Essay Antigone And Ismene - 600 Words

Antigone and Ismene nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The personalities of the two sisters; Antigone and Ismene, are as different from one another as tempered steel is from a ball of cotton. One is hard and resistant; the other: pliable, absorbing and soft. Antigone would have been a strong, successful 90s type woman with her liberated and strong attitude towards her femininity, while Ismene seems to be a more dependent 1950s style woman. Antigone acts as a free spirit, a defiant individual, while Ismene is content to recognize her own limitations and her inferiority of being a woman. In the Greek tragedy quot;Antigonequot;, by Sophocles; Antigone learns that King Creon has refused to give a proper burial for the slain Polyneices,†¦show more content†¦Antigone, not happy with her sisters response chides her sister for not participating in her crime and for her passivity, saying, quot; Set your own life in orderquot;(346). For Antigone, no law could stand in the way of her strong consideration of her brothers spirit, not even the punishment of an early death. Ismene is more practical ; knowing the task is impossible, she feels the situation to be hopeless. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It is a wonder, which of the two sisters are really guilty of these chronic charges. Of coarse, Antigone acted so quickly, and failed to take the advice of the moderate sister, Ismene. Instead, going against Creons words, Antigone rashly goes ahead and breaks the law. Antigone is a fool, she must learn that such defiance, even when justified, is not conductive to longevity. Although Antigone is foolish, she is also courageous and motivated by her morals. Proper burial of the dead was, according to the Greeks, prerequisite for the souls entrance into a permanent home. Therefore, perhaps Ismene is also foolish for her quick refusal to help Antigone perform the duty of Polyneices proper burial. Ismene definitely seems hasty in her acceptance of personal weakness. Perhaps in some way, both sisters are guilty of the same tragic sins. Perhaps it is this rashness, more subdued in Ismenes case, that leads both sisters to their own destruction. To my surprise, there is a strange twist in bothShow MoreRelatedAntigone And Ismene Analysis925 Words   |  4 PagesAntigone, a play by Sophocles, contain the events that occur after the death of Oedipus. Oedipus’ death marked the ending of the preceding book, Oedipus at Colonus. Antigone, as reflected in the title, focuses on the life of Antigone, one of Oedipus’ daughters. Within the play, Antigone is faced with a major disagreement with her sister regarding the proper burial of their brother, Polyneices. Antigone and Ismene are characters that hold contrasting ideals and opinions in reference to the law ofRead MoreAntigone And Ismene Essay1635 Words   |  7 PagesDiscuss the differences between Antigone and Ismene in their views of women in society. How does each sister’s view shape the choices she makes in the play? How consistent is each, in her view? The play Antigone, written by Sophocles is the last book of his trilogy called The Oedipus Play of Sophocle. Antigone take places in the city of Thebes, the play open â€Å"some days later† there have been an edict by King Creon regarding the burials of Eteocles and Polyneices; Eteocles, will get a proper burialRead MoreIsmene And Antigone Essay1331 Words   |  6 Pagesto best demonstrate the stark difference between how society calls upon women to act and how a female hero should act. In Antigone, the two main characters, sisters Antigone and Ismene, are the two women being compared to each other. Ismene, the younger sister, acts as the conformist, never questioning the rules she is to live by and encouraging Antigone to do the same. Ismene illustrates her stance in the conversations she has with her older sibling in the opening act. Begging her sister not to goRead MoreThe Relationship Between Antigone And Ismene800 Words   |  4 Pages P.5 Antigone Questions 1-5 1. 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 toRead MoreEnter Antigone and Ismene from the Palace10899 Words   |  44 PagesAntigone Enter ANTIGONE and Ismene from the palace. ANTIGONE: Ismene, my dear sister through common blood, do you know of any evil from Oedipus Zeus will not perform on us who still live? For I have seen nothing—nothing painful, nothing mad or shameful or dishonorable—(5) that is not among your or my sorrows. And now what do they say? The general has just put an edict over the whole city. Have you heard it? Or have you avoided learning how our friends suffer the fate of foes?(10) Read MoreWomen in Ancient Greece1638 Words   |  7 PagesSophocles play Antigone encapsulates the conflict in Greek society between genuine and farcical democracy. Greeces patriarchal society excludes women from formal decision-making processes so that, in the case of Creon, leaders enact their own arbitrary rules. Creon refuses to listen to what Antigone has to say about her belief that her brother deserves a proper burial. His lack of compassion is exacerbated by his unequivocal misogyny. For instance, when his son Haemon sticks up for Antigone, Creon ridiculesRead MoreAnalysis Of Antigone By Sophocles879 Words   |  4 PagesIn Sophocles’s Antigone, which centrals around themes such as bravery in the face of death, civil unrest, and unyielding dedication to divine justice, it is easy to understand how Ismene’s character is often called cowardly, docile, and indecisive. However, if one were to take away Antigone as a comparison, Ismene may appear in a different light. She survived her tragic upbringing through rational thought and a sort of optimism that others will do the same, while still managing to keep her love forRead MoreThe Prologue Of Antigone899 Words   |  4 PagesThis passage is an excerpt from the prologue of ‘Antigone’, an Ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles. In this scene, Antigone is trying to convince her sister, Ismene, to help her bury their brother, Polynices. It is significant to the rest of the play as gives explanation to future events and establishes the characters of Antigone and Ismene and their roles in the overall plot. Additionally, the excerpt gives a strong idea of the setting. In the scene, the audience can infer ideas about past eventsRead More Antigone Essay977 Words   |  4 Pagesgreat consequences such as persecution, abuse, exile and even death. Antigone deals with this turmoil because she tries to perform the noble act of loyalty to her brother, Polyneices, as well as her loyalty to her family. Polyneices was slain by his own brother, Eteocles, in a battle where both were killed by each other’s sword. King Creon sentenced Polyneices to be left dead and Eteocles to be given an honorable burial. Antigone is faced with the decision to let her brother, Polyneices, lay deadRead MoreEssay on Sophocles Antigone1117 Words   |  5 PagesSophocles Antigone Theater played a large role in ancient Greek society. The citizens were meant to learn from the mistakes made in tragedies. They should have learned what not to be like as a citizen or human. In the classic tragedy Antigone, the third and final play in Sophocles ¹s Oedipus Cycle, there are two main characters, Antigone and Creon. They are both strong willed and stubborn people