There are many conflicts that occur in Antigone by Sophocles. Many of these conflicts are man versus man and man versus self. There is one main conflict, which is man versus government, that leads to the several other conflicts that occur in the play. The overarching conflict forces many of the main characters to make decisions that test their strength, loyalty, piety, and integrity.
The overarching conflict that will mold the rest of the plot occurs when Antigone is in conflict with Creon. This conflict is representative of family versus government. Antigone does not share the same beliefs as the state. She makes a decision and acts on her beliefs. Due to her rebellious act against what the government has put in place Antigone runs into an
There are several examples where two characters are at odds with eachother, however, I think that one of the more important is Ismene versus Antigone. Ismene and Antigone are very similar yet very different people. Antigone is a rebel a revolutionary, she lives life by what is right in the eyes of the gods and in her heart before living by law. Ismene is a submissive and compliant women just as all other women of Athens.Women such as Ismene live their life according to the law and tradition of being submissive to the male authority. Both sisters know it is wrong for their brother to be left out and be scavenged but only one is courageous enough to act on it, Antigone. Ismene sees herself as less important or powerful than her male counterpart because she tells Antigone, “We are only women. We cannot fight with men, Antigone! The law is strong. We must give in to the law in this thing, and in worse. I beg the Dead to forgive me, but I am helpless. I must yield to those in authority. And I think it is dangerous business to be always meddling.” Although Ismene attempts to get Antigone to comply Antigone, despite what the law says, buries her brother and performs proper burial rights and is willing to suffer any consequence that comes her way. Antigone’s loyalty is to her family and the law created by the gods not the law created by man. Antigone was fearless in her
Ismene teaches the audience that you should not wait until the last minute to stick up for what is right. You have to fight for the fair treatment of others and demand respect. Antigone teaches the audience that no matter who opposes you from believing in divinity and just laws to stick to your guns. Perseverance and integrity are qualities that Antigone instill in the reader. Creon, who learns his lesson the hard way, teaches the audience that you cannot always be so stubborn and hardheaded. It is okay to admit your faults and not be perfect or right all the
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...
The plot revolves around a story of Antigone’s struggle to give Polynices, her brother, his final rights by giving him a proper burial, despite the fact that Creon has forbid for anyone to do so as Polynices was a traitor to Thebes and its people. One major struggle throughout the play is the apparent conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon and Antigone have temperaments that clash with each other. Antigone values passion while Creon values the state. Although they have very different values, Antigone and Creon have very similar personalities. They are both stubborn, independent people who are so similar that they can never see eye to eye on issues. Both Antigone and Creon are filled with pride and passion in their beliefs. These traits can be considered both very advantageous and moral as well as being a negative trait that represents the stubbornness in human beings. Antigone and Creon are incredibly proud, making it impossible for either one to concede defeat once they have taken a stand for what they believe in. As stated by Tiresias “stubbornness brand...
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.
Ismene believes that women are “underlings” (76) and not “contend[ing] with men” (76) because she knows that men will always control society. This viewpoint of men’s domination of women depicts Ismene to be submissive to males while being fearful of men’s authority. Ismene is unable to have control over her destiny and decisions because she is fearful of men’s power over women, which leads to her refusing to bury Polynices. Later in the play, Ismene questions Creon’s judgment by saying “you’d kill your own son’s bride?” (641) which indicates that she is now aware that woman should have a voice and power in society. Her new understanding of Antigone’s message gives her the strength to query Creon, while additionally highlighting his cruelty. Ismene’s original belief of “submit[ing] to this” (77) and being a proper Greek girl, eventually transforms into becoming an advocate for Antigone. Her transformation defies men’s authority, the opposite of what she used to believe in.
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
The main source of conflict between Antigone and Creon is the issue of the burial of Antigone’s dead brother. Both of her brothers were killed in battle, however one brother fought against their home city and was considered a traitor. Creon issued a law that whoever tries to bury this man will be put to death. Antigone is very upset because her one brother is graced with all the rites of a hero while the other is disgraced.
In the end, Antigone is punished because of her wrongdoing within her gender norms, since she independently made herself the role of hero and stepped over the gender ideal boundaries in doing what was right, instead of expecting Haemon to do so, which advances the view of how brave and loyal she
Antigone is the stubborn, free-willed sister who wants to do what’s right and not think about the consequences that will come to play in the future. “This female character takes on a rebellious role quite different from that of the other more docile woman of the time,” (Ashley Bouque). The quote talks about Antigone being different, while Ismene is more docile and does what she is told. Take the Woman rights movement, even though its thousands of years later. Before the Woman rights movement happened, woman did what they were told and followed the rules, like Ismene. After the movement, woman did what they thought were right to them and didn’t care about the rules, like Antigone.
Sushma Karki P English 1302 October 10, 2017 Antigone “Antigone” is a Greek tragedy by Sophocles. The story is about a young woman who has a brother by breaking the king’s decree, and now she is punished for obeying God’s law. In the classic model of dramatic structure, two characters move the action of the play from introduction to climax to resolution with their conflict. One of these characters is the protagonist, and the other is the antagonist. The protagonist is a “good guy” and the antagonist is the “bad guy”.
Although both sisters have lost their brothers, Antigone is the only one who will go against her king to do what she knows is right. When Antigone asks her sister if she will help her bury their brother Polyneices, Ismene responds with, “We are only women; we cannot fight with men, Antigone! The law is strong; we must give into the law…” (Ismene 774). Naturally, Ismene should be afraid for herself, as well for the safety of her sister because what Antigone is asking of her will mostly likely cause them both to be killed. However, she should be braver like Antigone, and realize that she must do what is morally right for their family, and give her brother the proper burial that he deserves. Afterward, when Antigone has already been captured, Ismene then comes forth to try and share the punishment that has been given to Antigone, but Antigone tells King Creon that she has done nothing. In addition, when Creon asks Ismene if she had anything to do with the crime, and Antigone denies it, Ismene then replies, “But now I know what you meant; and I am here to join you, to take my share of punishment” (Ismene 785). Although now Ismene feels like she needs to stand up to the King and do what is right for her
Antigone, a resolute and heroic female protagonist, pits her individual free will against the intractable forces of fate and against the irrational and unjust laws of tyrannical man like Creon.
..., this sense of arrogance angers Creon to a point beyond belief. Antigone’s refusal to cooperate causes Creon to go mad with irritation and frustration. Wanting to show his sense of power, he refuses to back down in fear of losing his position. His stubbornness grows stronger as Antigone continues to disobey his commands. Antigone’s strong and steady foundation helps her show defiance. She is able to overcome the opinions of the people and commit to helping her brother regardless of the after effects. She ignores what everyone says and does only as she wants. She is powerful, both physically and mentally, and is successful in her tasks. Antigone matures into a commendable and respectable character in which she depicts her rebelliousness and bravery, pride and tolerance, and sense of moral righteousness to demonstrate fundamental character development in the play.
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).
The play “Antigone” is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the reader parts of the form through different characters.
The sexist stereotypes presented in this tragedy address many perspectives of men at this time. Creon the arrogant and tyrant leader is, the very character that exemplifies this viewpoint. Antigone's spirit is filled with bravery, passion and fury; which allow her to symbolize the very essence of women. She is strong enough to do what her conscious tells her despite the laws of the land. Many examples in the play prove that Antigone's character is very capable of making her own decisions in the name of justice. First, Antigone opposes Creon's law and buries her slain brother; because in her mind it was immoral not to. She does this because she is compassionate and loves her brother very much. Creon, however, believes that his laws must be upheld and would do anything to prevent any type rebelling. He is even more infuriated when he learns that a woman has broken his laws. He tries to show Antigone who's in charge by sentencing her to a life of imprisonment. Secondly, Antigone shows how determined she is by accepting her consequences with pride. She does not try to hide that she is responsible for breaking Creon's laws, moreover, she takes all the credit. All the while she maintains her strength because she truly believes in her actions. These sorts of actions ultimately prove that Antigone is courageous and willing to stand up to men, which was completely against the norm at this time. Her spirit refuses to submit to the role of a helpless woman like her sister Ismene's character does.