Ellen
Smith |
Miramar
College |
11
September 2007 |
Antigone
and Ismene |
| The characters of Antigone and Ismene are polar opposites in emotion, roles, world views, and actions. Antigone is portrayed as a strong woman in a long line of nobles. She takes responsibility for the burial of her brother with the gods and the moral law in her favor even as her actions are boldly defiant of the civil laws. Ismene is portrayed as a weak, helpless to define her own fate, and powerless to help her sister. The character of Ismene helps to demonstrate Antigone’s bold perseverance. |
| Emotionally, Antigone and Ismene are very different. Antigone is strong and determines her own fate, satisfying her moral reasoning and showing fear only of the gods. Ismene is portrayed as a weak woman, crying and helpless throughout the play. She is unable to take control of her fate and her fate just happens. The best example of this is how they each behaved when brought before Creon, the king of Thebes. When Creon asks if Antigone accepted the charge and if she knew she was breaking his decree, Antigone answers “I knew it: could I help it? It was public.” These are bold statements when faced with a king. She steadfastly believes her actions were right and accepts that she should pay the price for her crime. She tells Creon “And if my present deeds are foolish in thy sight, it may be that a foolish judge arraigns my folly.” This is in sharp contrast to Ismene’s behavior. When Ismene is brought before Creon, she enters crying and helpless as the chorus says “…shedding such tears as fond sisters weep”. She tries to join her sister’s fate with no moral right to do so and when she fails, Ismene cries “Ah, woe is me!” Ismene appeals to Creon as a father not as a ruler saying “wilt thou slay the betrothed of thine own son?” Her weak argument changes nothing. |
| In their view of the role of women, Ismene and Antigone are equally far apart. Early in the play, Antigone shares the news of Creon’s decree with her sister, implying that noble blood provides her strength, stating “…thou wilt soon show whether thou art nobly bred….” She goes on to explain that she will take on the illegal actions of burying their brother. Ismene’s view is the opposite saying “Nay, we must remember, first, that we were born women, as who should not strive with men”. Ismene fears for her sister but refuses to help. At this, Antigone rebukes her sister for not following the laws of the gods and morality saying “fear not for me: guide thy own fate aright”. Later in the play, when Antigone is facing Creon, she defends her actions saying that everyone knows she is doing the right thing and would speak out “were not their lips sealed by fear”. Clearly, Ismene is limited by what she sees as a woman’s role while Antigone is not inhibited by her gender, relying more to her noble blood and internal strength. |
| The final critical distinction between Ismene and Antigone is their view on which law is the most important, the laws of the gods or of mortals. Ismene is loath to take action against the civil laws while Antigone sees the laws of the gods, morality, and family as most important. When told of Antigone’s plan to bury their brother, Ismene is shocked and says “Thou wouldst bury him,-when 'tis forbidden to Thebes?”. Antigone has a deep sense of loyalty to her brother and to the rites of the gods performed on the dead. Ismene will be “guilty of dishonouring laws which the gods have established in honour.” When facing Creon, Antigone is a strong woman and openly defiant of his rule. She says Creon can not supersede the laws of the gods “nor deemed I that thy decrees were of such force, that a mortal could override the unwritten and unfailing statutes of heaven.” |
| In emotion, their roles, and views of what matters most, Antigone and Ismene are truly opposites. The character of Ismene helps to demonstrate the strength, stubbornness, and tragic but moral actions taken by Antigone. Towards the end of the play, as Antigone is heading to a certain death, she compares her death to a goddesses, the daughter of Tantalus, saying “most like to hers is the fate that brings me to my rest.” The tragic end of Antigone is no less tragic than the unknown end of Ismene, left alone in the world, without family or anyone who loves her, and without the strength to lead her own life. |