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Internal Conflict In Antigone

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In Antigone, there was two brothers who shared being the King and one of the brothers, Polynices, wanted to start a war with the kingdom because he wanted to be the main ruler. Polynices and his brother Eteocles fight and they both end up killing each other. Their Uncle Creon, who takes position as King when they are both killed, decides that only Eteocles will have a proper burial and Polynices will be left to rot. Antigone, Polynices and Eteocles sister, thinks that Creon’s decision is unfair and takes upon herself to give Polynices a proper burial. When their other sister Ismene finds out, she is stuck between helping her sister bury their brother and following Creon’s demands. Ismene is very different from her sister Antigone. Antigone …show more content…

Ismene has an internal conflict for not trying to help her sister when first asked, which is the reason for her trying to take some blame in the acts Antigone had done. Antigone and Ismene are both to be put to death but Creon relents on the executing off Ismene. Before Creon did so, Ismene is scorned by Antigone for her late attempt for trying to be righteous. Ismene has always believed in loyalty and has always been loyal to her family. Even though she made a late decision and it is rejected by Antigone she is still loyal to her family by offering her help after she denied it to Antigone the first …show more content…

In the beginning of the controversy between Antigone and Ismene, Ismene chose to be loyal to Creon and repeatedly telling her sister that she should not go through with the plans she has created. In the middle of the argument Ismene decides to be loyal to her family and help with the burial. At the end of the play of Antigone, three people are dead: Antigone, Haemon or Haimon (Antigone fiancé also Creon’s son) and Creon’s wife. Ismene is assumed to be alive, Sophocles ignored her fate. It is as if she just disappeared. Ismene chose her loyalty and it was to her family at the end of the day, although Antigone may have believed that he sister chose to be loyal to the

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1132 Words | 5 Pages

Polyneices and Eteocles both die tragically in battle. Creon believes that Eteocles died noblely and therefore deserves a proper burial, but Polyneices died a “traitor” and doesn’t deserve a burial at all. Antigone rightfully believes this to be absurd, she thinks both of her brothers deserve a proper burial. This leads Antigone to make the brave decision to bury her brother against Creon’s will. Antigone then urges Ismene to help her and that it is the right thing to do, but Ismene insists that it is wrong to go against Creon.

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1470 Words | 6 Pages

Also, while Antigone is fully motivated to give her family a proper burial, Antigone also criticizes her family, Ismene, for being too much of a sissy and a conformist. For illustration, Ismene insists that whether they agree with or authorize Creon's action is fully inapplicable since Creon is the sovereign of Thebes, and thus, they must “ observe the bones who stand in power ”( Sophocles, 62). Ismene’s belief that simply following Creon’s law is the stylish course of action easily reveals the antipode between her and Antigone. While Ismene wants to bury Polynices just as important as Antigone does, she doesn't believe that burying her family is enough of a defense to simply ignore the law, and clearly enough to die for. This contradiction

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467 Words | 2 Pages

When Ismene tries to convince Antigone that she should not bury him she states, “No, Ismene. You have no right to say so. You would not help me, and I will not have you help me.” Ismene tries to persuade her into letting her join her on Antigone’s mission but she will not allow it. This states that she is very independent and that is one of the flaws of a tragic hero.

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686 Words | 3 Pages

The burial of Polyneices is viewed nobly, yet Antigone is not faultless in that act. One of Antigone’s largest mistakes is that she burns bridges with those that care about her. Pleading with Antigone, Ismene laments “why would I care to live when you are gone?” (548). Antigone dismisses this heartfelt plea by deferring Ismene to Creon, thus isolating herself from her only kin.

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144 Words | 1 Pages

Ismene and Dede are very similar and both have similar goals in mind, however the final outcome of their actions determines who more effectively achieves their goal. The fact that Ismene completely exits the play and Antigone's life while Dede becomes an influential figure, represents how Dede is more successful. Dede’s contribution to her sister’s reputations and stories, represent a great success for her, especially since she did not contribute to the revolution during the time her sisters were alive. If Dede decided to completely leave the life and revolution of her sisters, she would have become an irrelevant character, like Ismene. Instead Dede proudly dedicated a museum and statue to her sisters.

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836 Words | 4 Pages

She buries the unburied corpse of her brother. Creon gets furious when he finds out someone disobeyed him. He soon found out it was Antigone and sentences her to death. Creon's son, Haemon who also happens to be Antigone’s fiancé, proposes to Creon that he should rethink his decision.

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406 Words | 2 Pages

In the scene in which Creon will not allow her brother to be buried. This goes against her personal beliefs she confronts Creon when she says “if I had allowed my own mothers son to rot, an unburied corpse that would have been an agony.” Creon wouldn’t allow Antigone brother to be buried even tho Antigone felt it was the right thing to do. Antigone is talking to Ismene about burying her brother but Ismene tells her to keep the idea a secret but Antigone disagrees and says “But I know I’ll please the ones I’m duty bound to please.

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1786 Words | 8 Pages

In the play, Antigone, daughter of Oedipus learns about the death of her two brothers (Eteocles and Polynices).Creon, the new king of Thebes passed a decree to the city on the burial of the two brothers. In the decree, Creon declares that Eteocles body should be buried with honor and fame for his courage of saving the city from the enemy. Whiles Polynices body is left unburied and rotting for beasts to feed on because he came to destroy the city and enslave the people. Antigone defies Creon 's decree, buries Polynices body and gets caught. Creon imprisons her

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796 Words | 4 Pages

She will only accept complete or no help at all, demonstrating how her decision is made in absolutes, with Antigone considering no other factors or consequences that may come as a result. Antigone demonstrates her resolve and her solitary motivation, as she brushes Ismene off harshly at any hint of hesitation. To do that indicates that she tolerates disloyalty to an extreme level, even if it comes from another member of her immediate family, even her own sister. This also reveals the fatalistic nature Antigone, as she says she is ready to die by breaking the law.

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736 Words | 3 Pages

When Antigone tells her sister, Ismene, her intention to bury their brother against the orders of their uncle, Ismene states that she will “. . . obey the men in charge. My mind / Will never aim too high, too far” (pg. 3). Antigone is a stark contrast to Ismene, who wishes to stay within the bounds of traditional society by staying obedient and submissive to men. Antigone has her own mind however, and is not afraid to make her own decisions.

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880 Words | 4 Pages

In the Greek tragic drama, Antigone, by Sophocles Ismene is a foil of her sister. There are many characteristics that exhibit this, such as, Ismene’s lack of courage, how she chooses to follow civil laws over the laws of the gods, and finally, how Ismene cannot stand up for herself. There are many instances in the play where these traits are are exhibited. One way that Ismene is a foil of Antigone is because she lacks courage.

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710 Words | 3 Pages

“How could I live on alone, without my sister.” (Sophocles, page 32) She tries to take credit for the burial with Antigone. Ismene is distraught when Antigone rejects her and so she tries to appeal to Creon, asking him how he could kill his son’s bride-to-be. When Creon brushes off her pleas, he sentences her to be sent to the dungeons with Antigone.

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1353 Words | 6 Pages

Antigone’s actions are motivated by her allegiance to her family, moral conscience, and religion amid Creon’s political injustice and tyranny. Antigone’s actions motivate her to demand Ismene to prove whether she is “a true sister or a traitor to your family” (26-27). Antigone maintains loyalty to her brother despite his actions which threatened Thebes. Her inability to bear the thought of her brother’s corpse being picked apart by animals and not being honored with proper funeral rites forces her to act. Antigone’s fierce allegiance to her family is laid bare as she is willing to sacrifice her life to honor her brother and defy the law in an act that she believes is morally just.

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483 Words | 2 Pages

Ismene trembles in feat because her life could also be in danger for being the sister of Antigone. Throughout all the family drama if Antigone dies Ismene will be the only descendant from Oedipus alive. Ismene is worried and says, “Antigone I am so afraid for you” (3) because she knows Antigone will die soon. Ismene tells Antigone to be intelligent about her actions and not eager to respond to situations.

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549 Words | 3 Pages

In the prologue, Antigone tries to convince her sister, Ismene, to agree to

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