From the beginning of the play Ismene is represented as a primarily complement and contrast to her sister. Ismene has a reasonable personality, and she understands her place. She bows down to Creon’s edict, and fears challenging his rule. In a way she represents society and how we tend to take the easy route and not stand up for an opposing action. She is a character who is more likely to plead for mercy rather than demand for justice. Through the play we can see Antigone and Ismene’s sisterhood. Ismene words and actions show that she  seems to have a lot of love for her sister irrespective of their contrasting personalities. In Antigone, however, we see that Ismene’s loyalty only extends so far . Ismene and Antigone’s relationship is challenged when Ismene and Antigone’s when their morals contradict each other when Antigone proposes to bury their dead brother, Polyneices, although their thoughts are aligned. Ismene pleads to Antigone not to defy the laws of the city and not to bring more misfortune to their ill-fated family, by abiding by the law. This sure shows her as a weakling but also a reasonable individual. 

Both Antigone and Ismene are symbolic of the legacy of shame left by Oedipus’s mistakes “We’re children of oedipus- daughters of a man who fathered us on his mother – the king they drove from their city”. Ismene thinks sensibly and recognises that the expectations of society will not allow them to carry the act of burying their brother. Although Ismene is seen as a “weakling”- she is also seen as a motherly figure to Antigone as She is responsible and sensible in the decisions she takes and the advice she gives Antigone, which is why Ismene became estranged from her sister. This play draws parallels with home fire, where both the pieces of work show that how one’s actions could drive two people apart even if it is done for love. Ismene questions “Are you and I to be next? How do you think they see us? How do you think we’d fare if we went against the order?”. Ismene fears the consequences they could potentially face due to the burial of her brother. She is shown to care more about her sister’s reputation and fate than care about her brothers right to burial. This further shows us the contrast in beliefs and morals of the two sister and how their love is what sustains their relationship.