Ismene is passive and compliant towards the laws of gods and men. She is comfortable with her role in society as a female. Antigone, on the other hand, is more of a rebel. She challenges authority and whatever she views as unjust. Because the two sisters are opposites, this makes Ismene the foil (D) of Antigone. In fencing, the weapon used by each opponent is called a foil. In literature, a character who challenges another because of their greatly differing personalities and views is also called a foil.