the will of the gods, or did she believe in the moral uprightness of her actions to the extent that in her mind she turned those actions into the will of the gods?First of all we should consider the attempts by Ismene to restrain Antigone from embarking upon her mission. She asks that Antigone consider the damage already done to their family, as well as the legal ramifications of this unlawful act. When accused by Antigone of dishonoring the gods she replies, I do not dishonor them, but I have no means of acting in defiance of the citizens (79). So early on we see Ismene questioning the motives of Antigone. She refines this argument in the following discourse with Antigone:A: I know that I am pleasing those whom I am chiefly bound to please.I: If you will even have the power. But you desire what is impossible.A: Then, when I have no strength I shall leave off.I: A quest for the impossible should not even be begun.A: If you say this, you will be my enemy, and will also rightly be called an enemy to the dead (89-95).So we see that Ismene does not disagree with Antigone that their brother should be buried, but instead that she believes that it is not so good to bury the dead that it justifies the death of another. Not only does this early dialogue suggest that there is opposition to Antigones plan, but also the cruel nature of her last reply hints that she may be driven more by an intense rage than by love of the gods.Next we should look at the view of the commoners, represented by the chorus, toward Antigone. Antigone claims that the common people are with her, saying of her moral ideals, It is their view also, but they keep their mouths shut for you (509). It is important for the success of Antigones arguments that her view is agreed with since there was no holy book for the ancient Greeks to look to for answers. Throughout the course of the play, however, the chorus looks down upon her actions and is taken aback by her mot...
