Ismene Essays

  • Antigone and Ismene

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone and Ismene Tragic heroes are generally people of high social stature with a tragic flaw that usually manifests itself in the form of poor judgment and arrogance, condemning the hero to a disastrous end and establishing the character’s destiny. Antigone is a tragic heroine deeply conflicted between her virtue and her hubris, personifying courage in her civil disobedience against criminal "leadership." A product of incest, her very existence is shameful, but perhaps this is why Antigone

  • Antigone And Ismene Comparison

    705 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

  • Ismenes Indecisiveness in Antigone

    1371 Words  | 3 Pages

    is usually thought of as either the tragedy of Creon or the tragedy of Antigone, but it is just as much the tragedy of Antigone's sister Ismene. In the play, Antigone and Creon hold on to two different ideals, Antigone to the ideal of sororal duty and holy rights, while Creon holds on to the rules of his kingdom, dominated by the laws of men and of reason. Ismene is obsessed by her role as a woman, choosing to ignore her feelings of obligation towards her family, and remaining completely indecisive

  • Antigone & Ismene in Sophocles' Antigone

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone & Ismene The personalities of the two sisters; Antigone and Ismene, are as different from one another 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 learns that King Creon has refused to give a proper burial for the slain Polyneices, brother of Ismene and Antigone.  Infuriated by this injustice, Antigone

  • Ismene And Haimon of Sophocles' Antigone

    610 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone Ismene And Haimon Antigone, the character, is a tragic hero because we care about her. Ismene and Haimon help us care about Antigone by making her feel worthy of loving. And with out this her plan to bury her brother seems irrelevant to the reader because we can care less about her. Ismene, although weak and timid, is in the story to illustrate that Antigone is capable of being loved. "We are only women, We cannot fight with men, Antigone" (Sophocles 881). Another reason Ismene is incorporated

  • Free Essays: Antigone and Ismene in Oedipus at Colonus

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    Antigone and Ismene in Oedipus at Colonus "Behold this Oedipus, --/ him who knew the famous riddles and was a man most masterful;/ not a citizen who did not look with envy on his lot-- see him now and see the breakers of misfortune swallow him!" (Oedipus the King, 1524-1527). Now that Oedipus has lost everything-- his wife, mother, kingdom, and all power-- his existence rests entirely on the aid of his two daughters. However, that dependence is not evenly distributed between Antigone

  • womenoed Essay on Sophocles' Antigone - Sisters

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    the other's of continual oppression and hardships. Ismene and Antigone are the troubled sisters whose decisions take them on different courses, but these same choices also brought them together. Even though their actions show differently, Antigone and Ismene's morals and philosophies show that they are true sisters at heart. Antigone shows the attribute of boldness. She is constantly going her own direction. She is a leader, not a follower. "Ismene: What? You'd bury him when a law forbids the city

  • womenant Portrayal of Women in Sophocles' Antigone

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    male-dominate society, Sophocles' work Antigone, portrays women as being strong and capable of making wise decisions. In this famous tragedy, Sophocles uses the characters Ismene and Antigone to show the different characteristics and roles that woman are typical of interpreting. Traditionally women are characterized as weak and subordinate and Ismene is portrayed in this way. Through the character of Antigone, women finally get to present realistic viewpoints about their character. The sexist stereotypes

  • The Poor Decision of Antigone to Bury Polynices

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    and ideals put by Creon it would only cause dissension. When Antigone went against the law this was exactly what happened. Chaos would not have ensued if she trusted her king to be right in his decision, just as all the townspeople and her sister Ismene did. Creon also had stated that one should not place a friend, in this case a brother, in front of one's country. One could say that Antigone is selfish in her pursuits of doing so, 2 for although Polynices was Antigone's brother, he was planning

  • Conflict, Climax and Resolution in Sophocles' Antigone

    2408 Words  | 5 Pages

    does to her uncle. The drama begins with Antigone inviting Ismene outside the palace doors to tell her privately: “What, hath not Creon destined our brothers, the one to honoured burial, the other to unburied shame?” Antigone’s offer to Ismene (“Wilt thou aid this hand to lift the dead?) is quickly rejected, so that Antigone must bury Polynices by herself. The protagonist, Antigone, is quickly developing into a rounded character, while Ismene interacts with her as a foil, demurring in the face of Creon’s

  • Nature of the Conflict in Sophocles' Antigone

    2389 Words  | 5 Pages

    does to her uncle. The drama begins with Antigone inviting Ismene outside the palace doors to tell her privately: “What, hath not Creon destined our brothers, the one to honoured burial, the other to unburied shame?” Antigone’s offer to Ismene (“Wilt thou aid this hand to lift the dead?) is quickly rejected, so that Antigone must bury Polynices by herself. The protagonist, Antigone, is quickly developing into a rounded character, while Ismene interacts with her as a foil, demurring in the face of Creon’s

  • The Tragedy of Sophocles' Antigone

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone's own tragedy was still unfolding. Through her proud and unrelenting character, Antigone is determined to give her brother a rightful burial, despite Creon's edict. At first Antigone seeks the help of her sister, Ismene, but when she realizes the fear and submissive attitude Ismene possesses, Antigone disregards it as even an option, another example of perhaps Antigone's tragic flaw, her own arrogance. As the tale continues, Antigone does indeed bury her brother, but is caught by Creon. In doing

  • Antigone

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    begging of the play, she starts using pathos with Ismene when she tries to convince her to help bury Polyneices. She says that if she does not bury her brother’s body, the dogs and birds will pick away at his body. Also, she says that she will not dishonor him and that it is actually her “duty” to bury her brother. Antigone refuses to “betray” him and will defend his honor by doing what is right and burying his body. Antigone then challenges Ismene by asking her if she is willing to defile the gods

  • Antigone: An Interpretive Analysis on Conflicting Authority

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    critics say, however, the ultimate conflict in Antigone is arguably the struggle between the will of the mortals, the will of the State, and the will of the gods. Collectively, these points of conflict stem chiefly from three characters: Antigone, Ismene and Creon. The key here is to realize that the characters are literary symbols. Antigone—who is generally considered the protagonist of the play—primarily represents the true will of the gods expressed through well established tradition. While it

  • Sophocles’ Oedipus Cycle – Antigone, as a Feminist

    1375 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sophocles’ Oedipus Cycle – Antigone, as a Feminist Throughout history, women have always stood in the shadows of men. In many cultures, the role of women has always been to be seen and not heard. As one of the first feminists in world literature, the character Antigone, of Sophocles’ Oedipus Cycle, displays fine characteristics of a great female leader in order to stand up against male dominance for her religious, political, and personal beliefs. When the king denies her brother, Polynices,

  • charant Empathy for Characters in Sophocles' Antigone

    2244 Words  | 5 Pages

    to empathize with its character's. When empathizing with characters in Antigone the audience can, in imaginative and cognitive ways, participate in the understanding of a character's feelings, ideas as well as their situations. Antigone, Creon and Ismene all struggle with decisions that concern the laws of their city and the cosmic law of religion and moral judgement. Characters such as Haemon and Eurydice ultimately show the consequences of the decision formed by the two protagonists. Amongst the

  • confant Conflict of Passion and Reason in Sophocles' Antigone

    1472 Words  | 3 Pages

    throughout the story. They are both very independent people. Antigone is extremely independent. She doesn't mind doing anything on her own. For example, in the beginning of the story when Antigone is talking with Ismene, she asks for her help. When Ismene refuses she is furious with her. Then Ismene decides to act independently. Creon is also very independent. He refuses to accept anyone's opinions except his own. When his son Haimon comes to talk with him he refuses to listen, claiming that Haimon is "girl

  • Antigone

    992 Words  | 2 Pages

    family, the gods and to all women. Her motivation drives her decisions far more than that what the laws of state have implemented. Antigone also demonstrates loyalty towards her sister, Ismene. At first when the two sisters quarrel over the burial of Polyneices, Antigone demonstrates hatred and resentment towards Ismene. Antigone accuses her of dishonoring her brother and dishonoring the gods. She also attacks Ismene’s morals by calling her weak and...

  • Gender Issues in Sophocles' Antigone

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    he does this, amazingly, partly  through his characterization of Creon.  Though Creon seemingly says intelligent things, there are clues that he is not to be trusted.  One would be his discussion of incest with Ismene. Torn between her duty to God and her duty to the State, Ismene, in the third act, has run to Creon, planning to tell him of Antigone's actions in the graveyard: "O, not for me the dusty hair of youth, / But let us now unto the palace go" (465), she cries.  But Creon, ignoring

  • Divine Law versus Human Law

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    suggest that divine law in this context is superior over mor... ... middle of paper ... ...one did not want Ismene to take part of the plan because she wanted all the glory to herself. But this is not true because Antigone only said this to Ismene to prevent her from dying with her when she still had a fresh life to live. By hurting Ismene, Antigone subconsciously saves her life because Ismene would not want to die anymore. Antigone represents the idea that family and divine law is more important