Antigone tries to convince Ismene to follow her and give their brother a proper burial at the beginning of the play, but Ismene’s “nature” does not allow her to “take arms against the city” (4). She is shocked at her sister’s suggestion because Ismene is submissive and does not act outside of the law, and because she has seen most of her family members kill themselves or each other recently and does not want to lose her last sister for going against the law (3). Ismene trusts that Creon is doing what is just because he is a man and the leader, even though that means Polyneices won’t have peace in death. She doesn’t have the faith and pride that allow Antigone to understand what is just. Antigone trusts her knowledge that it is important to please the gods and strive toward what is truly just because the afterlife is more lasting and important than life on earth.
Ismene also talks about how she does not have the strength to go against authorities, she says that she is “held back by force” (3) and thinks that the dead will understand her dilemma, that it is not her place to insure a rightful burial for her brother. Antigone counters that argument by saying that Ismene can “be the way [she] chooses” (4) and that she will honor her family and the gods by burying her brother. Antigone’s pride and self-assurance allow her to distinguish what is right and act boldly.
Creon’s pride and false impression that he understands what is divinely right without consulting the gods or trusting their messenger is a destructive force in the play. He faults Haemon for trying to save Antigone because she is a woman, and her actions cannot possibly represent the will of the gods (33) which leads to Haemon and Eurydice’s suicides. It takes Creon longer to come to terms with Tiresias’ predictions because he does not want to admit he was wrong, and rewarding Antigone and Polyneices’s disobedience would send a bad message to the community. However, Creon’s excessive pride compromised his ability to understand and carry out what the gods wanted.
1 comment:
Antigony's stubborn behavior and her refusal of the law leads to the demise of her closest supporters- Haemon and Eurydice, but most importantly it leads to her own execution. Nevertheless, as a result of her defiance, she breaks the robust barrier which confined her to a limitation because of her gender.
On the contrary,Ismene appears as a yielding female who is solicitous towards her family but does not dare break the law. The sisters are connected by lineage but divided by conviction. As you mention she "is submissive and does not act outside of the law, and because she has seen most of her family members kill themselves or each other recently and does not want to lose her last sister for going against the law." Ismene’s nightmare becomes reality when her last sibling is given the ultimate punishment- death.
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