Why does Ismene refuse to help bury polyneices? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
1 answer
Ismene refuses to help bury Polyneices because she is afraid of the consequences and believes it is too dangerous to defy the king's edict. In the play "Antigone" by Sophocles, Ismene says, "We are only women, / We cannot fight with men, Antigone!" (line 61-62). She also expresses her fear later on, saying, "No! I have no strength / To break laws that were made for the public good" (line 522-523). Ismene values obedience to authority and is hesitant to go against the king's decree, even if it means not burying her brother.