The Play Antigone, by Sophocles

She reminds Antigone that they are on... ... middle of paper ... ...assistance, resolves to give their brother a proper burial. Ismene feared helping Antigone bury Polyneices but offers to die beside Antigone when Creon sends her to die. Antigone, however, refuses to allow her sister to be killed for something she did not have the courage to stand up for. The position of women is an important theme in this play. Gender has an impact on Antigone and her actions.

In the end Antigone chooses to obey the gods and “loving and loved [she] will lie by [Polynices’s] side,” (Sophocles 3). By burying her brother she not only obeys divine law but her familial duty to her brother. Antigone’s desire to obey the gods shows that she understands the importance of divine law. Ismene, however, fulfills her familial duty to Creon and the state instead. By standing with Creon as a united front against the populace she is ensuring her family remains in power and tells Antigone that to disobey Creon “’tis wrong to attempt at all.” In this instance she chooses to obey the state over the gods and as well her duty to her uncle over her brother.

He anxiously awaits the day when he can call Antigone his wife, but because she defies King Creon, she deprives him of that opportunity. At first, Haemon tries to be loyal to his father. He tells Creon that he supports his decision to execute Antigone. However, as the conversation continues, he reveals that the community members are starting to renounce Creon’s decision. As the pain of potentially losing his fiancé becomes too much, he also renounces his father’s decision, arguing that the Gods would not condone it.

Antigone then told Ismene of her intentions of going against the new law and giving their brother the burial he deserved. Antigone then gave Ismene the choice to prove herself loyal to her family or betray it. Ismene stated that she could not go against the law of Creon. She felt that they could not go against Creon because they were only women and she was afraid of what their deaths would be like. At this point in the story Ismene was not willing to sacrifice her life for her brothers honor.

Ismene is trying to convince Antigone that they should just follow Creon’s law because she is scared and Ismene does not want them to get executed. Ismene tells Antigone angrily, “Our own death would be if we should go against Creon/And do what he has forbidden!” Antigone replies, “You may do as you like, /Since apparently the laws of the gods mean nothing to you.”(462) Antigone believes the god’s law is more important than Creon. Antigone will even go against her own sister to make sure her brother receives a proper burial. Antigone keeps the consistency of being strong throughout the entire play. After the sentry informs Creon that Antigone was the one trying to bury Polyneices, he wants Antigone arrested.

Therefore, if he denies Hermia her happy marriage, she will live in sadness, which will have a similar effect on him. It is unlike most parents to let their children undergo suffering if it will last many years in marriage. Instead, Egeus insists that Hermia should marry Demetrius, although Hermia does not have feelings for him. His actions show that her father is foolish to the extent that he is willing to ruin her life. In fact, Egeus gives ultimatums to her daughter that she would rather die or be a Nan if she fails to comply with his demands.

Antigone feels because she and Ismene are sisters and thy feel remorse towards the death of their brother, she should want to help Antigone. Antigone telling Ismene her plans causes feelings that a women should have never had in that time period. Ismene tells Antigone, “We are only women, /we cannot fight with men, Antigone! The law is strong, we must give in to the law” (1.47-49). Antigone is angry for what her sister has said.

Antigone pleads Ismene to help her bury their brother Polyneices, who has just been recently killed, but Ismene refuses to help her sister to stay out of trouble. Ismene fears that the king of Thebes, Creon, would catch them. She decides to obey Creon’s laws and not go through with helping her sister. Ismene has several outstanding traits, motives, and gets treated differently by other characters in the play. Ismene has numerous characteristics that make her unique.

The second instance was because the wind blew the dirt off her brother, after which Antigone decided to bury him for the second time. Antigone knew that defying the King in this way would result in her death, but still she accepted full responsibility. She could not live with herself if she put the will of a man before the law of God, feeling as though she would be dead in another way by submitting to King Creon’s edict (pp 209). Iocaste thinks that women are only made to marry a man, and she is not to question anything her husband decides (pp 45). Ismene on the other hand is more indifferent and accepting of the status quo, thinks that there is nothing women can do except submit to men.

Do as you like, dishonor the laws the gods hold in honor” (Sophocles 487). Even knowing that she is going to have to stand on her own, she knew she would be dead longer than she would be alive, so she chose to stand up for what she believes in (Sophocles 487). Antigone actions were out of love. She tells Ismene, “I’ll suffer nothing as great as death without glory” (Sophocles 488). Works Cited Sophocles.