Dutiful Characters of Ibsen and Sophocles Essay

Nora of Henrik Ibsens A shuttlecocks House, and Antig iodine of Antig mavin (by Sophocles) incur whole had circumstances pitted a take inst them, stock-still within these unfavour adapted circumstances they aim duties to practise. Their constraints as women or as people whose destinies ar governed by fate substantiate caused them to be withtaboo pleasing options in their situationsand through the deed of their duties fate often does its work. They have both acted in directions that cause them to be viewed as the obedient characters in their stories.Where in that location have been successes, the achievement of their goals once against odds reveals them as roughworking characters who transposition to accommodate and adjust to the vicissitudes of life, and who are up to(p) to throw hardship and eve so death to do their duties to those for whom they touch homage. The situation given Antigone is not one that bear be taken lightly, as defiance of delegacy within t hat culture of ancient Greece had the ability to bring step up an individual. Such an individual would have to be trusted that he or she was acting in uniformity with the wishes of the gods.In the play, Antigone is concerned that the lack of burial for her brother (who in her opinion had done no wrong) should be an affront to the gods. Even so, if it was not disliked by the gods, she was giveing to defy them in coif to return herselffor it was an affront to her and she considered it her concern to rectify the situation. It was a atrocious thing for Antigone to find herself in defiance of the gods (who comprise fate) and of the king Creon. Her father, Oedipus had in his day found himself on the wrong side of Fate and was ruined as a result (Oedipus, the King).As the daughter of a cursed man, Antigone knew that her fate could be an un prosperous one and that it would look her beat out to act in union with the wishes of the gods. Yet her certificate of indebtedness to he r brother was stronger, and she acted as she wished and pie-eyed her fate. In A Dolls House, Noras vocation is toward her family as Antigones has been, and she too defies odds in monastic order to fulfill them. As Nora reveals her hardships to Mrs. Linde, it is discernible that she has tried many ways to create favorable circumstances for her husband. As a dutiful wife, she has make many attempts to create a good home.In order to do this, she embarks on the business of borrowing money so that her family might be able to meet its obligations. She proves herself able to deny her wants in order to fulfill her own obligations to the debt. She uses tout ensemble the devices she as a woman possesses toward the fulfillment of the goal. She proves herself better equipped than even her husband who, possessing the abilities and opportunities of a man, has not shown half the vision she has, nor has he accomplished as much. In examining the actions of Antigone, one sewer make precisely how she showed her dutifulness throughout the play.She begins by defying the decree of the king, who has denied burial to her brother. Antigone initially asks her infant to inspection and repair with the burial, Will you attention these hands take up Polyneices corpse and mask it? (lines 52-53). This plea for assistance demonstrates how inherent Antigone felt her craft toward her brother to be. She expected her sister to share it without question. However, even after her sister refuses, she shows her traffic in her ability to act given contain resources in her willingness to do all herself.Upon her sisters refusal, she replies Ill do my trading to my brotherand yours as well, if youre not prepared to. I wint be caught betraying him (lines 56-58). Though she is not able to settle her sister, she is still demonstrates determination to perform her duty in her ability to create the situation she desires. It is in like manner possible to track the areas in which Nora has s hown herself dutifuland in her duty, resourceful. In the years keeping the incident, she has managed to repay to the highest degree of her loan without help, sacrificing the scant pleasures of her life.She relays this here It has been no humor to meet my engagements punctually. You essential know, Christina, that in business on that point are things called installments, and quarterly interest, that are terribly hard to provide for. So Ive had to pinch a elflike here and there, wherever I could. This demonstrates the duty that she has to her husband, children and the service of her debt. She does not show the strain that must have been upon herremaining strong to her children as a dutiful mother should. She succeeds in single-handedly number around the fate of her family, while continuing.Her burden was often great, as she expresses, somewhattimes I was so tired, so tired. And yet it was splendid to work in that way and earn money. I al close to felt as if I was a man. Her power of conformity allowed her to modify from passive wife to active and dutiful breadwinner, as she assumes a role generally reserved for those the glacial sex. In both A Dolls House and Antigone, other characters failures in their duty serve to strengthen the work of the duties performed by Antigone and Nora.Creon (the king) might be seen as dutiful because he carries out the decrees of his potty unrelentingly. Yet, in all his power and his attempts at duty, he fails in comparison to Antigone who braves death in her performance of her duty. All Creons power does not gain Antigones obedience, and though he declares of Polyneices, Hell be left unburied, his body there for birds and dogs to eat (lines 234-5) his joint is unheeded by Antigone so that what he says will not happen does in fact happen. Antigones sense of duty allows her the fortitude to face a king who is backed by an army.She knows that Creon is able to dominance the countrys armed forces and have her vetoed or killed for her deed, and yet her loyalty to her brother impels her toward committing the act of defiance. Antigone proves to be the writer of her own fate, and accepts death for the sake of her duty toward her brother. She says, Take me and kill me (line 565) demanding (and receiving) her own death. Ismene, like Creon, can hardly be considered dutiful in that she expresses no real wish to be loyal (at all costs) to her brother.Though she too dod her brother, she fears the power that Creon has to banish or kill dissenters. Her speeches are mainly questions and demonstrate no inclination toward action. She says, What? Youre going to bury Polyneices, when thats been made a crime for all in Thebes? (lines 54-55). Here she subtly refuses to help Antigone and demonstrates even further the lack of duty she feels. Yet in the face of Antigones strong feelings of duty, Ismene cannot prevent the action. practically later when Antigone knows she will die, Ismene asks, Even now is there some way I can help? (line 631).She asks to help now, when she refused her help before, and this reflects not duty save an attempt to pretend loyalty when she knows that no help is now possible. She stands for very little, making very a few(prenominal) statements or declarations, and proves herself to be among the least dutiful characters of the play. once more in Ibsens A Dolls House, Nora demonstrates her ability to perform her duties in her dealings with Krogstad. Here, though she is at a disadvantage, she still manages to a capacious extent to direct the courses of actionshowing that her imaginativeness comes to her aid in performing her duties.She is not dismayed to stoop to manipulation in order that her obligations are fulfilled. She knows when to act and when to be still and let others do the acting for her. Though she appears not to, she directs Mrs. Linde to use her influence with Krogstad to help her in her situation. After pouring out her woes to Mrs. Linde, Nora makes a false attempt to deter her when she offers to peach to Krogstad. Nora says, Dont hell do you some harm, fully knowing it to be untrue. Noras follow up to this deterrent almost nullifies it Heres his card. But the letter, the letter- This ability to manipulate people and situations is as well evidence of the extents to which she will go in order to fulfil her duty to her husband. In contrast to this, Mrs. Lindes attempt at dutifulness within her own nuptials and after pale in comparison to Noras She has tried her hand at business, she says, I had to conjure my way by keeping a shop, a little school, anything I could turn my hand to. However, this was to no avail. She is still without much money and, though she was conjoin to a rich man, has accomplished not some as much as Nora has.Her duty appears to have been directed toward herself and her own enrichment via marriage to a moneyed man. She has demonstrated no strength in her duty toward him in maintaining (or even adding to) the wealth that they once possessed. Nora again proves herself more able even than her husband to picture situationsand the success she demonstrates a determination born of her dutiful characteristics. It is here, however, that her dutifulness shifts from her husband toward herself. Even though Torvald does find out about the loan, she discovers his true colors and is no eight-day led by his desires or taken in by his sweetness.He tempts her with all his charms and fails. He declares at first when the truth comes out, you have inherited- no religion, no morality, no sense of duty, yet a few minutes later when he receives the forged note he says, I know that what you did was all for recognise of me. He shows want of tact and quick-wittedness to effect a recovery, and Noras reason allows her to see this. Meanwhile, her new-found duty toward herself gives her the strength to leave him. She acts in her own best interest, though societal norms and her love for Torvald would have visit that she remain.In the two plays, Nora and Antigone prove to be the most dutiful characters. While Creon, Mrs. Linde, Torvald and Ismene demonstrate very little (or selfish) duty, Nora and Antigone demonstrate a self-sacrificial duty that stems from loyalty and love of their families. They are willing to do what they feel they must, though odds are pitted against them, and they act even though they may fear the consequences. The events of the two plays Antigone and A Dolls House are set by the dutiful figures (Antigone and Nora) that are able to perform feats despite not having the real power to do so. Their duty drives them to accomplish these acts.Both leading characters unwillingness to allow events to deny them of their desires to help their family demonstrates the depth to which their loyalty ran, and they prove themselves more dutiful than others who accomplish slight even with more resources. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Trans. By William Archer. http/ /academics. triton. edu/uc/files/ dollshse. html. Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. By Ian Johnston of Malaspina Nanaimo University-College, Canada, http//www. mala. bc. ca/johnstoi/sophocles/antigone. htm Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. The Harvard Classics. http//www. bartleby. com/8/5/