Meanings, Examples and Observations of the Word Lexicon

A lexicon is the collection of words—or the internalized dictionary—that every speaker of a  language has. It is also called lexis. Lexicon may also refer to a  stock of terms used in a particular profession, subject or style. The word itself is the Anglicized version of the Greek word lexis (which means word in Greek). It basically means dictionary. Lexicology describes the study of lexis and lexicon. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: JargonLanguage AcquisitionLexemeLexical CompetenceLexical DiffusionLexical-Functional Grammar (LFG)Lexical IntegrityLexicalizationLexical SetLexicogrammarLexicographerLexicographicolatryLexicograpyLexicologyLexisListemeMental LexiconMorphologyVocabularyVocabulary Acquisition Examples and Observations The lexicon of soccer (called football outside of the United States) includes terms such as linesman, friendly match, yellow card, penalty shootout, pitch, result, and draw.The lexicon of a stock trader includes terms such as delayed quotes, futures contract, limit order, margin account, short selling, stop order, trend line and watch list. Words by the Numbers [T]here are currently about 600,000 words in the English language, with educated adults using about 2,000 words in daily conversation. For the 500 most-frequently used words, there are some 14,000 dictionary meanings. (Wallace V. Schmidt, et al., Communicating Globally. Sage, 2007)  The English lexicon grew by 70 percent from 1950 to 2000, with roughly 8,500 new words entering the language each year. Dictionaries dont reflect a lot of those words. (Marc Parry, Scholars Elicit a Cultural Genome From 5.2 Million Google-Digitized Books. The Chronicle of Higher Education. December 16, 2010) Myths of Word Learning If you attend a class on language acquisition, or read any good introductory chapter on the subject, you are likely to learn the following facts about word learning. Childrens first words are odd; they have funny meanings that violate certain semantic principles that hold for adult language and are learned in a slow and haphazard way. Then, at about 16 months, or after learning about fifty words, there is a sudden acceleration in the rate of word learning—a word spurt or vocabulary explosion. From this point on, children learn words at the rate of five, ten, or even fifteen new words a day. I will suggest here that none of these claims are true. They are myths of word learning. There is no reason to believe that childrens first words are learned and understood in an immature fashion—and there is considerable evidence to the contrary. There is no such thing as word spurt, and two-year-olds are not learning anywhere near five words per day. (Paul Bloom, Myths of Word Lear ning. Weaving a Lexicon, ed. by D. Geoffrey Hall and Sandra R. Waxman. MIT Press, 2004) Language Acquisition: Grammar and Lexicon In a review of findings from language development, language breakdown and real-time processing, we conclude that the case for a modular distinction between grammar and the lexicon has been overstated, and that the evidence to date is compatible with a unified lexicalist account. Studies of normal children show that the emergence of grammar is highly dependent upon vocabulary size, a finding confirmed and extended in atypical populations. Studies of language breakdown in older children and adults provide no evidence for a modular dissociation between grammar and the lexicon; some structures are especially vulnerable to brain damage (e.g., function words, non-canonical word orders), but this vulnerability is also observed in neurologically intact individuals under perceptual degradation or cognitive overload. Finally, online studies provide evidence for early and intricate interactions between lexical and grammatical information in normal adults. (Elizabeth Bates and Judith C. Goodman, On the Inseparability of Grammar and the Lexicon: Evidence from Acquisition, Aphasia and Real-time Processing. Language and Cognitive Processes. The Chronicles of Higher Education. December 1997)Acquisition of the lexicon and acquisition of the grammar are ... parts of a single underlying process. (Jesse Snedeker and Lila R. Gleitman, Why It Is Hard to Label Our Concepts. Weaving a Lexicon, ed. by D. Geoffrey Hall and Sandra R. Waxman. MIT Press, 2004)

Shylock As A Villain Essay - 1842 Words

Sympathetic Villain In William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is instantly portrayed as a villain. Shylock, while making a deal, crucially demands a pound of Antonio’s flesh as interest. It is revealed that Shylock’s villainous behavior stems from a history of constant torment from characters in the play. In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a villain who acts out of revenge when he wants pay back for all the pain he endured. Evidently, Shakespeare created the character Shylock with a sympathetic past in order to have the audience question Shylock’s true nature. Shylock is introduced as a greedy villain who craves nothing but revenge. The play begins with Antonio in need of three thousand ducats, he then turns to†¦show more content†¦He doesn’t care to stop his cruel antics, rather he thinks he’s doing everyone a favor by refraining himself from causing great harm. Shylock finds joy when roles are reversed, causing people to beg for his mercy. Throughout the play, Christian characters were racist to him, they were constantly disrespecting him due to his Jewish background. However, in Act III Scene III, roles are reversed when their racist antics turn into mercy. The characters want to save Antonio from being harmed, and so they beg Shylock to change his mind: But—touched with human gentleness and love,— Forgive a moiety of the principal, Glancing an eye of pity on his losses That have of late so huddled on his back Eno to press a royal merchant down And pluck commiseration of his state From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint, From stubborn Turks and Tartars never trained To offices of tender courtesy. We all expect a gentle answer, Jew. (4.1.25-34) The Duke wants Shylock to forgive Antonio with any ounce of humanity he has in him. The Duke wants Shylock to take pity on Antonio and to act â€Å"gently.† Shylock feels no remorse: â€Å"I have possessed your grace of what I purpose, And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn To have the due and forfeit of my bond.† (4.1.35-37) Shylock holds no mercy for Antonio or his friends. Revenge is all Shylock cares about and he doesn’t take other’s feelings into consideration (just like they never did for him.) ShylockShow MoreRelatedShylock as a Victim of Villain Essay2293 Words   |  10 PagesShylock as a Victim of Villain Throughout the play ‘The Merchant of Venice’ there are constant references to various characters and the way they relate to one another, however there is no character so diverse and so complex as Shylock’s character. Shakespeare tries to portray Shylock in a number of ways however I believe his main focus in the play, is on his villainous side. This may be portraying the time of Shakespeare where ethnic minorities likeRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice: Is Shylock a Villain or a Victim? Essay846 Words   |  4 PagesIn this essay I will try to discover is Shylock a villain or a victim, in the William Shakespeare play â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† It is difficult to say if Shylock is a complete villain or a victim, as his character is complex and ambiguous. However, it is difficult to view Shylock as anything other than a devious, bloodthirsty and heartless villain in the majority of the play. There are a few points in the story where he can be viewed as victimised, as most Jews were at that time, but ShakespeareRead More Shylock : a Villain in appearance, a Victim at heart Essay2014 Words   |  9 Pagescharacter could have both good and evil aspects, creating a complex personality. In The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, there is an example of one of those characters. Shylock could be one of the most controversial characters ever created. Some people believe he is a victim, while others say he is a villain. In order to trace this idea we should know why people in the Elizabethan era hates Jews. Rodrigo Lopez was a Jew of Portuguese decent, who fled to England in 1559 where he workedRead MoreEssay The Merchant of Venice Shylock Villain or Victim777 Words   |  4 PagesShylock, Villain or victim? The Merchant of Venice June 8th, 2011 In the play The Merchant of Venice Shylock is supposed to be the protagonist, the definition of protagonist is; the leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. But the way Shylock is portrayed is more along the lines of being both victim and villain. Shylock is out for one pound of Antonio’s flesh which will in the end kill Antonio and the flesh will do him no good anyway. But heRead MoreShakespeares Merchant of Venice Essay, Is Shylock a Victim or Villain? Grade a1866 Words   |  8 Pagespresent both Shylock as both victim and villain? Throughout the play, ‘The Merchant of Venice’, Shylock reveals many personalities; therefore making him such an emotionally complex and detailed character that shows elements of being both a victim and villain; and to come to my decision to whether Shylock is either of the two, other characters language towards him and his reactions will perceive different ideas from different era’s in time to determine my answer. The first time Shylock is introducedRead MoreShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Essay1128 Words   |  5 PagesShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice I am a Jew a famous saying from Shylock in Merchant of Venice that clarifies the merchant brotherhood of a wealthy city. Merchant of Venice contains rascals and heroes. The audiences will soon realise that Shylock, the Jewish money lender, is shown as a villain within the wealthy city. Is this really what Shakespeare had intended? This testimony given proposes that Shylock is more of a deceitful character Read MoreShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice1694 Words   |  7 PagesShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Introduction One of the most interesting and dramatic characters in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is the rich, despised money-lending Jew Shylock. It is impossible to judge Shylock’s character by our own modern Standards, simple because Shakespeare wrote this play for play goers in Elizabethan times. This was very different to modern times for two reasons. Firstly, people watching the play would not find itRead MoreRacial Discrimination In The Merchant Of Venice1496 Words   |  6 Pageshistory because it is believed to be anti-Semitic. This is because the antagonist of the story, Shylock is a Jew. But others think that Shakespeare actually had a different message in mind for the play. Shakespeare’s motive for writing this play is not to promote Anti-Semitism but to convey the message that not everything is as it seems and this is shown through the casket story, and the character of Shylock. Shakespeare’s motive for writing this play is not to promote Anti-Semitism but to convey theRead MoreEssay on Shylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice1877 Words   |  8 PagesShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice, a tragic- comedy written in the late 16th century by the greatest known English author, William Shakespeare. This is a tale set in the heart of Venice, amongst the Venetian Christians and Jews. The history of the Jews is marked by terrible hardship and atrocities; Jewish people kept up their customs and religion formed tight knit communities and became known for their intelligent hard workRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice939 Words   |  4 PagesComparison and Contrast of Shylock and Claudius Introduction This essay looks into the lives of Shylock and Antonio. These are two of Shakespearean antagonists of all time. They are alike in more ways than one. Shylock in Merchant of Venice is a Jewish moneylender based in Venice. He has been tormented and repressed mainly by the Christian population. One finds it easy to sympathize with him mainly because he has his own reasons to be loathing, greedy, and miserly. This ends up making the entire

Birthing Cermonies Of Other Cultures Essay Research free essay sample

Give birthing Cermonies Of Other Cultures Essay, Research Paper Give birthing Cermonies of Other Cultures The parturition ceremonials of the Indian civilization has a batch of different facets so the American civilization does. I guess that is why they are different civilizations. All civilizations have different positions on different things such as faith, but they besides portion the same every bit good for illustration every civilization has some signifier of the household. This is what helps most civilizations understand other civilizations. In the Indian civilization their position of conveying a kid into the universe is much different so the American civilization # 8217 ; s position. In the Indian civilization there are a batch of readyings that go into acquiring the parents and the community ready for the new member. Their civilization does more work with the kid before they are even born. First of all programs are made for them so they know who is traveling to be at that place to witness the kid being born into their society. They are normally the grandparents, the representatives, and the Godparents that were selected by the parents and the representatives. The female parent is to maintain on working as she did before the babe is born. They say that this shows the kid the importance of work in their civilization. During the gestation, around the 7th month, the female parent introduces the babe to the natural universe. She does this by taking walks in the Fieldss and over the hills. They believe that the babe is consciously taking all of this in to prepare him/her for life within that civilization. When the babe is born none of the female parents kids should be about. The lone people there are the 1s that were chosen by the representatives and the parents. If person can non do it so person will hold to make full in for them. The lone people besides kids who are non allowed to see are the individual adult females. The lone manner that they can go to is if there is no 1 else to travel. There has to be three twosomes at the birth of the kid, the kid doesn # 8217 ; t merely belong to the parents but to the community every bit good. It is considered to be a dirt if an Indian adult females goes to a infirmary to hold a babe. For the female parents other kids there are non to cognize where or how the babe is born. Merely the three twosomes know where the kid is born. The kids are told that a babe has arrived and they can non see their female parent for eight yearss. After the babe is born the placenta has to be burned at a certain clip. If the babe was born at dark so it is burned at eight in the forenoon and if the babe is born in the afternoon so it will be burned at five in the afternoon. It is normally burnt on a log and the ashes are merely left at that place. They will non bury it because they believe that the Earth is the female parent and male parent to all kids, and the Earth must non hold it abused by burying it in the land. During the gestation, seeing how the female parent has no clip to loosen up, they take these steam baths. In an adobe hut there is a range, called a temascal, which is were the placenta can be burned besides, which produces steam that is supposed to quiet the adult females down. This range is made of rock. The rocks are heated up and so the door is shut and so cold H2O is poured on the stones and this makes steam. This is said to forestall the female parent from holding a abortion. A batch of times they add Herb # 8217 ; s and leaves to the bath which helps them loosen up every bit good as supply them with foods. The female parent normally takes this after work so that she can kip and acquire up and make it all over once more tomorrow. The pureness of the kid is protected after birth for eight yearss. The newborn babe is entirely with its female parent for these eight yearss. None of the other kids can see the kid for this clip frame. The female parents merely visitants are the people who bring her nutrient. This clip frame is the babe integrating into the household. When the kid is born they kill a sheep and there is a small fete merely for the household. The neighbours start coming to see and convey gifts. the gifts they bring are normally nutrient for the female parent, or something for the babe. The female parent has to savor all of the nutrient that is brought to her, that is to demo her grasp for their kindness. After the eight yearss are over the household counts up how many visitants the female parent had, and how many nowadayss were received. The normal gifts are eggs, vesture, little animate beings, wood for the fire, and services like transporting H2O and chopping wood. If a batch of the community calls or visits, this shows how the kid will turn up and have a batch of duty. After the eight yearss another animate being is killed to demo that the kid # 8217 ; s right to be entirely with his female parent is over. All of the apparels and sheets that she used during the birth are taken to the river to be washed, no affair how far off it is. After the babe is born they are given a little bag with a small Allium sativum, calcium hydroxide, salt, and baccy. This is to guard off all of the evil liquors. When the kid reaches 40 yearss old there are addresss and promises on his behalf, this is his baptism. At around ten old ages old the parents and the leaders talk to them once more. They tell them that they must neer mistreat their self-respect. They besides remind them about the ascendants who were dishonored by the white adult male. They besides make certain they remind them to esteem their seniors, and besides pregnant adult females. There is a difference in ceremonials for the two different genders. For case when a miss is born there aren # 8217 ; t about every bit many jubilations as there are for a male child. They say this is because of all the difficult work and duties he will hold as an grownup. The misss ears are pierced at the same clip they cut the umbilical cord. Besides the male kid is given an excess twenty-four hours with his female parent. All of this doesn # 8217 ; t average misss aren # 8217 ; t valued their work is difficult to and there are certain things due to them as a female parent. They topographic point gender functions sort of like we used to with the adult females remaining place and taking attention of the childs and the adult male gaining a life for his household. Our civilization has many different features so the Indian P > civilization in the manner of giving birth and raising kids. In the Indian civilization they consider the babe owned by the community every bit good as by the parents, and in ours they merely belong to the parents. Unless they are proven to be unfit parents the kid belongs to the province. Besides in their civilization they make certain there are three twosomes at that place to have the kid while it is being delivered. This is different so our usage where the lone 1 allowed to watch is the male parent of the kid. In their civilization after the birth the female parent and the kid are hidden off and reasonably much left entirely for eight or nine yearss depending if its a male child or a miss. This is the clip in our civilization where the female parent and kid are being seen by household and friends. Besides for their civilization the female parent is pushed on to go on to work as she was earlier where as for ours we encourage the female parent to take it easy and in some instances to remain off her pess even. Another thing is that they don # 8217 ; t let adult females to give birth in a infirmary because it is considered to be degrading. In our civilization most adult females try to hold their babes in a infirmary, but some can # 8217 ; t assist but holding them in different topographic points like a auto, plane, or a boat. The following narrative that I read had to cover with the induction of a warrior. The manner you are initiated is by through Circumcision. This is done by utilizing a crisp knife to cut the tegument in the most sensitive portion of your organic structure. There are demands that you must follow like you can # 8217 ; t Budge, travel a musculus or even wink. You can merely confront one way. The slightest motion on your portion means you are a coward and unworthy to be a Maasia adult male. When they are circumcised they have entered maturity. If you are non brave during the process so there are effects like the households herd will be beaten until they stampede off, all of the slaughtered cattle and honey beer will travel to waste, his nutrient would be spit on and he would be expected to eat it or else he would acquire a terrible whipping. He will besides be called the knife kicker which is an abuse. When it becomes clip for the ceremonial they pour ice cold H2O over his caput. After he is done agitating he is told to sit down. Then a big crowd of male childs and work forces organize a semi-circle in forepart of the him, adult females are non allowed to watch. Next the circumciser appears and catch the knifes, which have been guarded by the male child. Next he spreads the male childs legs and announces? One Cut? this is so the male child can non state he was caught off guard. Then a white pigment is splashed in the boys face, and this is where it begins. After the film editing is over with he calls for milk so he can rinse the knives. There is a batch of blood lost during this so it takes a piece for them to recover from this. After they are able to walk and make material once more they join other freshly circumcised male childs. During convalescence they are protected from the cold and the rain. They are non allowed to even touch their nutrient because they are considered to be dirty alternatively they are given these particular sticks to eat with. When they are healed their caputs are shaved and the black cloaks are thrown off, this is when they are considered to be Maasia warriors. In our society most kids are circumcised when they are born with some exclusions, but the parents are given the pick after they are born. In our society you wouldn # 8217 ; t be considered to be any less of a adult male if this was done to you and you screamed in hurting. in our civilization we don # 8217 ; t set that much into our ceremonials as they do and besides tradition doesn # 8217 ; t play that large of a function in our society. The following narrative is about the same operation but on a adult females. This is common in the in-between E. The belief is that by taking parts of the misss genitalias the sexual desire is minimized hence continuing their virginity until they are married. This is a high hazard process intending at that place have been a few deceases related to this being done. Unlike the last narrative adult females are allowed to kick and shout every bit much as they want, or at least attempt because there are adult females keeping down each limb which makes it difficult to travel. A batch of adult females who have had this done say they had the feelings before it was done but now they weren # 8217 ; t as strong as they were earlier. This process can do long term effects on a adult females psychological every bit good as physical. This about neer happens in our society unless it is perfectly necessary, but I guess that is because virginity is taken lightly and non considered sacred in our society. I would trust that after a while these societies will halt this process but until so they will go on to make it. This civilization believes that virginity is more of import for a adult female so a adult male. This is like our society where your manfulness is ranked by how many adult females you slumber with, but for adult females they are called slatterns if they sleep with more work forces so person else did. In our society I believe we want to handle everyone the same but to me it doesn # 8217 ; t seem like we are making a really good occupation of it. My following narrative is about another induction but this is into a folk of headhunters. The trial began when they had him put down in a cavity of carnivorous emmets. He had to put at that place until they gave him a signal to acquire up because it was over. The trial doesn # 8217 ; t halt there following was he had to travel into the forests without any arms or nutrient and survive for three yearss and darks while three headhunters are runing you down. If you fail this portion of the trial so they do a ritual utilizing your caput, but if you pass you are eventually allowed to fall in them as headhunters. They apply gender functions sort of like we did. The male has to be strong and non a coward whereas the female is dependent on the male. In our society we have a batch of inductions that go on like for nines, sorority, fraternity, but none of them are normally this much based on bravery most of them are based on abashing you. I think that these four narratives show you how your society is non the lone 1 and besides it is non the best but merely different from all of the others.

Traits and Values Associated with Femininity in Antigone free essay sample

The conventionally accepted roles of both males and females in ancient Grecian society were well defined and manifested. Women were considered the weaker of the sexes and, thus, were expected to remain in the home and perform their domestic duties, while the men were to be rulers and bread-winners. The woman’s voice was not heard on any issues affecting the society as her opinions were thought unworthy of consideration. She was required merely to reproduce, to execute her domestic duties well and to submit incontestably to the authority of the men. In essence the Greeks valued their women almost as little as a common slave was valued. These values and traits associated with femininity in ancient Grecian societies are demonstrated throughout Sophocles mythical account of a woman of Thebes named Anigone. He however recognized that these beliefs about women were not representative of how women of ancient Greece were and thus highlighted the strength and importance of the role of women in Grecian society through his epic poem, proving that despite popular ancient Grecian beliefs, women were as strong and courageous as men and were prepared to face the consequences of actions they believed to be honourable. We will write a custom essay sample on Traits and Values Associated with Femininity in Antigone or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page All women were not foolish and blindly submissive. Though mythical, this traditional story provides some insight into the goings on of Grecian society as myths, as stated by Moya K. Mason, â€Å"often include some basic beliefs about life, society, and what roles men and women play in a culture. † Generally, women in ancient Greece were deemed powerless, incompetent and possessors of insufficient intellect. According to James Thompson, B. A. , M. Ed. , women were thought to be the lesser important of the sexes and not much more intelligent than the average child. Many of the Greek writers of this time portrayed women as strong emotionally but mentally weak. Thus they were seen as unfit to be leaders and considered as candidates for constant protection from themselves and others were to be protected against them. A system knows as the Guardian was developed to manage this supposed negative quality in women (Thompson, par. 2). The emotional nature of a woman was assumed to be an undesirable quality for leadership. Consequently, men had the upper hand in the affairs within the home and the community at large as their perceived impassive nature was thought to be an ideal quality of a leader. They were the ones who drafted laws and made decisions single-handedly, though these laws ultimately affected the entire population of that particular Grecian community. Even as children, females were less valued than their male counterparts and, therefore, were not allowed to attend school. Formal training was regarded as necessary for them since ultimately their contributions to society would only be domestic. Formal schooling was reserved for boys who would need to be educated and intelligent enough to make judicious decisions as future leaders. Ironically, despite being thought of as ignorant and helpless, women were regarded as crafty and cunning, and able to contrive the evilest of deeds. It was thought that it was in the nature of a woman to be evil. A vengeful persona was considered an undesirable quality in women and was deeply unappreciated but was a glorified quality in men. Also it seemed that ancient Greek males were allowed to flirt and have several extramarital sexual affairs while, except for the goddesses, women were expected to remain chaste. A man was given right, by law to kill on the spot any man he found having sex with his wife or any other woman closely related to him (such as his mother or daughter). Under the aforementioned guardianship a man was thought to have ownership over his wife. As soon as she became his wife she was placed under his watch and control. Before her marriage, each woman living in ancient Greece was under the guardianship of her father or one of her close blood male relatives who controlled every aspect of her life. Except for inexpensive items, she could not â€Å"buy anything own property or enter into contracts† (Thompson, par 3). Property ownership could only be achieved through gifts, dowry and inheritance. The most important role of women in ancient Greece, especially married women, was considered to be the production of lawful children and the execution if household chores. Also she was required to literally remain inside the home, except she was attending a special event as in those days women found in the streets were either assumed to be enslaved, a harlot, a concubine or a woman who had to find work outside of the home because of poverty (Thompson, par. 8). It was also considered respectable for a woman to remain out of sight and audible range when the man of the house had guests. Evidently, women of ancient Greece were subjected to what modern day women may consider harsh and unfair treatment as a result of some irrational beliefs and practices that were given judicial recognition. Because of fear of facing the consequences that may arise from contesting these laws, many women living during that period made no attempt to do so. So they remained as they were considered to be – weak and helpless – because of fear. Sophocles’ mythical anecdote of Antigone, however, shows the apparently unseen characteristics of women, though not all women, in ancient Greece. They were not as weak, helpless and unwise as they were believed to have been but were strong willed individuals, possessing strong characters and competent of making sound decisions. The main character, Antigone, was one of the first women in history recorded to have broken this trend of the submissive woman and defied the invincible authority of man. Her sister Ismene, however, is portrayed as how women were traditionally believed to be – submissive and weak. Sophocles’ epic poem shows how Greek society, particularly men, at that time valued and regarded their female citizens. Male chauvinists and how they stereotyped females are represented by the tyrannical king of Thebes, Creon. Antigone’s character symbolized the brave, vehement, woman who was courageous enough to do what she felt was right despite the consequences; Ismene represented the submissive woman who would take no part in defying the laws of Creon regardless of how unjust they were as she viewed her duty as being to honour the decrees of the land. Throughout the poem many of Antigone’s actions demonstrate her gallantry as a woman who would not allow the fear of being punished for defiance of the law to deter her from doing what she knew to be moral. Her brother, Polynices, had been killed fighting against Thebes, and though to bury and mourn him was considered prohibited by Creon, Antigone was determined to honour him by giving him a proper burial. Vengeance was not a trait considered desirable in a woman, but Antigone was a fierce woman who was passionate about what she believed to be just and right and she acted on her beliefs. When Creon learned that someone honoured Polynices with a burial he was enraged, but even more so when he found out that it was a woman (as in those days women were thought to have been, and in fact, were required to be entirely submissive to male authority), especially to that of the king, and he was appalled that any woman would wish to defy his commands. He was determined to show Antigone that no woman would undermine his authority by sentencing her to death. Antigone epitomizes what the Greeks considered to be a crafty woman. Creon considered her cunning for having plotted to bury her brother whom Creon regarded as a traitor. He saw her act as evil and as daring rebellion against his commands. Antigone’s bravery was demonstrated further in the poem when she justified her actions and proudly accepted the consequences she was about to experience. She takes full responsibility for her actions and is still able to remain strong through her sentencing because she truly believed that she had performed an honourable deed. Antigone disproved the popular belief that women were weak by courageously challenging a man, which was beyond what was considered acceptable in ancient Greece. In the play, Ismene represented the women of Thebes who were terrified to speak out because of fear of chastisement from male authority. Women in ancient Greece were regarded as weak and expected to be submissive and obedient to male authority. They were also lead to believe that they were helpless had no control and would be defeated if they opposed the males. As Ismene said to Antigone when she approached her and requested that she, Ismene, join her in rebellion against Creon and assist with the burial of their brother, â€Å"Remember we are women / we’re not born to contend with men. Then too / we’re underlings, ruled by much stronger hands / so we must submit in this, and things still worse† (Antigone. 74-77). Instead of fighting against the injustice that is being meted out to her brother, Polynices, by Creon, she analyzed the consequences and then decided that she would not to do what she knew to be morally right if it meant contending with a man. She regarded Antigone here as Greek women were thought to be during that time – acting on emotions rather than rational. Ismene’s lack of moral fibre is also illustrated when she attempted to take credit for the burial of Polynices with Antigone. She was willing to share responsibility for a legal misdemeanour, in which she had no part, just so she would be faced with a death sentence as she is so fearful to live without her sister. The disrespect and disregard which Creon has for women is demonstrated when he refers to Ismene as foolish and having no mind for wanting to share responsibility with Antigone for the burial of Polynices. There are also a number of male chauvinist perspectives exhibited by Creon throughout the poem. Creon was a harsh ruler and he had no compassion on persons he considered criminals, especially Antigone, because she was a woman. He counselled his son Haemon, husband of Antigone with these words, â€Å"we must defend the men who live by law / never let some woman triumph over us / Better to fall from power, if fall we must / at the hands of a man – never be rated / inferior to a woman, never† (Antigone. 757-761). Creon demonstrated here his belief that women were inferior to men, unreasonable, lacked intellect and must be punished for acting irrationally. Sophocles’ play was one of the first pieces of prose that emphasized how the roles and values of women were viewed in ancient Greece and shed light on the contrast between the sexist beliefs about women that existed at the time, and the way women really were. Women were not simply subordinate and weak as Ismene was, and as all women were believed to be, but had traits of strength and courage, like Antigone, as well.