role of

The relationship between Antigone and Ismene is close because they are both sisters but at the same time their relationship isn’t that strong. One of reasons they are foils to each other is because of their disagreement about burying the body of their brother Polyneices. Antigone already knows that she is willing to die to let her brother rest in peace but Ismene on the other isn’t on her side, instead she doesn’t want to help Antigone because she want to face the consequences that come with burying Polyneices. Antigone and Ismene are foils to each other because on one hand Antigone is willing to defy the orders of the king who has power over her, while her

The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to

Antigone is a play based on a Greek tragedy, that takes place in the city of Thebes. Antigone is one of four siblings, her two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, and her sister, Ismene, and soon to be married to Haimon. Her two brothers Eteocles and Polyneices do not live to the end of this drama, but die fighting one another for the throne of the kingdom. Creon, a ruthless leader, takes the heir of the throne. He demands Polyneices not have a burial for he was a traitor, and anyone who attempts to disobey his ruling would be punished. Antigone violated the ruling and attempted to bury Polyneices. Creon showed no pity for the fact that she was his only son’s fiancee and instead gave Antigone a death punishment. Antigone states multiple times that she believes she did nothing wrong, as well as others in the city think that. Haimon uses rhetorical devices throughout the drama in attempts to keep his father from killing Antigone and to show his father how he is affecting the city.

Ismene and Antigone or both sisters to Polyneices, but their reaction to his burial ban is completely different. “Bury him! You have just said the new law forbids it… But think of the danger! Think what Kreon will do!” (Prologue, 33-34, 37-38). This shows that Ismene is being logical and cares about her own well-being which adds to her overall character. Antigone on the other hand seems to be in such despair that she does not care what happens to her as long as her brother is at peace. “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy.” (Prologue, 55-56); Antigone is showing her steadfastness and saying she has made up her mind and nothing can change that. This adds important characteristics to her character that the reader would not have without Polyneices. Kreon’s character also gains development through Polyneices because of how quickly he makes the burial of Polyneices against the law and puts Antigone to death. Both of these people were basically his children whom he promises Oedipus to protect, but to him the crown is more important which shows his hubris. Finally, the development of these characters would not have been as interesting, and the play would have not been as remarkable without the role of the “insignificant”

Antigone is a strong-headed person, who believes that it is her duty to please her family's morals by doing whatever it takes. She says things to her sister to get her point across such as, "Now you can prove what you are, a true sister, or a traitor to your family." (Prologue, 26-27). She also will break the laws and go against her family for her brother. Ismene on the other hand is more fearful than Anitonge.

In the beginning, the author introduced Antigone and her sister, Ismene, and their argument about their recently deceased brother. The argument involved Antigone wanting to bury her brother and Ismene encouraging her to obey the King's orders. Antigone ignored her sister's advice and chose to

For centuries men have been finding ways to gain control over everything and everyone. One group that has been oppressed by men throughout history are women. Men have placed rules and regulations upon women making them seen as unequal and inferior. Was it fear? Was it the hunger for power? Was is the highness of superiority? Whatever the reasons were, men had to be seen as the highest being next to whom they worshiped. In the play Antigone by Sophocles, the audience is exposed to the roles of men and women in an ancient Greece society known as Thebes. Although ancient Greece was a male-dominant society where women had as much freedom as a slave, Sophocles’ main character in the play, Antigone, is an example of a brave, strong-minded woman who goes against the limitations that were unfairly set upon women during that time to do what she believes is right. In this play, gender roles assists in the process of portraying the story since it affects some of the decisions of the characters and helps lead the story into the climax.

As the play begins Antigone is just meeting up with her sister and is telling her about the decree of King Creon. Antigone and her sister, Ismene, had two brothers who had killed each other on the battlefield. One of their brothers, Eteocles, was buried with the military honors of a soldier’s funeral, and yet the other, Polyneices, was to be left out to be food for the carrion birds since he died fighting against the city of Thebes. King Creon forbade publicly for anyone to bury the body of Polyneices under the penalty of death. Antigone is now determined to bury her brother and wants Ismene to help her. Ismene does not want to go against what the king has ordered and is fearful of what may become of her if she

Antigone is a play that was written in ancient Greece by the playwright Sophocles. It is the third play in a trilogy of tragedies about the city-state of Thebes, revolving around Oedipus Rex. Antigone starts the day after a civil war fought between the two sons of Oedipus Rex after his death. The civil war ended in death for both brothers, so their uncle, Creon, assumed the role of King of Thebes. The main conflict of the play begins when Creon gives one brother, Eteocles, a burial with honors, but passes a law forbidding a burial for the other brother, Polyneices with the penalty of death. One of the sisters of Eteocles and Polyneices, Antigone disagrees with this law, and decides to bury Polyneices, resulting in Creon sentencing Antigone to death. A conflict emerges between Antigone and Creon, who appear to be opposites. However, despite Antigone and Creon’s different stances on law, they are ultimately more similar than different because of their shared value of loyalty and their shared characteristic, hubris.

Ismene, a character from Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone, is the sister of the play’s main protagonist Antigone. Ismene is sought out by Antigone, who is requesting her assistance in burying their deceased brother, Polyneices. Polyneices was slain alongside Eteocles, their other brother when the former rebelled against the kingship of the latter. Their uncle Creon who is now the king decreed that the body of Polyneices is to be left unburied (Antigone, 3-4). Ismene responds to her sister, telling her that she is reckless for wanting to defy the law and states that women are not made to fight with men who are stronger (Antigone, 5). Furthermore Ismene states that she too weak to go against the cities’ will and refuses to take part in Antigone’s plans (Antigone, 5-6). Later after Antigone has succeeded in her quest, Ismene is questioned and scolded by Creon who is asking whether or not she played a role in Antigone’s actions. She tries to share the blame with Antigone so that she

Antigone begins immediately after the conflict between two brothers, Polynices and Eteocles, over the city of Thebes. Polynices and his brother Eteocles were the sons of the last ruler of Thebes, Oedipus, and began the conflict whose aftermath the play is set in. At the center of the play is the issue of the new Theban king’s edict in which he tries to deny burial rights to Polynices branding him as a traitor to Thebes undeserving of a burial. Polynices’ sister Antigone is made aware of this decree, but still decides to bury her brother out of sense of familial duty and a religious duty. Antigone and Kreon have opposing positions on whether Polynices should receive a proper burial. Antigone and Kreon’s disagreement stems from two different world views held by the characters. Antigone believes that duty to the rules of the gods is the most important thing in life, and accordingly believes she has a familial and religious duty to bury Polynices. Kreon views his kingship with one purpose to maintain order, and because of this Kreon believes he must be stern in upholding his first decree to ensure it is not disobeyed. Both character’s opposing views provide their positions with justification, and as such neither character is unjustified.

In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, the role of women in society is challenged as Antigone reluctantly disobeys the “natural laws” that place women below men. Antigone’s two brothers, “...slew each other,” (Sophocles 57) but only one was buried as an honor, and the other “...unlamented, unburied, a sweet find for birds to feast upon” (30-31). Antigone disobeys the laws as she decides to bury her brother, with or without the help of her sister Ismene. As Ismene refuses to aid Antigone, she points out the duty of women in society. Ismene states, “...very horribly we will die if we go against the king’s decree,” (60-61) and “Rather, consider that we were born women, proving we should not fight with men, and that we are ruled by more powerful people and must obey them, even in more painful things...yield to those who walk with authority” (64-68).

Ismene is preventing her stronger sister in succeeding further against the king. As compared to Antigone, she has almost nothing to do with world, mainly because she is absolutely terrified of disobeying men in power. She does not believe in women violating the laws of men, since they the men are stronger than the women and deserve submissive response from the women side. Ismene actually does not help to bury Polyneices, but she tries to claim responsibility for the burial later some time so she can also die with her sister, Antigone. But Antigone refuses to take a help from her and Ismene is injured from this statement. This shows her great love for her family. This also states her place as a symbol of the status, who is rewarded because of remembering her