In Sophocles' play Antigone, the two sisters, Antigone and Ismene, have opposing views on which to value more: the dead or the living. Antigone places more emphasis on her duty to honor her deceased brother, Polyneices, while Ismene believes it is more important to obey the laws of the living. Their views remain unchanged throughout most of the play, causing tensions between them to increase. Ultimately, their brotherly bond is damaged by their inflexible views. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay Antigone is very attached to the burial of Polyneices, who, because he fought against Thebes, does not was not allowed a funeral. Antigone's desire to bury her brother becomes an obsession that prevents her from recognizing any point of view other than her own. She tries to push her sister Ismène to join her in a secret funeral by demanding: “Decide. Will you share the work, will you share the work (61)? By calling the funeral practice "work" and "work," Antigone reveals that she truly views her brother's burial as an arduous task. She accepts this position, but only because she believes it is the duty of the living to serve the dead. When Antigone tries to convince her sister to continue her life, even though Antigone has been captured, Antigone states: “I gave myself to death, long ago, that I might serve the dead (88). » Antigone feels obliged to take care of the dead, because she considers herself their servant. Therefore, she was willing to disobey state law and risk her own life, simply to fulfill her duties to Polyneices. For Antigone, burying Polyneices is the most important task awaiting her. When she discovers that Ismene has a different opinion, she accuses her sister of making “excuses” (63). The reasons why Ismene refrained from burying Polyneices do not please Antigone; she thinks that Ismene is simply finding justification to absolve herself of her duties to their deceased brother. Antigone's inflexibility and her contempt for her sister's point of view weaken the relationship between the two sisters. Ismene, unlike Antigone, feels obligated towards the living. She focuses more on her role in society rather than her role with Polyneices. Ismene tries to restore some sense to Antigone when she declares: "I, for my part, will ask forgiveness from the dead - I am obliged, I have no choice - I must obey those who are in power (62) ". Ismene feels responsible for following the rules of the living, since she currently resides in their world. However, her subordination to the living causes her to neglect the importance of honoring the dead. It is easier for her to obey the the authority of the state and to ask forgiveness from the dead, because the laws of the living have more effect on one's current life. It assumes that the dead will be more likely to show mercy than those who forbade the burial of. her brother, she therefore chooses to first honor her duties to the living In trying to explain her decisions to Antigone, Ismene reasons: “Think of what death we will die, worst of all if we break the laws and cancel. the fixed decree of the throne, its power - we must be reasonable (62) ". Ismene knows that she will be sentenced to death if she defies the king. She is more afraid of state authority and the living than the dead, because her life is in danger. She is more afraid of the consequences of defying mortal law than of the consequences of refusing to bury the dead. She considers her sister irrational, because Antigone would risk her own life to.