"The Burial at Thebes," by Seamus Heany, and, "A Streetcar Named Desire," by Tennessee Williams, both feature second tier women playing important roles, struggling against dominant male power. Although they do not wholeheartedly support their sisters' motives, Ismene's love for Antigone, and Stella's love for Blanche, is undeniable. However, Ismene grows and eventually supports Antigone, because she has no good reason to fail her, while Stella's resistance to Blanche makes sense, due to her habits. .
Ismene, although innocent, steps up and stands by Antigone, against the man she feared to disobey in the beginning of, "The Burial at Thebes," When Creon, their uncle and ruler of Thebes, declares Antigone's death penalty, he also brings in Ismene. He accuses her for helping her sister. Ismene, who played no part in Antigone's tasks says, "I helped her, yes, if I'm allowed to say so And now I stand with her to take what comes," (The Burial at Thebes, 34). What made Ismene change her mind, where she was ready to face death for a crime she did not commit? Ismene realized that she shared the same goal with Antigone. In other words, all Antigone wanted was a proper burial of her brother, regardless of his status in society.
Another one of the reasons Ismene opposed Antigone at first, was because she wanted both of them to be alive, as they are the last two members of their immediate family, (pp. 9-10). Therefore, if Antigone takes the fall, Ismene loses her too, which is why she tries to take the fall with her. It is a lose-lose situation for Ismene, as she might see only two options; losing Antigone with shame and regret for putting her fear of Creon over supporting her sister, or dying together for the right reasons with dignity. She chooses dignity and pleads, "Antigone, don't rob me of all honour. Let me die with you and act right by the dead," (p. 35). Antigone objects to her sister's lie, for being part of the deed.
Tennesee Williams' Use Of Stage Effects And How They Change A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire is mastery of the use of lighting, setting, and sound to add to emotion and meaning to a play. ... It seems that the minor details of music, sound effects, lighting, and setting were actually some of the most important points of A Streetcar Named Desire. ...
Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire- Tennesse Williams is known as one of the greatest American playwrights. ... Among his most notable and successful plays were "The Glass Menagerie-, which he refers to as "memory play-, "A Streetcar Named Desire-, "The Rose Tatoo- and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof- for which he was appreciated winning the Pulitzer Prize. ... "Streetcar Named Desire- which was firstly entitled "The Poker Night- emerged right after the theatrical success of "The Glass Menagerie- when the authour learned to play poker game. ... The moment Blanche appea...
" A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams Bruce, Smith. ... Stella Kowalski: Stella is Blanche's baby sister and young wife of Stanley. ... "It's a French name. ... "A Streetcar Named Desire" did not grab my attention at all. ... "A Streetcar Named Desire" was written in 1933, and many things have changed since then. ...
Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire shows the tensions between reality and fantasy, common sense and imagination, and between male and female. ... Stella calls her sister, "Blanche! ... She says," They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, then transfer to one called Cemeteries[]get off at Elysian Fields!... Blanche got on Desire, the streetcar and rode it to get to where she wanted to go. ... After the analysis of major characters, it has been determined that A Streetcar Named Desire properly demonstrates this. ...
Blanche and her sister come from a dying world. ... The two sisters, symbolically, are the last living members of their family. ... The setting of New Orleans is important to the play: The city is one of powerful contrasts: old French architecture and the new rhythms of jazz; a kind of Old World refinement mixed with the stones of poverty and modern life; decay and corruption alongside the regenerative powers of desire and procreation. The city is eternally in a state of convulsion, a mix of the modern world and New Orleans' confused history; in the American imagination, New Orleans is al...
Tennessee Williams' play, "A Streetcar Named Desire," first opened in the late 1940's, cut line which had defined traditional gender roles began to blur. ... "A Streetcar Named Desire" debuted in the December of 1947 but was written in the year prior to its release. ... The sisters grew up in a frivolous household and yet they matured into completely polar lifestyles. ... One sister is in a constant state of crisis while the other is satisfied with her current lifestyle. ... The sisters think that they cannot be a whole being without a man to rely on. ...
A Streetcar Named Desire - Complexity of the Characters It is the complexity of the main characters and their interactions that make A Streetcar Named Desire such a successful and challenging play. The play A Streetcar Named Desire made playwright Tennessee William's name and has deservedly since had over half a century of success. ... Blanche comes to Stella in an unbalanced state of mind in need of her sister's aid. ... Stella had to choose between her sister and her husband. ... A Streetcar Named Desire would hardly have a story if the characters weren't so complex and d...
The play "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams, focuses on a very vain woman named Blanche. ... She takes the streetcar named "Desire" to her destination. ... "They told me to take a streetcar named Desire" (Williams 6). The symbolic meaning of the streetcar actually named "Desire" that she took to Stella's was because she was put in that position for a reason because of her sexual desire that made her hit rock bottom, leave town and have the poor reputation that everyone comes to find out about. Her desire drove her to her sisters which then drov...
