Loyalties In Antigone

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A Battle of Loyalties What would anyone do if respecting their family was illegal, with death as the punishment? This question is answered in the story of “Antigone” by Sophocles. While the discussion of several philosophical and ethical questions is exposed on this ancient play, other themes are as elemental. One of the biggest enigmas is that of how different the reactions of Antigone and her sister, Ismene, when forced to make a stand between the family ties and the country loyalties. This vital subject involves gender and the position of women in ancient Greece. Gender is a major theme in this play; Sophocles illustrates how two sisters with differing personalities manage their roles as women in Greek society. Antigone and Ismene have…show more content…
Ismene is a composed character who seems to weight the consequences of her movements before deciding on a course of action. When she denies her aid to the burial it is because she believes it is a hopeless case that will only bring more tragedy to the family. When she seems to be distraught about her sister’s future and confesses to her knowledge and false participation her actions can be interpreted as premeditated. If Ismene had the intelligence to advise her sister to hide her true intentions, why would she go and lament in public herself? This could have been a plan to appeal to the sensibilities of the citizens and her uncle. The scattered devices that Antigone seems to imagine are often rash and passionate. At certain points, Antigone seems to be on the path of self-destruction. “Rather than mobilize a collectivity and inspire people to join together in common action, she alienates all potential supporters and allies in the course of the play.” (Honig) Antigone’s death could have been avoided but she was intent on becoming a martyr and joining her beloved brother in Hades. This rebellious approach seems to be her eccentric way to communicate her discontentment with her position in society. In the end she is victorious against Kreon and indirectly takes away everything from him. The finale was a tragic one because it represents Antigone’s

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