Power In Antigone

To those in authority. (Sophocles Prologue 46-51) Everyone thinks of Ismene as a supporter of Creon because she does not show that she secretly rebels against him. Ismene’s secretive actions allow her to rebel against Creon while still escaping punishment. Ismene is able to get away with her actions because she creates an “onstage” and an “offstage” behavior.

But we are equally guilty! ANTIGONE. No more, Ismene. You are alive, but i belong to death.” This also proves that antigone uses logical and emotional appeals because ismene didn 't commit the crime so antigone not letting her take the blame is logical and also antigone stating she belongs to death is emotional because who would want their sister to die especially there last sibling.

The new ruler of Thebes is Creone and his decision is that Polyneices will not be given burial honors and he will be publicly humiliated while Eteocles will be honored during burial (Bloom, H. (1999). Several characters in the play are very crucial

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.

She believed that she was a part in the crime that Antigone had committed. Antigone believed that she did not deserve this, and did not want her to punish herself. Ismene wilfully joins in the punishment, because she believed that it was

“I shall be hating you soon,” (193). Antigone then transitions into a more emotional form of persuasion, by threatening the relationship between them if she is to not join in on her plan. This targets the guilty conscience of Ismene which is normally what tends to push people to agree with the arguer, although it can be seen as a slightly manipulative tactic. Despite Antigone’s passive aggressive argument with Ismene, she fails to convince her to join the burial and carries out her mission on her own. However, the sentry Creon sent to spy on the grave spots her and brings her to Creon as the guilty

Antigone uses both logical and emotional appeals to persuade her sister Ismene that their brother Polyneices should be honored and have a proper burial. During an argument between Antigone and Ismene, Ismene believes that the law should be obeyed therefore she will not help Antigone. Antigone states, “Polyneices, who fought as bravely and died as miserably…no one shall bury him, no one mourn for him… his body must lie in the fields (Sophocles et al.190).” Antigone is trying to communicate to Ismene through the use of an emotional and logical appeal by explaining that he was, left to be decomposed by the birds. In the Greek culture, having a burial is a civic and religious duty which is necessary to proceed to the afterlife unaffected.

“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.

When Ismene tries to convince Antigone not to bury Polynices, she says, "We 're underlings, ruled by much stronger hands" (76). In saying that they are "ruled by much stronger hands" , Ismene implies that men are stronger than and have authority over women. She fails to take action because she is fearful of man 's authority. However, she later contradicts this view when she says "I 'm not ashamed / to sail through trouble with you" (607-608). Ismene is willing to endure this ordeal with Antigone.

Ismene, despite the argument being about her brother’s burial, didn’t bring him up in the conversation; instead, she only talked of the hopelessness of breaking the rules. Antigone, on the other hand, called Polynices a lovely treasure, and the unfairness of the conviction was a main point in her argument. They also differed in the way they spoke of the State. Antigone sarcastically speaks of Creon’s leadership and decisions, whereas Ismene says they’re ruled by much stronger hands when referring to him. Their persuasive techniques are similar, however, in that they use a very strong Pathos argument as a base, even if the content is different.

Leaders are powerful people who prove their ability to assist others. Throughout the years, humanity attempts to have an upright, yet rigorous, rule. Great leaders have induced goals that represent the needs of both the leader and their people. In Antigone, a play written by Sophocles, the examination of the legitimacy of Creon’s rule, shows that Creon is not an effective leader through his inability to listen to his people, his rule through fear, and incapacity to support his family or people.

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.

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.

While each sister believes they are being loyal, they are not and one sister is being less loyal than the other. Ismene did change her mind and decided to help Antigone, but Antigone rejects her. Antigone is already in a cell when Ismene begs Antigone for forgiveness and gets rejected. Ismene deciding she will bury their brother herself gets arrested by Creon. Both sisters now in trouble and are said to be put to death.

He considered that Polynice did not deserve to be interred and he would punish who tried to do it. Making reference to the play, the first act describes with clarity what each of the two sisters, Antigone and Ismene, understand about power and justice. The discussion that they have is about to bury their brother Polynice or not. The position of Ismene (the oldest sister) is noticeably submissive, and obedient, even if she think the same as her sister, she believe that the correct thing is to do what her uncle is told because is the man, the leader, the king, he is who have the power, and the role of women is just to be married, be quiet and loyal. She argues that because she and Antigone are women, they lack the power to defy the state.