For example, when she puts aside her grave fear of consequence to traverse the bridge. Antigone is overwhelmed by her own stubbornness, which leads to a tragic situation. Antigone refuses to compromise with her sister, Ismene, whom when she first learns of her brother's death. Antigone's unrepressed emotions gives a voice of dissatisfaction with Creon’s. Ever since Antigone gets herself in that situation facing Creon’s wrath, but still she doesn’t make a decision on how to bury her brother.
Within Antigone, many of the characters’ stubbornness contributing to the major conflict could have easily been handled differently. Because of this, one ended up dead and another lost everyone he loved. Ismene, Antigone’s sister, remained alive but only because of fear of being punished. It is sometimes unnecessary qualities like being head strong that lead to no one gaining triumph in the end. Because two willful people were both standing up for what they believed in, neither won the battle.
Once Ismene tries to explain the consequences of her sister’s potential actions, Antigone outbursts with “I would not
Many of the characters in the story have a unique way of developing the theme of the story. Antigone, the daughter of King Oedipus and Jocasta, words and actions contributes to Creon’s development as a tragic hero. Antigone will do anything to properly put her brother to rest even if that means she has to die, Creon feels that it is right to punish her with death even if that means she will not get the chance to marry his son (Haemon). “You’ll never marry her while she’s alive,” (858).
THESIS As they are sisters, Ismene and Antigone share similar traits, but in other ways the sisters are strikingly different. While Antigone is defiant, free spirited, and edgy, Ismene is acquiescent, pliant, and soft. Antigone is liberated and extremely strong willed, while Ismene is content to recognize that “we are women, [who] are not born to contend with men” (Sophocles 74-75).
In the third scene of the play Antigone, Creon makes a stronger argument about the killing of Antigone than Haemon because he more effectively plays on Haemons emotions and uses reasoning to try to persuade Haemon on his ideas. While Haemon had a very good argument with lots of pathos and logos, I feel that his argument comes more out of childish emotions instead of persuasive emotion and logic. And on the other hand Creon more effectively uses his emotions as a persuasive method not as childish thoughts. Also using reason and logic to show Haemon how his childish emotions are unreasonable and blinded from reason. In the scene Creon uses his logic to try to persuade Haemon to see that Creon is doing this to Antigone for a reason and that it is best for this to happen: “If a man can keep his home in hand,/ he proves his competence to keep the state./ But one who breaks the law and flounts authority,/ I never will allow.”
The ancient Athenian Greek era was a time where democracy and order were highly praised and venerated by the upper echelons of society. The court and government ruling was a concept that the Athenians took much pride in. Also, during that time drama and entertainment was the order of the day. Athenians seemed to decompress from their daily hectic lives by attending dramatic and fantasy based plays. One of the most respected writers of ancient Greece was Sophocles.
Antigone and Ismene both have different personalities. Antigone is a brave and rebellious individual. Ismene on the other hand is a loyal and honest to all. The sisters felt their brother, Polyneices, deserved a proper burial yet only Antigone was willing to go against the law of gods and the law of creon.
In the first moments of the play, Antigone is opposed to her sister Ismene, because she was afraid Antigone wanted
n Antigone, Sophocles alludes to many Greek myths in order to accentuate how Antigone views the situation of her being punished by Creon for giving her brother the proper burial he deserved by the law of the gods and the importance of her words. Creon has decided to sentence Antigone to death for going against his words and following the laws of the gods by burying her beloved brother Polyneices. Creon’s tragic flaw is recognized when Antigone says, “How often I have heard the story of Niobe, / Tantalus’ wretched daughter, how the stone / Clung fast about her, ivy-close; and they say / The rain falls endlessly / And sifting soft snow; her tears are never done” (Sophocles 994). Niobe, queen of Thebes, was turned to stone for her belief
Overall, while Antigone represents passion and stubbornness, Ismene is a character of both sensibility, but also fear, as shown by the way they
Her parents faced horrible deaths and now her brothers died while fighting each other for power. These deaths have put her in a position to play it safe and listen to those in power. Ismene’s words and actions make it clear to the audience that she loves her sister dearly and is not willing to lose her life or her sister’s life. Antigone believes that Creon’s law forbidding anyone to give her brother a burial, is unjust and not what the Gods want. So if Creon will not give her brother a burial, then she will do it herself and she does not care about the consequences.
In the story, the relationship between Antigone and Creon is very important and contrasts greatly. If they had found a way to resolve their differences, the story may have ended differently. The tension between these two characters is based on Creon’s actions and thoughts in regard to Antigone’s brothers and the brother she buried. Creon left Polyneices, her brother, to rot outside of the city. He commanded that if anyone buried Polyneices, they would be put to death.
Ismene is very different from her sister Antigone. Antigone
A character that is essential to the play is Ismene, the sister of Antigone. As she might appear only twice through the play she has a major role. Ismene’s character contrasts with Antigone this exaggerates Antigone’s rebellious character. Ismene is portrayed as more fearful this is shown from the stage directions in the prologue as Ismene ‘follows’ Antigone cautiously.
