Antigone And Ismene Comparison

705 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analytical essay for antigone

The Greek play Antigone, written by Sophocles tells a tragic story of undying love, deep hatred, abuse of power and doing the right thing even though there may be challenges in the way. After examining the Antigone play I found I most associate myself to Ismene, her sister. She and I are alike in innumerable ways; our physical appearance, our temperaments, and our backgrounds are very similar.
Ismene and I are physically very similar. In the Play, Ismene is commonly depicted with brown hair and blue eyes. Given that she hasnt been espoused, and is still old enough to be making vastly life altering decisions; schoolers frequently embrace the idea that Ismene is approximately 15-16. It can be assumed that she is in excellent health with no significant problems, given her, being of royal blood, would possess access to the best healthcare …show more content…

Ismene is the oldest child.Throughout her life, Ismene has gone through a lot of rough times. It can be assumed that Ismene, because of her social status has a great number of friends. I would also like to suppose I have a fairly good education and it is more than likely that Ismene had the best education possible for the time. While there is no provable evidence it can be assumed by the fact she seems to be more knowledgeable than Antigone. Although, my life has not been nearly as hard as her. I too experienced rough moments like everyone else. No one’s life is simple or without its ups and down, some harder than others. In a way, I put confidence in the fact that I retain a fairly large number of friends. With her social status, it would be possible that a good portion were friends with her for her privileges. There is a reason to presume I am endowed with the “better” friends. None of my friends are of a greater class and have nothing sentimental value to offer. Antigone and I indeed do share a similar

Show More
Related

  • Character Foils In Antigone

    543 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone and Ismene, although sisters, are almost opposites. While Antigone is bold, proud, and stubborn, Ismene is timid, obedient, and scared. She warns Antigone that

    Read More

  • Antigone And Confucius Essay

    585 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone’s two contradictory roles, as a sister to Polynices and as a female of Thebes, gives rise to her problem. It can be argued that it is not Antigone that enforced this impact. Antigone not unfairly declares that ruler has no right to keep her distant from her own brother and she was simply satisfying her ordinary responsibility by providing Polynices some resemblance of

    Read More

  • Comparing the Family in Antigone and A Rose for Emily

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone is a young woman whose moral background leads her to go against the wishes of the king to bury her brother, Polyneices.  Sophocles uses Antigone as a character who undergoes an irreversible change in judgment and as a result, ends up dying.  Antigone is hero, and she stands for honor, and divinity.   Because Antigone's parents were Oedipus and Iacaste, she was born into a family of power; something that she could not change.  At times, Sophocles leads the reader into thinking Antigone wishes she was not who she was.  Ismene, Antigone's sister, refuses to help Antigone because (as she states) "I have no strength to break laws that wer...

    Read More

  • The Deaths of Antigone and Creon

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eventually both Creon and Antigone are destroyed by the gods (and by each other) through their own actions. Antigone is a powerful character, strong-willed, determined and at times self-righteous. She is contrasted by her sister Ismene, who is weak and powerless. Though Antigone is a powerful character, she has no real political power and is dominated by one man, Creon. Creon is both the ruler of the state as well as the patriarch of her family.

    Read More

  • Antigone Complex Character Essay

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sisters and brothers have a special bond that makes them who they are. Siblings fight and argue all the time, but they will always protect and feel responsible for each other. This is what causes Antigone to go against the law and bury her brother; she loves her siblings and will do anything for them, even risk her life. Because Antigone and Polyneices are brother and sister, they will always defend and be there for each

    Read More

  • Compare Antigone And The Bible

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is easy to place the blame on fate or God when one is encumbered by suffering. It is much harder to find meaning in that pain, and harvest it into motivation to move forward and grow from the grief. It is imperative for one to understand one’s suffering as a gateway to new wisdom and development; for without suffering, people cannot find true value in happiness nor can they find actual meaning to their lives. In both Antigone and The Holy Bible there are a plethora of instances that give light to the quintessential role suffering plays in defining life across cultures. The Holy Bible and Sophocles’ Antigone both mirror the dichotomous reality in which society is situated, underlining the necessity of both joy and suffering in the world.

    Read More

  • Male Roles in the Plays Antigone and A Doll’s House

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Remember we are women, we’re not born to contend with men” (Sophocles, 18). The popular literary works, Antigone and A Doll’s House, written by Sophocles and Ibsen, are two famous tragedies that have been performed and read throughout the decades. Although countless audiences have been entertained by these well written plays, few would care to guess that many lessons and several unfortunate truths can be found with a less than tedious inspection of the characters and the reactions they give to their circumstances. The two main characters in these stories, Antigone and Nora, face adversities and problems that are amplified by their society’s views on the rights and abilities of women. The two main male characters in these plays, Creon and Helmer, cause the greater part of the struggle that the female protagonists face. The difficulties that Helmer and Creon create during the plot of these stories are the cause of three major characteristics of what one would consider typical to a headstrong man in a leadership position. The three features of Creon and Helmer that lead to the eventual downfall of Antigone and Nora, are pride, arrogance, and ignorance.

    Read More

  • Antigone's Actions

    630 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone and her family have suffered many things. It all began with her father Oedipus. Oedipus has a very confused life. He ends up killing his father, the king of Thebes, while he believes his father is someone else. He ends up as the king of Thebes and married to his mother, Jocasta. He dose this all while believing that his parents are dead. He finally ends up finding all this out; he blinds himself and is banished from Thebes. This is where Antigone's two brothers come in, Eteocles and Polynices. They end up fighting for the throne. Eteocles wins and banishes Polynices from Thebes. Polynices, however, is not done. He goes to Argos and recruits an army to take Thebes. The plan backfires though and Eteocles and Polynices end up killing each other, and the army is driven off. With no male heir to the throne, Creon, Oedipus' brother, takes the throne. This may be a lot for one person to handle, but Antigone's grief has just begun.

    Read More

  • The Characters Of Antigone And King Creon

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    She reminds Antigone that they are the only family members left and pleads with her not to commit such a crime, but Antigone refuses to accept the logic in her sister’s argument and will not be swayed, even though the idea of her death clearly upsets her sister. Ismene later has a change of heart and wishes to die alongside her sister in order to honor the dead as well, she even confesses to Creon, but Antigone rejects her idea of being a martyr, saying that her own death “will suffice” (Sophocles 136). Ismene then imagines life without her sister. The idea of losing the only kin she has left on Earth terrifies Ismene. She pleads to Antigone, “what life is dear to me bereft of you?” (Sophocles 136). Ismene would rather die than live without Antigone. In deciding to give her life for her brother, Antigone neglects her sister, and acts selfishly. She therefore should not have signed herself over to death as it has severely negative effects on her only living

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Antigone

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone believes that a woman should be intrepid and strong, even at the risk of challenging men’s authority. When she proposes to bury Polynices, Ismene answers, “we’re not born to contend with men”. (75) Antigone’s response, “that death will be a glory” (86), does not directly address gender issues, but it expresses her fury at Ismene’s passivity. After the burial of Polynices, Antigone defiantly states, “I did it. I don’t deny a thing,” while being interrogated by Creon (492) and later comments that she was “not ashamed for a moment, not to honor my brother”. (572-3) Antigone’s gallant speech and defiance toward traditional gender identities audaciously shows her revolutionary desire for gender equality.

    Read More

  • The Danger of Love: Antigone by Sophocles

    695 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Antigone, unmoderated love is prevalent throughout the play, and it is best demonstrated in three main characters: Antigone, Creon, and Ismene. Antigone has a very strong love for her brother and the gods, Creon has an extreme love for power, and Ismene has a deep love for her sister, Antigone. Each of these characters suffers greatly because of this love, and as a result, they all suffer dire consequences.

    Read More

  • Discussion Of The Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    Elizabeth Bobrick’s Sophocles’ Antigone and the Self-Isolation of the Tragic Hero declares “the heroic code may be summarized as follows: I protect my philoi—a term that includes family, kin, loved ones, and loyal community members—and they honor me. To hate my friend is to hate me. To help my enemy is to harm me. Being dishonored by my philoi is the equivalent of death. I will either kill them, or myself, or both.” This can explain Antigone’s excessive desire to bury her brother and even further be supported in lines 25-28 when Antigone challenges her sister’s loyalty. Aristotle himself said that a tragic hero should be neither better nor worse normally than a normal person. With that being said Antigone’s sister, Ismene, was in the same position as her. Originally invoking a sense of naturalism this changes with Ismene’s refusal to help bury their brother. The lack of support for Antigone’s plan leaves her no choice, but distances herself from her sister who obviously doesn’t share the same family loyalty beliefs as her (Lines 77-81). Ismene later in the play tries to claim some guilt in order to help Antigone’s cause. Yet again, Antigone refused to allow her sister to assume any punishment for her crime. Sophocles, Peter Meineck, Paul Woodruff’s Theban plays acknowledges Antigone would rather be dead with her brother than alive with a husband (Line 55-58). This is

    Read More

  • Antigone, by Sophocles

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    In meeting Ismene, the reader is introduced to a wiser and obedient woman in terms of her understanding where she stands socially and realizing the consequences of rebellious actions. Ismene, throughout the play, serves as a tool by helping Antigone to become more resolute in her actions. Ismene has suffered just as much as Antigone, "no joy or pain has come my way" (16) Ismene says. Yet although she concedes that the sisters "were robbed of our two brothers" (17), she still accepts the will of the King "I must obey the ones who stand in power"(18).

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of Ismene In Antigone

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Antigone, by Sophocles, which centers around themes such as bravery in the face of death, civil unrest, and unyielding dedication to divine justice, it is easy to understand why Ismene’s character is often called cowardly, docile, and indecisive. However, this view of her undercuts the most basic facet of her personality, the one which is absent in Antigone — a will to live. With this in mind, Ismene’s personality is far one-dimensional, as there are certain traits she needs to embody in order to survive. She endured her tragic upbringing through rational thought and an optimism that others will do the same, all the while keeping her love for her unfortunate family intact. Though not fearless in the face of death, Ismene is a sympathetic character whose rationality, optimism, and loyalty are not to be underrated.

    Read More

  • The Immense Character Development in Antigone by Sophocles

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    Antigone’s own excessive pride drives her to her defeat. Her arrogance and strive for self-importance blinds her to the consequences of her actions. Ismene, Antigone’s sister, rejects to take part in the crime leaving Antigone all on her own. Ismeme declares “why rush to extremes? Its madness, madness” (Sophocles 80). Ismene fails to comprehend the logic behind her siste...

    Read More

More about Antigone And Ismene Comparison

Open Document