Antigone & Ismene in Sophocles Antigone :: Antigone essays

Antigone & Ismene         The personalities of the two sisters Antigone and Ismene, argon asdifferent from one a nonher as night and day. Antigone acts as a free spirit,a defiant individual, while Ismene is content to recognize her limitations as a woman in a male dominated society.         In the Greek tragedy  Antigone, by Sophocles Antigone learnsthat King Creon has refused to give a proper burial for the slainPolyneices, brother of Ismene and Antigone.  Infuriated by this injustice,Antigone shares the tragic news with Ismene.  From her prototypic response, No,I have heard nothing(344).  Ismene reveals her passivity and helplessnessin the light of Creons decree.  Thus, from the start, Ismene ischaracterized as traditionally feminine, a helpless woman that pays nomind to political affairs. Doubting the wisdom of her sisters plan tobreak the law and bury Polyneices, Ismene argues   & nbsp            We who are women should not contend with men               we who are weak are ruled by the stronger, so that               we must obey....(346) Once again Ismenes words clearly state her weak, feminine character andhelplessness within her own dimensions.  Antigone, not happy with hersisters response chides her sister for not participating in her crime andfor her passivity, saying, Set your own life in order(346). ForAntigone, no law could home in the way of her strong consideration of herbrothers spirit, not even the punishment of an early death.  Ismene ismore practical knowing the task is impossible, she feels the situationto be hopeless.         It is a wonder, which of the two sisters are really guilty of thesechronic charges. Of coarse, Antigone acted so quickl y, and failed to takethe advice of the moderate sister, Ismene.  Instead, going against Creonswords, Antigone rashly goes ahead and breaks the law.  Antigone is a fool,she must learn that such defiance, even when justified, is not conductiveto longevity.  Although Antigone is foolish, she is also courageous andmotivated by her morals.  Proper burial of the dead was, according to theGreeks,  prerequisite for the souls entrance into a standing(prenominal) home.Therefore, perhaps Ismene is also foolish for her quick refusal to helpAntigone perform the duty of Polyneices proper burial.  Ismene definitelyseems hasty in her acceptance of personal weakness.  Perhaps in some way,both sisters are guilty of the same tragic sins.  Perhaps it is thisrashness, more subdued in Ismenes case, that leads both sisters to theirown destruction.         To my surprise, there is a curious twist in both sisters charactertowards the end of the play.  Antigone makes a rather contrasting