Ms. Peifer
10 IB
11-26-08
Antigone as it is well known is being punished for the act of burying her traitorous brother Polyneices. She is innocent in the eyes of the gods although guilty in the eyes of the crown. That is not my primary concern. I am here to tell you that her sister Ismene should be spared of any punishment. She is innocent at heart in front of the gods and completely innocent in the eyes of the crown.
Her innocence to the gods first as the gods will is forever while kings come and go. The burial rites denied Polyneice are a right given by the gods to ensure the eternal spirits well being. Such is a terrible fate and what type of woman could condemn a loved brother to such a fate? Although Ismene did not give her brother his burial rights physically herself as she said to Antigone "Let me respect the dead and die with you" (Sophocles 623). Antigone committed the act alone but had Ismene been given more time to think about what was good and just she would of helped bury her brother.
On the other side she is all so innocent from the crown's point of view. For she did not commit this 'crime'. Having played no physical role the people, who can not truly know the hearts of others as the gods can, can not punish her for merely a thought. If they punished every poor soul who had thought of burying the dead left to rot without rights then the city would lose a great many citizens. "The city is upset about the girl" (Sophocles 786) as Haemon said many of the people in the city feel that what Antigone did was good. As what fault can be found within her sister?
Ismene is not the brave soul her sister is, but her heart is as pure. to punish such a girl would be an evil act and would rob Thebes of another good citizen. Even Creon himself has said she is innocent "not the one whose hands are clean" (Sophocles 883). There are none alive who should have the power to send this girl to a death she doesn't deserve.
Work Cited
Sophocles."Antigone".Sophocles Antigone.Trans. Ian Johnston.9 Aug 2008.Vancouver Island University Malaspina.24 Nov 2008
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