Ismene

In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles writes about an ancient myth telling the story of how Oedipus unwittingly not only marries his mother, Jocasta, and has four children with her, Antigone, Polyneices, Eteocles, and Ismene, but murders his father, King Laius of Thebes, as well. When they discover their predicament, Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus pierces his own eyes out. Thus, the citizens of Thebes, along with Antigone and Creon, deduce that there must be a curse placed upon Oedipus' family. Reference…

“Ismene, dear sister, You think that we had suffered enough For the curse on Oedipus I cannot imagine any grief That you and I have not gone through” (693,1-5) A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. The characteristics that displays a tragic hero according to Aristotle are nobility, reversal of fortune (Peripeteia), and suffering. The tragic hero is a man of noble stature. He is not an ordinary man, but a man with…

hero, and Polynices, the betrayer. Antigone believes it is unjust to unbury her own brother, while leaving him to be fed to the vultures. Therefore Polynices is obligated to have an appropriate burial. On page 63 lines 90-92 when confronting with Ismene to help her lay their brother to rest, Antigone states “ I have longer to please the dead than please the living here: in the kingdom down below ill lie forever. Do as you like, dishonor the laws the gods hold in honor”. Burying her brother…

of the gods mean nothing to you’” (lines 58-61 288). Antigone bickers about how people disobey the laws of God, which she considers the most important. Also, she hints at legacy when she says that the dead “make the longest demands.” Her fight with Ismene displays more concern with possible punishments or treatment in the moment versus Antigone worrying about the effects of dying without honor. Legacy is more important than temporary action. Here, I mean that being known for doing something…

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” said historian Lord Acton. In Sophocles’ Antigone, Oedipus the King of Thebes has newly departed after disgracing his people, and his successors to the throne Polynices and Eteocles have died in battle, leaving his brother Creon to inherit his throne. From the beginning, Creon uses his newfound power to impose excessive punishments against not only the innocent people of Thebes, but also his family. As a result, the people of…

and final of Sophocles’ Theban tragedies. Set in the aftermath of both Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone follows the rebellion of Oedipus’ daughter Antigone against her uncle Creon, the current ruler of Thebes. Antigone and her sister, Ismene, return to Thebes following the death of their father. Upon arriving, the sisters learn their brothers–Etoecles and Polynices–slaughtered each other.…

for had crumbled. Antigone begins by telling of a Theban royal family which is in much turmoil. There are many characters focused upon in Antigone, but only a few are worth mentioning. Antigone starts with Antigone (niece of Creon) and her sister Ismene talking about how their father Oedipus died, and because of his death, the family undertook some very…

Antigone herself sees variation between the drama and the film, particularly gender and prejudice surrounding it. In both versions of the story, women are seen as helpless. Ismene asks Antigone more than once about what they could possibly do to defy Creon, though Antigone does not see herself as limited in this respect. Creon disagrees, and believes that as the man, he deserves to rule over her. Creon and Haemon even go…

She asks Ismene if she is willing to help her do what she believes is a duty towards her dead brother. “I won’t be caught betraying him (Sophocles 59),” she says, making Ismene feel like Antigone is going way too far for her dead brother. But Antigone is willing to go against the king, despite being at a lower position than him and a woman. Unlike…

Athenian Principles The Classical Age of Ancient Greece otherwise known as the Golden Age (ca. 480-430 B.C.E.), became the most creative period in the history of the world. A play called Antigone by Sophocles’, reflects the cultural values and characteristics of the Golden Age. The Golden Age of Greece featured civic pride in the society, a firm belief of realism and idealism, and a strong, tenacious patriarchal system and these qualities are shown in Antigone. Initially, with the victorious…