Antigone: themes and character analysis

Antigone

Sophocles' Antigone is a story that has several strong characters, each set up cleverly in order to demonstrate the role that personality traits and the strength of conviction in ideals plays in determining individual decisions. Thus, if Creon's son Haemon serves as a contrast of wisdom to his own display of pride and arrogance, Antigone's sister Ismene acts as a foil in defining Antigone's character and strength of conviction in her ideals.

One of the best ways to demonstrate the sharp contrast in personalities is to place two people; both with equal interests, in an identical situation where life challenges must be faced. Sophocles does exactly this in the opening scene of Antigone when he shows the different reactions of the sisters Antigone and Ismene to Creon's proclamation that their brother, Polynices' body should be left unburied for the birds and dogs to devour.

Antigone's reaction is one where her love for her dead brother and belief in the heavenly decree that the dead must receive all the rites due, irrespective of whether they had lived a virtuous life or not, leads to her determination to disobey the law and bury her brother. Thus, right from the start it is apparent that Antigone is a strong, idealistic woman who has the courage to live up to her convictions.

In comparison, Ismene's reaction is one of fear at the prospect of disobeying Creon's proclamation and thereby causing the possible death of the only two survivors of the family. She is only too aware of her womanly status and feels unable to challenge the dictates of the stronger sex and people in power.

But more than anything else, Ismene comes through as a practical and cautious person, who chooses survival rather than sure death: "We now left alone- / Do but consider how most miserably / We too shall perish... / We must remember we are women born, / Unable to cope with men.../...I will ask / Pardon of those beneath...." (3, para 2.9-17) Implicit in Ismene's words is the wiser counsel that a woman who is seen as challenging the power of a man, and that too, a ruler, would likely receive a far harsher punishment than a man. It can also be said that Ismene's wisdom lay in the fact that she believed that the Gods would not hold Polynices' unburied body against them as it really was Creon's sole responsibility.

As it later turns out, Ismene's judgment is all too right given Creon's anger at being defied by a mere woman and his conviction that a ruler could not afford to be perceived as one who was bested by a woman. Indeed, it was this male ego that turns out to be the primary driving force behind Creon's decision to send Antigone to her death as well.

Compare this with Antigone's almost blinkered approach to the situation, no matter how noble her motives or ideals. This is especially evident in the scene where after she has buried Polynices, she goes back and discovers that his body has once again been uncovered. It is here that it can be inferred that Antigone's idealism is perhaps immature and tinged with a lack of wisdom. For, after all, it can be argued that she had performed her heavenly and sisterly duty by burying Polynices once. To do so again despite the obvious evidence that her violation of the law had been discovered was nothing but inviting trouble and throwing away her own life. One can't but help recall Ismene's wiser counsel here that heavenly pardon could be sought and that she and Antigone were the only remaining survivors of the family.

Given Antigone's defiance and Ismene's reticence, it would be highly tempting to conclude that Antigone is strong and Ismene weak. However, as has already been established, on closer examination Antigone's character can be said to be idealistic, strong but perhaps foolhardy, whereas though Ismene self-professes to lack courage, she possesses a practical wisdom that Antigone lacks. In lending each sister's character such subtle layers, Sophocles does a masterful job of setting each as a perfect foil to the other.

To prove the above point, it would be necessary to establish that Ismene did not lack courage. Ismene's loyalty to Antigone and courage drives her, in the end, to confess to a crime that she never had any part of: "yes, I have done it - if Antigone / Says so - I join with her to share the blame." (21, para 2) Again, one sees here that Ismene is as devoted to family as Antigone but serves as a major foil to Antigone's rash courage with her quieter and wiser approach to life. She, however, displays a remarkable sense of loyalty and courage in standing by her sister, especially given Antigone's bitterness and condemnation of her initial refusal to help her.

The other perspective that can be interpreted is that while Ismene is honest enough to confess that she has no further reason to live after Antigone's death, Antigone does not regard any need to live for Ismene: "And what care I for life, if I lost you?" (21, para 8) This is implied right through with Ismene's pleas that they are the only living members of Edipus' family, which Antigone totally disregards. It can, therefore, be argued that in fact, Ismene seems to have a far stronger love for Antigone than Antigone does for Ismene. As is evident, in each aspect of the sister's interactions, Ismene's character stands in contrast to that of Antigone, thereby defining the character of the latter.