Ismene and Antigone: Women Beyond Their Time

Heroes in novels are often strong-willed, and show some sort of characteristic that is quick thinking, and use their feelings and gut instincts to guide them from action to action. People who worry are often not in the spot light because they rarely act in a manner that is extremely interesting to an audience. In Sophocles’ play Antigone, I relate to both sisters. Antigone is hot-headed, self-confident, and stands up for what she believes. Yet, throughout the play, she acts almost detached from her family to prove her point. When Antigone and her sister, Ismene, are arguing at the beginning of the play about burying their brother, Polynices, Antigone has already made up her mind that her sister will not help her in the act, and she becomes cruel while Ismene still reaches out for her love. When Ismene tells Antigone that she will keep the fact that Antigone has buried Polynices quiet as long as she can, Antigone replies, “Dear god, shout it from the rooftops. I’ll hate you / all the more for silence—tell the world!” (100-01). Antigone is so caught up in her martyrdom that she will not even listen to Ismene’s pleas for Antigone’s safety. Antigone’s actions are noble, but they are done with no regard for those who love her. Ismene is still trying to reach out to her sister at the end of their argument saying, “go if you must, but rest assured, / wild, irrational as your are my sister, / you are truly dear to the ones who love you,” (114-16). Antigone goes on to fight the king, her uncle, Creon. She tells him flat out that the law forbidding people to bury or even mourn her brother is, as she believes, against what the gods want for any man. Creon believes that he clears himself of guilt by barricading Antigone in a cave, this way he has not killed her, but it is still guaranteed that she will die unmarried, but he can never strip her of her honor. I admire Antigone for her actions, but though I can relate to her self-confidence, I can not understand how easily her decisions come to her. I am always worrying about the little things, and though I can make decisions, I try to think them over before taking the plunge.

A character that does not get enough attention in the play Antigone is Antigone’s sister, Ismene. Ismene seems to me to embody a loving and caring figure, very similar to that of a mother. Yes, at this time Ismene’s character would probably be considered “acceptable” for that of a woman. Creon does not agree with the free thoughts of women, as he tells his son Haemon, “a worthless woman / in your house, a misery in your bed,” (725-26). Ismene understands this mentality, and she only wants to keep her family safe. She tells Antigone in the beginning of the play, “Remember, we are women, / we’re not born to contend with men. Then too, / we’re underlings, ruled by much stronger hands, / so we must submit in this, and things still worse,” (74-7). Ismene understands the way that the world was ruled at that time. I completely understand where Ismene is coming from in not wanting Antigone to break the law. She has lost all of her family, she only wants to see Antigone safe and happy. She believes that if she stands up to Antigone that maybe this time when it is important, Antigone will listen to her. She knows when she is apposing Antigone that she is going to be met with angry words because she has grown up with Antigone. Ismene is also the first one to apologize. She tries to make it up to Antigone by taking the blame with her.

Antigone never really forgives Ismene for not acting with her. Antigone is a very closed-minded person in a way. She does not take a moment to look and see where Ismene might be coming from with not helping her. Even when Ismene tries to reach out to Antigone, Antigone has made up her mind. It is very hard to reach out to someone who does not want to hear your opinion. Antigone had completely made up her mind that Ismene was wrong in her actions as soon as she would not help her. Ismene, though not as daring, in her own way still made a difference, she embodied a girl who simply wanted the best for her family. She is more of a traditional woman from the time, and I believe that she best shows the gender of women of the time. (777)