Analysis Of Fagles s Antigone - 1526 Words

While Ismene s language relies heavily upon a Northern Irish dialect, differences between Paulin s Ismene and Fagles go further. In Fagles s Antigone, Ismene is a voice of reason in contrast to her rash and hot-headed sister. She advocates prudence as sensible. Paulin s work offers an Ismene translated not only linguistically but also in personality. As this Ismene warns Antigone, she thinks only of the punishment. Her concern is not that the two would defy the state but that they would die –and in a most unpleasant manner. Her speech emphasizes the concern for them rather than the state as she stresses how we ll die and repeatedly speaks of what will happen to us. These lines clearly mark a point at which Paulin chose fidelity to Ismene s Irishness over fidelity to Sophocles s politics. However, these lines also raise questions about the nature of Irishness. Is Ismene s rational response, in the original, inherently un-Irish and untranslatable into an Irish context? And, i f so, is Paulin suggesting here that the Irish are the overly-emotional and hot-blooded people that stereotypes have made them out to be? More than a simple substitution of standard English for Irish English, Paulin s translation raises such questions throughout. As he translates, Paulin displaces Irishness, removing it from a familiar context defined by Irish/English dichotomies, character stereotypes, and the trite settings and practices expected of conventional Irish plays.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Oedipus The King And Antigone1170 Words   |  5 Pagesworld. In civilizations such as Athens, women were looked down upon and this battle to leave behind tradition proved to be almost if not fatal. Sophocles Oedipus the King and Antigone exemplify three distinct female Athenian characters who approach this battle with different fronts. Through analysis of Ismene, Antigone and Jocasta’s distinct characters, the reader better understands how Sophocles uses a feminine voice t o break away from the tradition discerned in Athenian life to advocate for theRead MoreAntigone‚Äà ´s Law: a Critique of Patriarchal Power Structures1121 Words   |  5 PagesStructures    The heroine Antigone sacrifices her life to defy the patriarchal society in which she is imprisoned. By confronting and resisting Creon’s authoritarian rule, Antigone empowers the oppressed people of Thebes. On the surface, her motives seem clear; she defies civil law in favor of a higher moral law. Antigone declares she acts out of a sense of honor and obedience to the gods, however her words and actions reveal additional motives. Antigone follows her own unique law, whichRead More Comedic Violence in The Medea, The Oresteia, and Antigone Essay2353 Words   |  10 PagesComedic Violence in The Medea, The Oresteia, and Antigone      Ã‚  Ã‚   Almost no Greek tragedy escapes the use of violence. The Medea, The Oresteia, Antigone, and other classic works of Grecian tragoidia all involve huge components of violence in many prominent places, and for all of these stories, violent action is an integral part of the play. Medea, especially, is a character worthy of note in this regard; her tumultuous life can be plotted accurately along a path of aggression and passionate fits